What Does It Mean To Say Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

1295 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Christian view on poverty

Jesus begins teaching a message to His disciples; a message which is also heard by the nearby multitude; a message which will be studied, scrutinized, debated, analyzed, and accepted as a spiritual guide by many millions of readers of the gospels for the next two thousand years.
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). Jesus begins His lesson on discipleship by proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the “poor in spirit.” Those whose social status was considered poor were looked down upon and treated badly by the “elite” classes, and those in power. Being poor in spirit would indicate one who feels no sense of spiritual influence, power; someone who feels unworthy to have a personal relationship with God. This type of person feels humbled, and thankful for God’s loving grace. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is theirs, not will be theirs. The spiritual kingdom is for true believers on earth as well as in the eternal Heaven. It encompasses all those who live a righteous life; one which is pleasing to God.
Blessed are those Who Mourn. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt 5:4). The term mourn can be applied to a variety of emotions relating to …show more content…

Blessed are you when people revile you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matt 5:10-11). Jesus knew that His disciples were going to face persecution by His enemies; those who felt threatened by His power and authority. They feared that He was going to attempt to establish Himself as a king. The persecution for Christ’s sake can be manifested in many ways, from very mild ridicule to torture and death. This is true, even today. Jesus again offers the kingdom of God as an inheritance. We are to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors so that we may be “perfect, as God is

Show More
Related

  • The Parables In The Book Of Matthew

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jesus used parables to his disciples as a way to educate them on how important lessons could get overlooked by many people. At some point, Jesus seemed to be limiting his audience when he suggested that, “To His disciples, the kingdom

    Read More

  • Beatitudes In The Gospel Of Matthew 9

    1494 Words  | 3 Pages

    Verse ten, eleven and twelve contains words that we will dread to hear; persecution, evil being done to you, insults lodged against you.

    Read More

  • Teachings From Three Parables in the Gospel of Luke

    2068 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Gospel itself was most likely written to a mostly Gentile, urban audience and consistently shows a preferential option for the poor. Readers see numerous instances where the author depicts Jesus as claiming the poor as those who will receive the blessings of Heaven and instructing his followers about the dangers of possessions and wealth. It is obvious that the evangelist was concerned with how his or her local community was responding to the poor and how they were gaining and using their wealth.

    Read More

  • Christian Persecution

    2050 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...lamic countries in the east have huge issues with the persecution of Christians. Christians are being killed and abused for their faith in God around the world. These Christians are following in Jesus’ footsteps. A good example of why Christians are prepared to face persecution is in Mark 8:34-38.

    Read More

  • Mark Paper

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    The last way that Jesus demonstrated His discipleship was in the way he took care of people’s spiritual needs. The first time we see this is in Mark 1:21-28. In these verses Jesus is i...

    Read More

  • Spanish Inquisition Thesis

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    Persecution has existed for a long time. There has been a time where Roman Emperors persecuted Christians “but it is said that the number of victims sacrificed to the Inquisition in the reign of Philip II of Spain exceeded by many thousands those who died at the order of the Emperors of Rome. Moreover,

    Read More

  • Should Christians Care About The Increasing Income Inequality In The U.S.?

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Jesus, we see that God has a ‘preferential option for the poor.’ As Gustavo Gutiérrez points out, Jesus in Matthew 25 proclaims a shocking identity “between a deed of love in behalf of the poor and a deed done in behalf of the Son of Man…to give one’s life for justice is to give it for Christ himself.” As such, the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed made a demand on us to work on behalf of the poor and marginalized in our area, opposing ways of life that did not benefit them.

    Read More

  • The Central Teaching of Jesus

    454 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” (Mt

    Read More

  • The Poor are all that

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    People today look at the poor with scorn in their eyes. Not to mention they get grossed out when they have to even walk by them on the streets. Today, you see the poor begging on the streets and you can’t help but feel sorry for them. Some people though, think that the poor are the sorriest bunch of suckers around and that their lives have no meaning. But, according to Henry David Thoreau, the poor have some of the best lives compared to all of us that aren’t. The article, “Comfort Zones” quotes the bible saying, “‘This poor widow put more than all the other contributors’ (Mk 12:43)” The poor contributes more than you know. Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” greatly describes how the poor are better because life if still great, they get independence, and money doesn’t help buy your soul.

    Read More

  • Parker's Back Symbolism

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... of evil against you, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in heaven; for so did they persecute the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).

    Read More

  • • Explain The Difference Between Worthy And Unworthy Poor

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Worthy poor: Are those people that cannot provide for themselves, for example: People with physical disabilities, elderly, etc.

    Read More

  • Gospel of John and Mission

    2757 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...Today as a Christ follower, we will never be satisfied if our life is not bearing lasting fruit because we are not fulfilling the purpose for which we were “grafted “into the Vine. Let’s examine the “fruit” of our lives. Is it the kind of fruit that reveals the character of Christ? Let’s not settle for fruitless Christianity. God will do the work of making us fruitful – we must only abide, surrendering our lives to His mission of making disciples of all nations through us. The whole notion of mission is to stretch out to work the work of evangelism not through hierarchy, sovereignty, rather through humbleness, hospitality, affection love for the others. That is what Jesus who portrayed as the one who we do not deserve to untie His sandals straps in the first Chapter of John, later become feet washer, intimate with humanity leaving His equality with God.

    Read More

  • Arguments Against The Resurrection Of Jesus

    312 Words  | 1 Pages

    3. Undoubtedly, Jesus’ life teachings were extraordinary people were amazed of his knowledge and wisdom of the Scripture. However, his teaching do not only feed the human knowledge but they transform the lives of those who listen with a humble heart. This was one of the miracles that brought the resurrection of Christ the life changing of Jesus’s disciples. (5721, Groothuis) Kindle

    Read More

  • Christian Poverty And The Ethical Views Of Christian Ethics

    1150 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Luke, we see that Jesus’ purpose in ministry is to “proclaim good news to the poor.” At many points throughout the gospels, Jesus instructs his disciples and followers to care for the poor. One such passage appears in Matthew 19. In this passage we see a young man questioning Jesus on the way to gain eternal life. Jesus responds with, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Here, we see a direct example of what can be done to care for the poor. We see that a person’s attachment to their possessions leads to blocked generosity to the poor. Jesus’ example certainly portrays a concern for, and responsibility to the

    Read More

  • Poor Are Better Than Rich

    369 Words  | 1 Pages

    Poor people are filled with hope and the desire to help others that are in need of

    Read More

More about What Does It Mean To Say Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

Open Document