The Words Of Jesus Are Clear | Remaining Strong In Faith Will Lead To A Richer Life | Powerful Teaching With A Deeper Meaning

Photo and Article By: Ken Hulsey

We all know that words can both encourage or destroy, likewise words can change opinions and are powerful enough to change and shape the course of human history. In around AD 30 Jesus Christ delivered the most powerful speech ever recorded to a large group of onlookers on the Korazim Plateau in northern Israel. In it Jesus taught the framework of God's new covenant with his people and laid the foundation for the Christian church.  

The setting for this important speech may have seemed to be impromptu, but Christ chose this moment on purpose and it was certainly a moment that he had been preparing for. He knew that his words would have a great impact for not only those in attendance but for generations to come through its documentation in the Bible.

To begin this all-important teaching Jesus began his sermon with one simple statement, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

That may seem like a rather simple and straight forward sentence, but like all the words that Christ ever spoke, there was more to it than first meets the eye.

Before we get too far into the spiritual implications of Christ's opening statement on that day, we should look ant the importance of how the opening words of a speech are important in setting the tone for all the words that will follow. 

According to the University of Nevada Reno:

The first few sentences of a speech are designed to catch and maintain the audience's attention. Attention getters give the audience a reason to listen to the rest of the speech. Your attention getter helps the audience understand and reflect on your topic.

Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 began with these words, "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. began his 'I have a dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 with these words, "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice."

Way back in 341 BC the Greek lecturer Demosthenes delivered these words to the Athenian Assembly to urge them to take up arms against the approaching forces of Phillip of Macedon, "Many speeches are delivered, men of Athens, at almost every meeting of the Assembly, about the wrongs that Philip has been committing, ever since the conclusion of peace, not only against you but also against the other states, and all the speakers would, I am sure, admit in theory, though they do not put it in practice, that the object both of our words and deeds must be to check and chastise his arrogance; yet I perceive that all our interests have been so completely betrayed and sacrificed, that—I am afraid it is an ominous thing to say, but yet the truth—even if all who address you had wanted to propose, and all of you had wanted to pass, measures that were bound to bring our affairs into the worst possible plight, I do not think they could have been in a worse condition than they are today."

Demosthenes certainly was long-winded in his approach, yet he was considered one of the greatest orators of the age of classical antiquity. His works predated Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount by about 300 years. Demosthenes and his fellow Greek lecturers and philosophers changed the way that thoughts were communicated to the masses and set the ground work for Jesus to be able to teach in relatively the same manor.

Unlike his Greek counterparts Jesus kept his opening sentence short and to the point.   

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Of course, there were more opening remarks in Christ's sermon that day, but it was these opening words that really stand out because of their profound power.

 I wondered to myself why it was this statement that he chose to begin such an important and powerful teaching. At first glance it would appear that Jesus was simply trying to encourage and lift the spirits of those who were in attendance. Certainly the Jewish people, who were living under the tyrannical rule of the Roman Empire would have indeed been 'poor in spirit'.

For some more historical context:

Everything about Roman occupation was hateful to the Jews, from oppressive taxes to physical abuse by Roman soldiers to the repugnant idea that the Roman leader was a god. Repeated efforts at gaining political independence ensued to no avail. Finally, first-century Jewish society was devastated in 70 A.D. when Roman legions under Titus sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. The loss of their religious center crushed the spirits of first-century Jews, and their descendants have never forgotten it. - Learn Religions.com

It should also be noted that at the time of Jesus' ministry the Jews were in active revolt against their Roman oppressors and many believed that he would have fulfilled the Biblical prophesy of the Messiah by leading an organized physical revolt against Rome, instead of preaching a message of peace and forgiveness. 

Everything that Jesus taught had a deeper meaning. In the case of the 'poor in spirit' it is important to understand the meaning of that phrase interpreted from the original Hebrew:

The Hebrew word anawim means those who are poor in the sense that they are without material possessions, but whose poverty has not diminished, or damaged their confidence in God's generosity of mercy and love. - faithhub.net

When you look at Jesus opening statement with that context we begin to understand that he simply wasn't just referring to simply the poor and oppressed people of the time, but the those who had kept faith in the assurance that God loved them and would always provide for them.

From that we could interpret Christ's words as "Blessed are those who remain faithful to the word of God in spite of poverty and oppression, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

That seems simple enough, yet modern theologians have taken a deeper dive into the meaning of the 'poor in spirit' and found that there are also the elements of humility and total reliance in God's provision in that phrase.

Let's take a look at some of the definitions of 'poor in spirit' that I was able to find on a handful of biblical websites:

The first Beatitude Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount appears in Matthew 5:3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The “poor in spirit” are those who are humble and recognize that all their blessings come from God. - yourdictionary.com

To be "poor in spirit" is the opposite of being self-confident or self-reliant, especially in any spiritual sense. The poor in spirit recognize they are incapable of providing for themselves by their own strength, goodness, or righteousness. They know themselves to be spiritually bankrupt of true goodness. - bibleref,com

All of these ways of understanding the expression poor in spirit have three qualities in common: they all trust in God to provide for their needs; they all are detached from wealth or honor; and they all love God more than wealth or honor. Whoever has these qualities is an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. - catholic.com

"What did He mean? Simply this: We must be humble in our spirits. If you put the word “humble” in place of the word “poor,” you will understand what He meant. In other words, when we come to God, we must realize our own sin and our spiritual emptiness and poverty. - christianity.com

Now, the phrase 'poor in spirit' speaks to an even deeper reality … beyond physical poverty … but to true spiritual poverty. To be poor in spirit means to acknowledge our deepest human need for God and to grow in that longing and that dependence on a daily basis. - lifeteen.com

Here, over two thousand years later, the profound spirit of what Christ said that day still holds a deeper meaning for modern Christians. Indeed we should all embrace the essence of anawim, knowing that no matter our circumstances in life God is with us. Though we may be 'poor in spirit', without financial means, suffering through sickness, or facing social or political oppression we are to stand fast in our faith. As Jesus proclaimed, those who have that kind of faith will indeed inherit The Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us remember to praise God for all of the blessings in our life.