2007-04-16 17:54:01 · 18 answers · asked by Heron By The Sea 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This first blessing of the Beatitudes is pronounced on the poor in spirit. This does not refer to natural disposition, but to one's deliberate choice and discipline.
The poor in spirit are those who acknowledge their own helplessness and rely on God's omnipotence. They sense their spiritual need and find it supplied in the Lord. The kingdom of heaven, where self-sufficiency is no virtue and self-exaltation is a vice, belongs to such people.
The world says, "The first step to happiness is to be self-assertive and confident, to highly esteem yourself and feel good about who you are."
That's not what Jesus said. He said, "Blessed, or happy, are those who are poor in spirit—who realize their own spiritual poverty." Anyone who truly sees the Lord will inevitably feel poor in spirit.
In the first five chapters of his book, Isaiah indicts the people of Judah and the surrounding nations, saying, "Woe unto you and you and you." But in chapter 6, when he saw the Lord high and lifted up, he said, "Woe is me!"
When Peter realized who Jesus was on a boat in the Sea of Galilee, he said, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man" (Luk_5:8).
When John the revelator saw Jesus, he fell down as though he were dead (Rev_1:17).
2007-04-16 18:03:30 · answer #1 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matthew 5:3 says "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
In this verse our Jesus Christ pronounces a blessing upon a particular group of people. This group is defined as those who are poor in spirit. But what does it mean to be poor in spirit? To begin let us consider some of the things that it does not mean.
First, to be poor in spirit does not mean to have a bad spirit. Sometimes when people are faced with a difficult situation or with troubling information they may not respond in a good and godly fashion. And to their response we might say, “Well, that is a pretty poor attitude to have about the whole thing.” What are we saying? We are saying that they have a bad spirit about the matter. Yet this is not what it means to be poor in spirit.
Second, to be poor in spirit does not mean to have a lack of spirit. When a person, especially a child, is forward in manner or feisty in attitude, we might describe him, saying, “Well, he sure has spirit, doesn’t he?” Such a phrase is often used of a wild horse that is full of fight. On the other hand, we might describe a person who is lethargic and apathetic as one who has no spirit, or as one who has very little spirit about him. Yet this is not what our Lord means when he refers to “the poor in spirit.”
Third, to be poor in spirit does not mean to be low in spirit. When a person is very energetic, enthusiastic, and excited, we might say of him – “He is in high spirits.” And when a person is down, discouraged, and depressed, we might say of him – “He is in low spirits.” Yet this also is not what our Lord means when he refers to “the poor in spirit.”-
2007-04-17 01:32:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The top contributer has it. I like the word detachment but that has to be explained too. We need things but if we think things are more important than people then wealth is more important than love. So if we can put our things at the service of others, rather than using others to make us wealthy, we are devoid of attachment to things and filled with love.
Poverty in itself is not a good. We should use what we have and what we gain in loving service. This is the kingdom we should be building and it built on a readiness to sacrifice ourselves for others.
2007-04-17 01:25:26 · answer #3 · answered by fathermartin121 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These are the people who are willing to give up everything that is theirs on behalf of serving others. Even if they do not need to do it, it is the willingness that makes them "poor in spirit"
2007-04-17 01:01:09 · answer #4 · answered by Poohcat1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humble, meek. Not proud or haughty/ it's the absence of arrogance, i.e. your love & desire is not for the things of this world, but for heavenly things from God. It is those whose spirit that though they may not be esteemed by the world, are esteemed by and are admirable to God. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
2007-04-17 01:12:09 · answer #5 · answered by cas1025 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "Poor in Spirit" are all those who trust in God, rather than man.
2007-04-17 01:24:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Poor in spirit isn't just poor monetarily but poor in spirit... in the soul...meaning down in the heart....depressed and sad. God knows whats in our heart and knows we are down. He knows when we are hurt and rejected especially for His sake.
2007-04-17 01:11:14 · answer #7 · answered by Ms DeeAnn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depressed
2007-04-17 00:56:33 · answer #8 · answered by lucasone 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, there's not much to go off, but I think it's probably those who are persecuted, feeling down...the people living for Christ, giving their all, and trying to live IN the world and not be OF the world. Without any research, that'd be my guess.
2007-04-17 01:07:37 · answer #9 · answered by Michelle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Bad translation.
It should read “Blessed are the poor, in spirit.”
In other words, the poor are blessed.
I usually don’t defend the bible, but sometimes I like to help Christians understand their own dogma.
2007-04-17 01:00:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋