“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (ESV)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV)

Two hungry beggars sit on the side of the road.
One says he isn’t hungry.
The other cries, “I’m starving,” but he knows where bread is given for free.
Which one will not go hungry?

Although this riddle might be easy, it exposes one of the greatest errors of all humanity: That there are people who are spiritually starving yet have no idea of it. They believe they are already full and complete on their own and may never recognize their need for help.

This was the very heart of the Pharisees whom Jesus addressed in Luke 5:32 when He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
He wasn’t talking about those who are actually healthy; rather, those who think they are.
He goes on to say, “I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” (NLT)

In this week's verse, Jesus uses this Greek phrase ptōchoi tō pneumati. (poor in spirit) The word ptōchoi refers to beggars…those who possess nothing of their own and must depend entirely on the mercy of another. Together, the words portray a person who stands humbly before God, fully aware of their spiritual bankruptcy. 

In other words, “Blessed are those who know their spiritual poverty.”

To be poor in spirit is to recognize your need for God and to come to Him empty-handed…knowing you have nothing to offer and everything to gain. A spiritual beggar. 

It’s not those who think they are rich in spirit that will inherit the kingdom, but the ones who know they are spiritually poor and undeserving. 

So, come to God as a beggar, know your need for His grace, ready to receive it.
Then, and only then, will the kingdom of heaven be yours.

After all, we’re all just beggars showing other beggars where to find the bread.
The bread we need every single day.

Written by Blake Stanley