“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:3-5
The Sermon on the Mount stands in direct contrast to what the world describes today as victorious living. The introduction starts off with a list of the kind of people Christ had compassion on: the meek, the sorrowful, the poor in spirit. By the popular standards in our culture, that’s not a great list.
Most people who are sorrowful long for joy. They didn’t want the circumstances that became a source of grief in their lives. The poor in spirit might not have started out that way, but life has a way of breaking us all down. Very few seek out circumstances that merit these adjectives. Yet Christ seeks these children! He promises to comfort just such people, promising them a home and a kingdom that will have no end.
To the nobodies, the brokenhearted, and the oppressed, Jesus offers a life that is everlasting. You and I get to take part in a life that is perpetual victory, but not because of what our circumstances are. Rather, it’s because Christ saw our sin and misery, fulfilled the law we could not keep, and assured us of victory in Him.
Most people who are sorrowful long for joy. They didn’t want the circumstances that became a source of grief in their lives. The poor in spirit might not have started out that way, but life has a way of breaking us all down. Very few seek out circumstances that merit these adjectives. Yet Christ seeks these children! He promises to comfort just such people, promising them a home and a kingdom that will have no end.
To the nobodies, the brokenhearted, and the oppressed, Jesus offers a life that is everlasting. You and I get to take part in a life that is perpetual victory, but not because of what our circumstances are. Rather, it’s because Christ saw our sin and misery, fulfilled the law we could not keep, and assured us of victory in Him.
Scripture Focus
Matthew 5:3-15
Insight
“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)
Bible In A Year
- Jeremiah 25-26
- Psalm 116
- 1 Corinthians 7
