“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

When we arrive at passages like this, we must begin by asking the question: “What is blessedness?” Sadly, over the years, there have been some translations that have rendered this phrase, “Happy are…” Is being happy the same thing as being blessed? No, it is most certainly not! Happiness tends to be based on external things that bring you joy or comfort: friends, a good meal, entertainment, etc… In contrast, blessedness focuses on one’s inward state. That is why one can be blessed even during the most difficult of times. Indeed, just a few verses down, Jesus speaks about those who are persecuted for His name’s sake as being blessed. Happy…probably not so much, but definitely blessed.

So, what then does it mean for a church body to be blessed? In a sense, that is the purpose of these eight blessings (beatitudes). Ultimately, it means that the kingdom of heaven is theirs. But, what does it mean that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to a church that is poor in spirit? To answer that question, we must first ask, to what does the Kingdom of Heaven refer?

A Kingdom, by its nature, is a nation or realm that is ruled by a king. In the context of the church, we are talking about King Jesus. The idea may seem obvious enough, but its ramifications are wide and sweeping. For instance, kingdoms are not ruled in a democratic manner; the king has absolute sovereign rule. One might share with the king one’s difficulties with an aspect of his rule, but like it or not, but the subjects of the king do not get to make the rules. That belongs to the King alone. Similarly, in the church, the subjects of the King (believers) do not get to make or remake the rules. Our role is to submit to His Lordship and to yield ourselves to His authority. Every man does not get to do what is right in his own eyes (yet, how many churches do just that!).

But wait, I sound as if I am speaking of the church today, not the church in heaven. True. You see, while we tend to think of the Kingdom of Heaven only in future terms, that is not how the Bible treats it. For instance, both John and Jesus preached that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand (Matthew 4:17; 10:7). Yet, Jesus also spoke as if the Kingdom of Heaven had always been present in the life of God’s people (Matthew 11:12). Finally, though, Jesus also speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven as something that will come at the end of all earthly time (Matthew 8:11). Perhaps, though, the Parable of the Mustard Seed presents the idea of the kingdom best. It starts very small and then grows into something mighty and magnificent (Matthew 13:24). In other words, it began small, in the Garden of Eden, and then grew through history until Pentecost, where it reached its branches to the ends of the earth. Further, it will come to completion in the New Creation when Jesus’ reign will be clear and universal. Nevertheless, in the here and now, the Kingdom exists and the King is seated on the right hand of God the Father, so the church should be in submission to the King’s rule.

That idea of submission brings us back to the beginning of the beatitude: blessed are the poor in spirit. So, to what does “poor in spirit” refer? The Greek word that is translated here as “poor” is the word πτωχός (ptochos) and refers to the idea of being entirely dependent upon others for support. It is the opposite of being proud and self-sufficient. At the same time, poor does not mean “without any other means,” but it means that any means one might have of their own are utterly inadequate to the task. And indeed, when it comes to heaven, membership in the Kingdom, and a life that honors Christ, we are utterly and completely bankrupt. Indeed, we are inadequate to the task. 

If I might translate that a bit into the context of the life of the corporate church. It means there is no room for pride in the Church of Jesus Christ. It means that no matter how many dollars that the church has in the bank, they can do nothing. They are like vapor, summer grass that is burned up in a moment. Pride and the church are incompatible ideas if we are talking about the True Church of Jesus Christ. Civic associations have pride. Social clubs have pride. Yet, if we are to be a part of Christ’s eternal kingdom, we owe our past, our present, and our eternal future to Him. In turn, we must be obedient to His commands in life and in worship. It’s not about what we want. It is about what Christ commands.