Jesus teaching wasn’t what one would expect from a king establishing a kingdom. But in fact, Jesus’ men must have an inward strength and faith that is much stronger than David’s mighty men. Do you remember the roadrunner cartoons? Wiley coyote would get smashed by a boulder and get right back up. That is the Christian.

The Beatitudes (some notes taken from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

1.      Jesus had been preaching repentance; these are the repentant ones.

2.      All Christians are to be like this.

3.      None of these descriptions refers to what we may call a natural tendency.

4.      Every one of us is meant as a Christian to be like this.

5.      These descriptions indicate clearly the difference between the Christian and non-Christian.

a.      They are different in what they admire.

b.      They are different in what they seek: wealth, money, status, position, publicity.

c.      They are different in what they do.

d.      The Christian and non-Christian belong to two entirely different realms.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.



Blessed = happy, favoured – This puts the burden on God to make us such.

Poor = The word translated “poor” refers to a man with no honor or wealth who is reduced to begging for his existence... MacArthur—“The Greek word means to cower and cringe like a beggar...It carries the classic idea of begging out of shame...someone who is reduced to beggary, who crouches, unwilling to life his eyes, pleading alms and moving about in wretched conditions...It’s a beggar, somebody with no wealth, no influence, no position, no honor, no respect, in some cases possessing nothing but the ragged clothes they wear, a real beggar...”

They are the people who are conscious of their own spiritual deficiency.

Thus I suggest that it essentially involves three things—[1] the acknowledgment that we in ourselves lack any merit... [2] the acknowledgement that we in ourselves are great debtors—not only do we lack the necessary righteousness but actually possess a positive debt... [3] the acknowledgement that we are in ourselves utterly unworthy—again the word translated “poor” includes—“a sense of little value or worth...”

The first beatitude is the key to what follows. There is a progression.

Poor in spirit = emptying

Poor in spirit is not = weakness, nervousness, lack of courage, etc.

Poor in spirit = rich in faith, sound mind, courage, full trust in God, overcomer. It is the opposite of a rebellious spirit.