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"Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"
(Matthew 5:2-3)
Matthew 5:2 says Jesus opened His mouth, and that is a significant statement. It is a Greek colloquial phrase that means what He is about to say is very important, and the hearer needs to listen. The phrase is used "to describe solemn, grave, dignified, serious, weighty statements." (Source: John MacArthur, p. The Beatitudes, p. 50) Early church father John Chrysostom said the phrase draws attention to the fact that Jesus is about to teach verbally as He had already been teaching through actions (Source: Greenman, Larson, and Spencer, The Sermon on the Mount Through the Centuries, p. 25) Augustine said the words come from not a rabbi or prophet or venerable sage, but from the Son of God Himself. (Ibid, p. 44-45)
There is debate over the words of Jesus. Some believe that His message was not meant for life on earth; rather, He is describing life in the millennial kingdom or life in heaven. But I disagree. I believe Jesus' words were not for "the sweet by and by" but for the hectic and gritty here and now. Jesus describes the principles and lifestyle of His followers. By the way, it is not hard to live by these teachings of Jesus; it is absolutely impossible to live them out on your own, and that is why you have to have the Holy Spirit living in and through you and be yielded to God.
But for those who embrace these sayings of Christ, they will be like those who built their houses on solid rock, as Jesus states at the end of the message (Matthew 7:24). We all need help and healing. As we study and apply this sermon of our Lord's, we will be whole.
A father was trying to take a nap, and his son said he was bored. The dad got a picture of the earth, cut it up into small pieces, and gave it to his son to put back together, thinking it would take hours. Surprisingly, the son came back in 15 minutes, and he was finished. The dad was shocked and asked the son how he could do this so quickly, and the son said, "It was easy. There was a picture of a person on the back of the map, so when I got my person put together, the world looked just fine." (Source Baker, Life's Healing Choices, p. 1) John Baker writes, "Each of our lives is tangled up with hurts that haunt our hearts, hang-ups that cause us pain, and habits that mess up our lives." (Ibid, p. 1)
That is very true. But all who read and apply this amazing teaching of Jesus to their lives will find that Jesus' words will bring life and healing.
Some reading the devotion today are living the poor-in-spirit way of life. You are yielded to Jesus, not arrogant, and you are pursuing the Spirit-filled life. Way to go! You are living the blessed life! Others, not so much. Truth be told, you are struggling mightily in your relationship with Jesus. You know His way is best but you are having a difficult time applying His teachings to your life. I hope this week to help you not only understand what Jesus taught but also how to apply His teachings to your life so that you are walking in freedom and peace with God.
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