Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.

The first part of The Beatitudes, also referred to as The Sermon on the Mount, is about having more than the right attitude.

"Be Attitude"

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Jesus Christ spoke to many gathered before him on the Mount, these instructions are the cornerstone of how a Christian walks today.

[Mat 5:3, 37 KJV] 3 Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Each of the beatitudes begins with the word blessed, which means "to be highly favored, honored, or set aside." It speaks of the deep soul contentment that comes not from what we experience as much as who we are. I want to be blessed, don’t you?

In this first Beatitude, I believe "poor in spirit" refers to humility, the authentic attitude of the heart that recognizes it is absolutely nothing-poor-without the Lord. It is the kind of spiritual poverty that is overcome only by total dependence upon Christ. At the same time, the person who is truly poor in spirit also recognizes that everything is his because of God’s great gifts.

Jesus demonstrated true humility when He knelt down and washed the feet of His disciples (see John 13:3-9). I can hardly imagine the God of this universe kneeling to wash the feet of these men, including Judas; the man Jesus knew would betray Him. This kind of humility comes only from the Lord.

The gospel account says that Peter’s initial reaction to the humility of Jesus was to refuse to allow his feet to be washed. But Jesus said, "If I don’t wash you then you have no part with me." So impulsive, reactionary Peter then pleaded, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."

Maybe the essential point of this whole exchange was the Lord’s declaration that experiencing His humility is essential to relationship with Him. If we don’t have that kind of humility, we have nothing. But if we experience it, we are blessed...and the kingdom of heaven is ours! What an amazing promise.

All Glory & Honor & Power to Jesus Christ.