BLESSED THE POOR OF SPIRIT
BLESSED THE POOR OF SPIRIT
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5: 3)
The word blessed in Greek means blissful or happy, it is important to establish that the beatitudes present a stark contrast between happiness according to God and happiness according to the world.
A poor person in spirit is not someone with low self-esteem or a quiet person, nor does he refer to people who suffer rejected and abused. Because all these situations are also experienced by unbelievers and the Lord would never praise the world for its miseries. A person recognizes his spiritual misery in the presence of God. A poor person in spirit is the one who knows that he is spiritually ruined when we are without God.
To be poor in spirit means a total void in the human heart. It is thirsting for God and a deep understanding that our most sublime works of piety are not merits that allow us to reach a certain divine goodness. It is to understand our sinful nature, to feel weak and undermined by the cancer of sin. Poor in spirit is to be aware of the spiritual poverty that we have inherited by a rebellion that began centuries ago, in the Garden of Eden.
When man is poor in spirit he hungers and thirsts for God. He is well aware that man will not live by bread alone. We are spiritual beings, creatures created by God, we are eternal souls that need the bread of life and living water that springs for eternal life.
Our carnal and earthly bodies have different appetites: Hunger, thirst, hygiene, sex, rest, exercises, jobs etc .; but the poor in spirit know that we can not feed our souls with material things, because we will have to believe ourselves "rich in spirit" and we will only be riding towards hell. (Matthew 4: 4)
The poor in spirit are always ready for a genuine repentance not only of our own sins, but of our most eloquent good deeds.
Without repentance there can't be forgiveness, and without been forgiven we can't be saved
This will pave way for our access into the Kingdom of God