Poor in spirit

This morning we had quite a good sermon. The topic was "Blessed are the poor in spirit," --so obviously an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. I had studied this particular passage before (a long time ago) and took quite a liking to this passage, because it presents to me a very good reminder of the should-have's in all Christians. Of course, as in the Love chapter in 1 Corinthians, these character traits are impossible goals to master but a must-have (to a certain degree) of all who claim to be Christians. A perfect standard, as Augustine said.

PJ reminded us that to be poor in spirit, we must be humble and not reliant on ourselves too much. This was a simiple statement, one that, in theory, probably is known by all Christians. Yes we are to trust God more and not to be too confident in ourselves. Yet when I look deeper into this statement, I almost feel a little bit of fear rising up in me--because the matter of fact is that I do rely on myself too much. I do often do calculating decisions on whether I can achieve something--accounting for my own capabilities. I am quite prideful of my own abilities.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit" - I remember that when I first studied the passage, there was quite a bit of discussion on the word "blessed". Its not just normal "blessing"--something that a Divine Being has given to us--but the word is also associated with the notion of "happiness" (in modern context probably joy/delight is a better word) and also approval by God. Poverty in spirit--the state of being completely spiritually bankrupt. Emptiness. Helplessness. A geniune confession of not having any spiritual assets--that if we are to have some, we must beg for it. Honestly, at this age and day, to be able to maintain that kind of attitude is nearly impossible. When does humility come down to admitting that we have nothing? I have many friends who say they are humble while displaying their pride--and I certainly have been in those shoes myself. Sometimes thinking about how far I need to go in my journey of faith to be able to possess this attitude just shakes me to the core.

I am truly thankful for PJ to introduce Matthew 5 into my life. Haven't thought about it much these days--it's time for more reflection.