Mat 5:3; What Is Poor in Spirit?

Class Outline:

Wednesday March 27, 2024

Poor in spirit is the character and service of the good steward (slave) of Christ.

 

For a steward to be a good one, he has to have a particular character and do certain things. Hence, one word is not going to describe him or her.

 

Service of the poor in spirit:

Alert to the Lord.

Serving others according to His will.

 

The good steward is alert to the return of the Lord.

LUK 12:35-38

 

The good steward is always serving according to the Master’s will.

Luke 12:41-48

 

For both alertness and service, the good steward is handsomely rewarded.

 

1PE 4:10-11

 

The poor: Do not own their time, thoughts, actions, materials, etc.

They do not choose when, where, to whom, and with what to serve. Sounds like a slave.

 

Paul’s own description of his stewardship helps us to see both the service and the character of such a steward has to be poor in spirit.

 

1CO 9:15-18

 

God’s words, works, energies, passions, loves, etc. cannot coexist with pride.

 

Character of the poor in spirit:

Willing to do what it takes to be a servant like Christ.

 

Poor means a servant like Christ.

 

Character:

The poor in spirit are very gracious.

 

2CO 8:5 - they first gave themselves to the Lord.

This is followed by the ultimate example, 2CO 8:9. Then it is followed by the great chapter on giving, 2Co 9.

 

2CO 6:1-10.

 

2CO 6:2 quotes ISA 49:8. The context is the second Servant Song (49:1-7). The Servant is a Savior to Israel and the nations (ISA 49:6) = the glorious proclamation that salvation has come.

 

Character:

The poor in spirit care more about God’s ministry than themselves (2CO 6:3).

 

Character:

The poor in spirit have endurance (2CO 6:4).

When you know that your will is not your own but His, it makes endurance far easier. You don’t possess anything to stand up for.

 

Character:

The poor in spirit have purity (holiness in thinking), knowledge, kindness, Holy Spirit’s working, genuine love, truth, divine power (2CO 6:6-7).

 

Character:

The poor in spirit accept outcomes as from God, good or bad (2CO 6:8a).

 

Character:

The poor in spirit know their identity is in Christ (2Co 8:b-10).

 

The steward of the Lord possesses all the things that his master gives him and for this he rejoices and is strong. Yet the steward will only do his Master’s will. He is humble, obedient, not proud of what he has nor of his position. He longs for others to join him in this position. There is plenty of room at the Father’s wedding feast. The humble servant, obedient, joyous, strong, enduring, is poor in spirit.

 

Poverty of strength, poverty of resources, poverty of materials, even poverty of desire. The poor in spirit are the good stewards in the house of the Lord (eternal one, body of Christ) who were placed without possessing one skill of having one item owned.

 

There is only one way to discover the value of the life of poverty, and that is to jump into the role of Christ’s servant in everything you do, owning nothing, not even time or your own mind or body, and obey your Master. Blessings upon the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.