Humbled By His Birth
“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:1-3, NKJV
This is the first of the “Beatitudes” that Jesus taught in Matthew 5. Each one of the beatitudes contains three parts. First, the pronouncement of the state of being blessed which means to be happy and highly favored by divine grace. Second, is the beatitude itself. Third, is a special promise to those Christians who exhibit such character and conduct in their lives.
The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their utter dependence upon God to save them. They realize that they are spiritually bankrupt before God and can do absolutely nothing to save themselves from their sins.
The special promise given to those who exhibit this characteristic in their life is that they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved. It is that wonderful place where we, as Christians, will spend all of eternity.
The application of this beatitude for us, teaches humility. We ought to be humbled in the presence of God and His saving grace that He has given to us. There is no room for pride when we stand in the presence of God.
Riley Pippen