SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/26/2020
9:46 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “The
Poor in Spirit”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 5:3
Message of the
verse: “3 "Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
We will begin with a short
introduction from John MacArthur and then we will be first looking at the
sub-point “The Meaning of Poor in Spirit” as we continue this SD.
“Discussion of this first beatitude demands that it be looked at from
five perspectives: the meaning of ‘poor
in spirit,’ the location of this virtue in the list, the way to achieve that
attitude, how to know if we have that attitude, and the result promised for
having it.”
THE MEANING OF POOR IN SPIRIT
“Ptochos
(‘poor’) is from a verb meaning ‘to shrink, cower, or cringe,’ as beggars often
did in that day. Classical Greek used
the word to refer to a person reduced to total destitution, who crouched in a
corner begging. As he held out one hand
for alms he often hid his face with the other hand, because he was ashamed of
being recognized. The term did not mean
simply poor, but begging poor. It is
used in Luke 16:20 to describe the beggar Lazarus.”
There is another Greek word which
was used for ordinary poverty and that word was penicros, and this word was used of the widow that Jesus saw who
gave an offering in the Temple. She did
not have much but she did have two small copper coins as seen in Luke
21:2. This woman was poor but not
begging poor. The one who is penichros poor, does have at least some
meager resources. However the one who is
Ptochos poor, is completely dependent on others for sustenance as he has absolutely
no means of self-support.
There are some who teach that the
similar statement from Luke 6:20, “"Blessed are you who are
poor, for yours is the kingdom of God,’” that Matthew 5:3 is talking about
material poverty. MacArthur writes “But
sound hermeneutics (the interpretation of Scripture) requires that, when two or
more passages are similar but not exactly alike, the clearer one explains the
other, the more explicit clarifies the less explicit. By comparing Scripture with Scripture we see
that the Matthew account is the more explicit.
Jesus is peaking of a spiritual poverty that corresponds to the material
poverty of one who is ptochos.”
Here is where we have to have some
common sense in this matter. For if
Jesus were here, in this passage, advocating material poverty then He would
have contradicted many other parts of His Word, which includes Matthew 5:42, a
part of the Sermon on the Mount where we read “"Give to him who asks of
you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” This verse teaches us to give financial help
to the poor. So if Jesus were teaching
the innate blessedness of material poverty, then the task of Christians would
be to help make everyone, including themselves, without any money at all. Jesus did not teach that the material poverty
is the path to spiritual prosperity.
This is not to say that those who
are materially poor do not have some advantages in spiritual matters as they do
not have certain distractions and temptations because they are poor. The materially rich have some disadvantage by
having these certain distractions and temptations. However material possessions have no
necessary relationship to spiritual blessings as Matthew makes clear that Jesus
is here talking about the condition of the spirit, and is not talking about one’s
wallet.
I have to say that this first
sub-section is fairly long so we will be camped out here for a few days, but
the things we are learning from this section has the potential to change lives,
of both unbelievers and believers. To
change the lives of unbelievers because they can learn that there is nothing in
and of themselves that they can do in order to be saved as their spiritual
condition is as bad as it can be and so they must rely on the grace of God and
the effectual call of the Holy Spirit to come to know Jesus Christ as their
Savior and Lord. As far as believers
there is a verse that comes to my mind “Therefore as you have received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” (Col. 2:6). This verse tells me that in the same way that
I became a believer that I am to walk in my Christian life. I was spiritual poor and depended upon the
Lord to save me and now for me to please the Lord in my walk I am to realize
that they only way I can do that is to depend upon the Spirit of God to lead me
and therefore for me to do the things that God has planned for me to do from
eternity past “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians
2:10).
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: What I
see so far in this passage is something that I need to continue to learn in my
life and that is humility.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To be humble
because I can do nothing on my own to earn salvation or to walk with the Lord
in the way He desires me to do. To be
content with what the Lord has given me and how He causes me to walk and to do
the things He desires me to do. I am
finding joy as I begin this wonderful study of the Sermon on the Mount.
3/26/2020 10:27
AM
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