Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

by Tom Wacaster

Being truly happy is related in some way to a certain kind of poverty. The word “poor” is from ‘ptochos,’ an adjective describing one who crouches and cowers, and is used as a noun, a beggar; while ‘prosaites’ is descriptive of a beggar, and stresses his begging, ‘ptochos’ stresses his poverty stricken condition” (W.E.Vine). There is another word that deserves attention as well. It is the Greek word ‘penes,’ and describes a person who lives day to day, month to month, with nothing extra; only that which is able to keep him from being classified as “poor” or “destitute.” While the man described as ‘penes’ has nothing extra, the other described by the word ‘ptochos’ has nothing at all! To be “poor in spirit” is not the suppression of one’s personality, as if to claim, “Woe is me, I’m not worth anything to the church. I can’t do anything,” and so on. Nor does poverty of spirit have anything to do with the amount of material possessions a man might or might not have. Those who are “poor in spirit” recognize their need with regard to the inner man. While those lacking poverty of spirit decry religion, Bible study, prayer, etc., those who are poor in spirit recognize their complete destitution inwardly. The proud say, “Who needs this religious stuff? I’m my own man. Nobody is going to tell me I need religion.” The poor in spirit recognize their need spiritually; they NEED God, they NEED spiritual nourishment; they NEED forgiveness. They KNOW this, and they KNOW that they KNOW it. Consequently, those who are poor in spirit have a deep awareness of the horrible nature of sin in their lives and the need for forgiveness. The need arises from man’s fallen condition. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). All we like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). The true servant of God acknowledges that he, like all men, is spiritually undone, inadequate, and desperate for help. Here is a man who realizes the horrible nature of sin and the consequences attached to his spiritual treason before God. “The unsaved man must recognize the fact that he needs God; he needs the Savior; he needs faith; he needs cleansing; he needs righteousness; he needs hope; and without these things, he is destitute” (V.P. Black). Here is “one who is deeply sensible of his spiritual poverty and wretchedness” (Adam Clarke). Here is the man who is destitute of the proud, haughty, arrogant spirit of the world. In contrast, modern man perceives of his “sin problem” as a social problem. Given enough money, education, time and self-determination and there is nothing that he cannot solve, so he claims. Such is the opposite of one who is “poor in spirit.” Perhaps the words of a popular hymn express the sentiments of this first beatitude, with which I will close:

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!