Matthew 5:3 - HUMILITY
Matthew 5:3: HUMILITY
Matthew 5:3 (NLT) God blesses those who are poor and realize
their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
COMMENTARY PEARL
The kingdom of God with its tangible blessings for its citizens
is already here, but not yet in its fullness. After all, to be
blessed is to have a relationship with God, who both satisfies our soul
in the midst of whatever we're experiencing in the present and
promises future and eternal rewards. Are you presently enjoying the
blessings that come from a personal relationship with the King? [Being
Still With God Every Day by Henry Blackaby re Mat. 5:3]
TOPIC: HUMILITY
INTRODUCTION
Beatitudes (1-12). We enter the kingdom through the new birth
(John 3:1-16), but we enjoy the kingdom by living for those things
that please God the most (6:33). The world (and worldly believers)
would disagree with Christ's description of a blessed (happy) person,
but the description is true just the same. God majors on character,
and so should we. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe]
The Bible presents many paradoxes that challenge our human
way of thinking. We think of the poor as possessing very little, yet
Jesus said the riches of heaven belong to the poor in spirit.
Self-reliance robs us of Gods good gifts.
Jesus insisted that in order to follow Him we must deny self.
As long as we rely on our own resources, we will never place our
trust in Him. As we acknowledge the poverty of our souls, we realize
how desperately we need a Savior. Jesus declared: Repent! For the
kingdom of heaven is near (Mt 4:17). God has so much to give the one
who recognizes his need and will call upon Jesus!
Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of
a needle than it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
He had just encountered the rich ruler, who valued his possessions
so much that he could not give them up to follow Jesus (Lu
18:18"24). Jesus later encountered Zaccheus, a wealthy, notorious sinner
(Lu 19:1"10). Despite Zaccheuss material wealth, he recognized
his spiritual poverty and found salvation. Jesus taught the
disciples that true wealth is found in a relationship with God. Those who
realize their inherent spiritual poverty apart from God will trust in
Him, and He will enrich their lives immeasurably. Do not allow your
resources, wisdom, talent, or abilities to prevent you from trusting the
One who can bring you abundant life. [Experiencing God Day by Day by
Henry and Richard Blackaby re Mat. 5:3]
DEFINITIONS
Blessed. Each beatitude tells how to be blessed. Blessed
means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state
of those who are in Gods kingdom. The Beatitudes dont promise
laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. To Jesus, blessed means
the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward
circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow
Jesus no matter what the cost. [Life Application SB]
Poor. a word indicating deep poverty. Here it refers to those
who are in dire spiritual poverty and sense keenly their need of the
things the kingdom of heaven has to offer. Those who do not feel their
spiritual need, who think themselves rich, and increased with goods
and in need of nothing, are, in the sight of Heaven,
wretched, and miserable, and poor (Rev. 3:17). None but the poor in
spirit will ever enter the kingdom of divine grace; all others feel no
need of heavens riches, and decline its blessings There is no
room in the kingdom of heaven for the proud, the self-satisfied, the
self-righteous. Christ bids the poor in heart to exchange their poverty for the
riches of His grace. [SDA Commentary]
COMMENTARY
How to develop this attitude: James 4:7-10 [Life Application SB]
James 4:7-10 (NLT2) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come
close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for
your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears
for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let
there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
It's a common biblical theme: God loves and blesses humility.
"These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and
contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word" (Isaiah 66:2, NIV). "And
what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8, NIV). Though the
Lord is great, he cares for the humble (Psalm 138:6). The quotes
could go on and on. Jesus didn't open up a new theme; He emphasized an
old one.
That's because the Kingdom is eternal. The character of the
Kingdom doesn't change over time because it reflects the unchanging
character of the King. If He has ever honored humility, He always will.
It's His nature to do so.
When Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, that's essentially
what He is blessing. It's a true humility - not self-deprecating
behavior but a deep sense of need and an understanding of where the human
heart stands in relation to God. If we are poor inspirit, we will
realize how desperately we need divine help for everything. We may
approach His throne boldly, but we won't approach Him arrogantly. We will
always be in awe of the privilege we've been given, aware of the grace
and mercy that sustain us, and willing to comply with whatever He
asks of us. A spiritually poor heart is not presumptuous,
complaining, or entitled. It's forever grateful.
Jesus offers happiness to such hearts. The King "opposes the
proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). If you take Him
for granted, feel entitled to His benefits, or condescend to others,
you won't fit the culture of His Kingdom very well. But if you are
selfless, deferential, and servant-hearted, you will experience the
support of God Himself. That may take time - it's a test of character to
watch others push you down while you're waiting for God to lift you up
- but His promise is certain. Those who know their deepest needs
will find Him meeting them. [The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional
by Chris Tiegreen]
Have you ever considered a setback as a blessing? First of
all, setbacks aren't failures. They are the normal ups and downs of
life. Second, God uses them to bring us to the end of our rope, the
end of our own resources, so we learn to rely on his vast resources.
Part of his design is for there to be less of us and more of him in
our lives. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He must become greater;
I must become less" (John 3:30).
Surprisingly, when there is less of us and more of God,
that's when we find ourselves most empowered to move forward. God says,
"I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is
contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to
revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15). So when a setback
brings us low but we turn to God in that place, he'll get us back on
our feet and running the marathon with joy.
Setbacks can be blessings, because when there's less of us,
there's more of God and his rule, and that's where our true joy lies.
[The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
ILLUSTRATION
All was quiet in the eighteenth-floor corner office. My boss
was out of town, and my normally hectic workday would be quite the
opposite. Out of habit I filled his twin silver pitchers with coffee and
water and then shook my head at the wasted effort.
I sat down in his massive leather armchair and looked out at
the clouds over downtown Houston. I began to contemplate the many
empty relationships I had built with family and friends, when God
brought to mind the opening words of the Sermon on the Mount. That first
beatitude had always left me wondering to whom Jesus was referring when he
talked about "the poor in spirit:"
In that moment, God opened my eyes to the unseen realm. It
was me. I was among the poorest of the poor, totally dependent on
the King. I had been busy manipulating relationships from my own
selfish motivations and judgmental attitudes, but the truth is that I
have no power to change anyone. That is God's job. In that new-found
humility, I yielded control to him and found myself a changed person. Now,
years later, my relationships - the people God brings into my life -
are a source of rich joy and even give me a taste of what it will be
like in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Janell Price, a writer and editor, has retired from the
communications industry and a flat megalopolis to live in rural hill country.
[The One Year Bible Live Verse Devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. So when you're acutely aware of your insufficiency - rejoice!
This is what being poor in spirit is all about. The world applauds
self-sufficiency, and bookstores abound with volumes designed to help you reach
this goal. However, this is not the way of My kingdom. I want My
children to recognize and rejoice in their utter dependence on Me.
You have been saved by grace, through faith. Both grace and
faith are gifts! Your part is to be receptive and responsive to these
glorious gifts. The best response is gratitude - a heart overflowing with
thankfulness for all I have done. You are exceedingly blessed because the
kingdom of heaven is yours. When the strain of living in this fallen
world is getting you down, resist the temptation to feel sorry for
yourself. Instead, say to yourself, "I am blessed and thankful - and on my
way to Glory!" (Mat. 5:3; Eph. 2:8; 2Co. 9:15; Psa. 73:24) [Jesus
Today by Sarah Young]
Come to Me with your gaping emptiness, knowing that in Me you
are complete. As you rest quietly in My Presence, My Light within
you grows brighter and brighter. Facing the emptiness inside you is
simply the prelude to being filled with My fullness. Therefore, rejoice
on those days when you drag yourself out of bed, feeling sluggish
and inadequate. Tell yourself that this is a perfect day to depend
on Me in childlike trust. If you persevere in this dependence as
you go through the day, you will discover at bedtime that Joy and
Peace have become your companions. You may not realize at what point
they joined you on your journey, but you will feel the beneficial
effects of their presence. The perfect end to such a day is a doxology
of gratitude. I am He from whom all blessings flow! [2 Cor. 4:6;
Mat. 5:3, 6; Col. 2:9, 10; Psa. 150:6] [Jesus Calling by Sarah
Young]
I am ever so near you, hovering over your shoulder, reading
every thought. People think that thoughts are fleeting and worthless,
but yours are precious to Me. I smile when you think lovingly of Me.
My Spirit, who lives within you, helps you to think My thoughts. As
your thinking goes, so goes your entire being.
Let Me be your positive Focus. When you look to Me, knowing
Me as God with you, you experience Joy. This is according to My
ancient design, when I first crafted man. Modern man seeks his positive
focus elsewhere: in sports, sensations, acquiring new possessions.
Advertising capitalizes on the longing of people for a positive focus in
their lives. I planted that longing in human souls, knowing that only
I could fully satisfy it. Delight yourself in Me; let Me become
the Desire of your heart. [Deu. 31:6; Pro. 4:23; Mat. 5:3] [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Jesus began his sermon with words that seem to contradict each
other. But Gods way of living usually contradicts the worlds. If
you want to live for God you must be ready to say and do what seems
strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to
love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up your
own rights in order to serve others, you will one day receive
everything God has in store for you. [Life Application SB]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051010-1030.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
