The Sermon on the Mount
Basic Christian Living #1
Mathew 5:1-3
1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 NKJ
Blessed (makarios) - supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy
This is an internal blessing unlike eulogeo that means external blessing prosper
Am example of eulogeo: Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world."
I. Why did Jesus start with poor in spirit?
II. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
Greek word for poor here is ptochos… it means beggar or pauper…. Crouching often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness…
Luke 21:2…and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites So in other words “thriving” in my spiritual poverty because I am dependent on God, I am not left struggling or lacking
Luke 18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
III. How do I stay poor in spirit?
Isaiah 6:1-7 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.5 So I said:“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged.”
1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 NKJ
Blessed (makarios) - supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy
This is an internal blessing unlike eulogeo that means external blessing prosper
Am example of eulogeo: Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world."
I. Why did Jesus start with poor in spirit?
II. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
Greek word for poor here is ptochos… it means beggar or pauper…. Crouching often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness…
Luke 21:2…and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites So in other words “thriving” in my spiritual poverty because I am dependent on God, I am not left struggling or lacking
Luke 18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
III. How do I stay poor in spirit?
Isaiah 6:1-7 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.5 So I said:“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged.”