Sermon III - A Description of a Person with a Poor Spirit - Matthew 5:3
SERMON III
OR A Description of a person with a poor spirit "Blessed are the poor in spirit," etc. Matthew 5:3
Several points have been addressed as a preface to this remarkable sermon by Christ. You have heard its purpose—to reveal where true blessedness resides, a matter in which people are greatly deceived, leading to significant misconceptions. Indeed, what Christ proclaims as blessed is in direct opposition to worldly notions of blessedness.
Blessedness entails the enjoyment of the ultimate goal and the highest good attainable for rational beings. It is proper to rational beings—blessed are the poor in spirit.
There are individuals with base and poor spirits who are far from blessedness. Firstly, there are those whose sole focus and aims revolve around money and lowly, unworthy things. They do not aspire to anything higher than satisfying their bodily desires for food, drink, and pleasure. God, Christ, Heaven, Eternity, the Gospel, and the Word are mere concepts to them. However, when presented with money, food, and drink, they consider themselves happy. Such individuals possess a base and poor spirit since their aspirations align with base and poor things. In contrast, the spirits of the Saints are elevated, although they acknowledge their unworthiness to receive even a morsel of bread. They recognize that Heaven and Earth are insufficient to be their portion.
Secondly (to add a few more examples of a person with a base and poor spirit), consider someone who becomes easily discouraged
when facing any slight difficulty while embarking on an excellent task. This person has a poor spirit. Some individuals do not even set their aims on any excellent work; they do not possess any thoughts or intentions for excellence. However, if they witness others engaging in valuable work, they may be motivated to initiate a task with inherent excellence. Yet, at the slightest sign of difficulty, they quickly become disheartened, abandon their efforts, and give up.
This exemplifies a person with a poor and base spirit, someone hindered either by foreseeing difficulty or discouraged upon encountering any opposition—even if it is a mere fancy. Some individuals who have commenced a religious journey or embarked on a public endeavor for the Church or the Commonwealth become discouraged at the first sign of mockery or opposition and promptly withdraw. These are individuals with poor spirits.
Furthermore, there are those who are selfish, narrow-minded individuals concerned solely with their own welfare. They disregard the well-being of the public and only focus on their personal interests. These individuals also possess poor, base spirits and fail to attain the level of excellence displayed by many pagans.
Lastly, consider those who are easily led astray like fools by every temptation. They succumb foolishly to each insignificant temptation, leading themselves to destruction. Even if a person's conscience convicts them against certain actions, they lack the ability to resist temptation. If their companions invite them to an alehouse or tavern, they cannot resist the allure. A person who is unable to withstand temptation and is easily swayed like a fool towards self-destruction possesses a poor, base spirit. Such individuals lack natural excellence of spirit. Sadly, this is a common occurrence among those who hold themselves in high regard, yet they are individuals with poor and mediocre spirits. This poverty of spirit plaguing many is a curse from
God, and it is a heavy curse when such individuals occupy positions of influence. They become obstacles to much good and perpetrate much mischief. It is a wretched curse for kingdoms or countries when, by divine providence, individuals with no spirit of excellence but rather poor, base spirits find themselves in positions of power.
Wherever this occurs, it is a grievous affliction, and thus we have reason to pray that those in positions of power possess spirits befitting their responsibilities, rather than being individuals with sordid and low spirits. However, those with poor spirits are not the ones who are blessed as described here.
Who, then? In my previous sermon, I mentioned three or four types of individuals with poor spirits who are blessed. But let's move on to a matter of great importance that is closely related to the words spoken. The poverty of the saints, even godly men who possess grace, is still evident. Now, being poor in spirit means apprehending and being aware of one's spiritual poverty, along with other aspects mentioned earlier. However, even if God has granted grace, there is still a significant level of poverty.
Firstly, the grace one possesses requires continual supply. No Christian can rely on their existing grace without fresh supply.
Unlike Adam, who could live off the initial stock of grace he was given, God does not entrust Christians with that stock. It is held by Christ. This is the condition of even the strongest godly individuals— they must daily and continually go to Christ for new supply in order to survive. This is the impoverished state we find ourselves in compared to Adam. It can be likened to a person who was given a stock to trade with but proved to be a poor steward, losing everything and going into debt. Now, their father takes pity on them and sets them up again but places the stock in the hands of a trustworthy friend. The son must give an account and receive money from the
friend every day because the father no longer trusts him. This is our condition. In Adam, we received a stock of grace and God enabled us to trade with it for His purposes. But humanity fell, and now the Lord sets up those chosen by Him to engage in godly pursuits.
However, God does not trust us with His stock of grace. It is now in Christ, our head, and we must obtain daily supply from Him. This represents the poverty-stricken condition we are in—this spiritual poverty even among the saints.
Secondly, the poverty of the saints lies in the fact that their graces are limited. Even though godly men and women have been bestowed with grace, for the most part, it is so meager that they can scarcely determine if they possess any at all. Their poverty is evident because, despite having grace, they cannot discern whether they truly have it.
Although God has given them grace, they often doubt its presence in their hearts. Their grace is like a small spark buried within a pile of embers, requiring much searching before it can be seen. They frequently scrutinize their hearts, examining and seeking that one spark of true grace. It is evident that they are poor.
Thirdly, even the godly are perpetually needy. We usually say that those who are constantly in want and always complaining are poor people. In this sense, all godly individuals are consistently needy, always lacking and frequently expressing their need. While they have reasons to be thankful, they also have cause for self-complaint. They are poor.
Fourthly, their services are of poor quality. When they assess their duties and services, they see how unworthy they are to be presented to the infinitely great and glorious God. They are ashamed of their best services due to their poverty. They recognize the unbecoming
nature of offering these services to such a God. They are impoverished in their duties and services.
Fifthly, even at their best, they are weak and impoverished. Their actions are often mixed with corruption and evil, deserving rejection.
Their services are indeed feeble. Without the covenant of grace, the righteousness of Christ, and His merits, everything that comes from the best person in the world would be considered filth and dung by the Lord.
Sixthly, the saints are impoverished in that they are easily overcome or unsettled by minor temptations. While they may not be as foolishly led astray by every evil temptation that would ruin them, they are still poor in spirit because even small temptations unsettle and disturb them. It is all too common that when God, through His grace, puts them in a good state, they are quickly thrown off balance by a slight temptation. You must be aware of those times when you had communion with God, but a minor disturbance in the family immediately affected your state of mind. How could the soul that was recently with God and enjoyed such communion be so easily disturbed by trivial matters? This displays a poor spirit. Even the saints are easily thrown off balance and unsettled by minor temptations.
Seventhly, the saints are further impoverished in that they have little ability to help others. Only a few godly individuals have the capacity to do more than simply maintain their own existence, as the saying goes. It is already a struggle for them to survive and maintain peace with God. Being able to be useful to others among whom they live is a rare occurrence. Many godly people exert great effort just to sustain what they already possess, constantly fearing that they may perish one day. They live in constant poverty, thinking, "Even though
I have enough to eat today, I don't know where my next meal will come from, or if I'll even have it next week." They believe they will eventually become destitute. Most godly people live in such poverty that they are of little use to others and must struggle to provide for themselves. This is the poverty of spirit. First, we have examined our spiritual poverty in its natural state. Now, let us consider the spiritual poverty of the saints.
You may argue that being poor does not make one blessed; That's true. It is part of their misery to be poor. However, blessed are those who truly understand and are aware of their spiritual poverty, who come to know and deeply feel this poverty. There are few in the world who truly grasp the extent of their poverty. Where can you find a man or woman who comprehends the poverty we are in by nature?
And even in terms of poverty regarding the weakness of grace or other aspects, it is often overlooked. But blessed are those who apprehend and are aware of it. Therefore, to understand who the blessed individual is that Christ speaks of, we must consider the behavior and workings of the heart in the sight and awareness of this spiritual poverty, which makes them truly blessed. There are several particulars to briefly go over.
Firstly, a person who is truly poor in spirit regards themselves as vile and insignificant, regardless of any outward excellence they possess.
They may have a higher estate or a more comfortable life compared to others, but they consider themselves wretched in their spiritual state. They recognize that there are poor servants of God who, despite living in meager circumstances, honor God more in one day than they do in a month or even a year. They perceive themselves as lower and more insignificant than those who excel in grace. This is an excellent quality—a person who has exceptional abilities yet sees others with greater grace considers themselves lower and more
insignificant. Such an individual is poor in spirit and pronounced blessed. Some people are proud of their vices, but the poor in spirit are humble when they see their own graces. While carnal hearts are inflated with what should bring them shame, a gracious heart sees enough in their graces to humble themselves. They find humility in their love, knowledge, and faith—their best qualities. Blessed are those who, in their poverty, possess humility.
Secondly, they do not consider it a great loss if they do not receive the same respect and honor as others. Even if God's providence grants respect, honor, and encouragement to others, they do not envy or trouble themselves over it. They have no reason to expect the same encouragements as others because they understand their lowly nature. They recognize their poverty and do not expect the same treatment. Such individuals are content with what they have and do not seek worldly recognition.
Thirdly, someone who is poor in spirit is one who marvels at every little good they receive, considering it to be significant. They are grateful and full of wonder for every mercy, while also acknowledging that their afflictions are not as severe as they could be. This contrasts with the world, where people are troubled by the magnitude of their afflictions and find their mercies to be insufficient. But a person who is poor in spirit marvels at the abundance of their mercies and the mildness of their afflictions. They do not grumble or complain; instead, they wonder at the tender way in which God deals with them.
Fourthly, a person who is poor in spirit is often in a state of craving.
They are prayerful individuals, constantly seeking God's assistance like a beggar seeking alms. True poverty of spirit is often accompanied by a great commitment to prayer. God always listens to
their pleas, and He never tires of such beggars. In Proverbs 18:23, it is said that the poor use entreaties, and in Proverbs 10:14, we find similar sentiments. On the other hand, those who can live without prayer, going through day after day without seeking God, have little communication with Him. They have become proud and selfsufficient. But blessed are the poor, those who recognize their need and constantly approach the Throne of Grace. God hears their prayers abundantly.
Fifthly, the poor are the ones who appreciate and extol free grace.
They view everything they have as a result of free grace and overlook themselves and their own deeds. While they engage in various duties, they do not dwell on them but instead focus on the grace they have received. They do not rely on anything other than free grace, which they greatly admire. These individuals truly honor free grace.
Sixthly, the person poor in spirit is one who is emptied of themselves. They do not dare to rely on anything within themselves for their spiritual and eternal well-being. Instead, they are delivered from themselves and recognize their own undoing and insufficiency.
They are empty of self and every creature, preparing themselves to trust solely in the grace that comes from outside of them, the grace of God revealed in Christ through the Gospel. They do not place the weight of their eternal state on anything within themselves or anything they can accomplish. Rather, they rely solely on the grace of God. This is the behavior of someone poor in spirit who is truly blessed. They commit themselves to God, trusting in Him. Just as the poor in Psalm 10:14 commit themselves to God, emptying themselves and entrusting their souls and ways to Him, not relying on their own wisdom but seeking divine guidance, especially in matters concerning their eternal well-being. In Zephaniah 3:12, it is said that the Lord will leave in their midst an afflicted and poor
people who will trust in His name. It is the poor who commit themselves to God and trust in His name. Blessed are these poor individuals who, recognizing their own emptiness, vileness, wickedness, and inability to help themselves, surrender themselves to the grace of God revealed in the Gospel. They commit themselves and all their ways to be guided by God, willingly relying on alms for their present and eternal state. It is in the nature of humans to seek some righteousness of their own, which is why they cannot find comfort. Those with awakened consciences can find no comfort until they are able to do this and that, perform their duties in a particular way, and conquer their corruptions in a specific manner. But God wants you to come before Him as a beggar, with nothing at all, completely stripped, even of your rags. Just as many poor people are proud of their very rags, the hearts of men are proud even if all they have is their civil righteousness. But the Lord will strip you of everything and make you come before Him naked, willing to rely on alms for eternity. It is challenging for a person to rely on alms for a short time, but to rely on alms for the rest of their life is even more difficult. Yet, someone poor in spirit is so aware of their own poverty that they can fully commit themselves to God, content to rely on alms for eternity. Blessed are these poor individuals.
Seventhly, a person who is poor in spirit is willing for God to choose their condition. We often say that beggars cannot be choosers. I am now speaking of someone whose spirit matches their spiritual poverty. If you are spiritually poor, do not think that you have the privilege to choose. No, you must not choose your comforts, abilities, worth, wages, or the timing and means by which God will come to you. Instead, you must leave it all to God. The only thing you should do is look up to God and say, "Lord, have mercy on me." But how and when and to what degree and measure? That is entirely up to God.
My soul's desire is that the Lord would have mercy on me. Many
reveal that they lack poverty of spirit because when they seek God's mercy and do not experience the immediate comfort they desire, their spirits become discontented, even with God Himself. Such a spirit is not humbled. But blessed are the poor in spirit who prostrate themselves before the Lord, willing to be found by God. They say,
"Here I am," and allow God to do with them as He pleases. They completely surrender themselves to His mercy and do not expect to have any say in their desires.
Eighthly, those who are truly poor in spirit look at others whom God has blessed with a remarkable abundance of grace and bless them in their souls. They consider their condition to be elevated. A person poor in spirit resembles poor individuals who, upon seeing those with great houses and substantial incomes, declare them to be truly fortunate. Similarly, those who are poor in spirit do not regard the rich and honorable of this world as the most excellent. Instead, they look upon those who possess the greatest abundance of grace and bless them. They think, "How happy would I be if I could walk with God as they do, if I could conquer my corruptions as they do, if I could value and benefit from the word as they do! How blessed would I consider myself!" This is a commendable poverty of spirit.
Ninthly, blessed are the poor. The poor in spirit are those who are willing to wait. Even if God does not respond according to their desires, they remain content to wait upon Him. God will choose what
He will give them, and they are willing to wait. This is mentioned in Zechariah 11:11, where it says, "And it was broken in that day; and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord." Men of means and wealth, when they come to a door for business and cannot obtain what they desire immediately, will leave and not wait. Why? Because they are rich and, in accordance with their wealth, they are proud. On the other hand, a person who is poor
and comes seeking alms is content to wait, especially when they know that there is no other door for them to go to at that time. If they believe they may obtain it elsewhere, they will not wait. However, if they come seeking alms and must receive it there or nowhere else, they are then content to wait. Similarly, those who are truly poor in spirit are content to wait at God's gates, knowing that there is no other door where they can receive their alms except at the gates of God. Perhaps you have been seeking God for a month, half a year, or even a year, yet have found nothing. But if you can receive mercy at last, your condition is blessed. This is what a person with a poverty of spirit will say, and they will be content to wait all the days of their life.
Tenthly, someone who is poor has an awe-inspiring respect for God and His word. They are struck with reverential fear of the greatness of God and the authority of His word. This is stated in Isaiah 66, where it says, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." The contrite and the poor, those who tremble at God's word, are mentioned together.
When they come to the word and hear it explained, they view it as possessing a fearful authority. They consider the word to be above them, and their hearts tremble, fearing that they may not show the proper respect to the word. When a promise is revealed, they tremble, fearful that they may not belong to it. The divine brilliance they see in the word, which is so much greater than themselves, causes their hearts to fear and tremble before the Lord. This is a person who is poor in spirit. It is the opposite of the boldness found in individuals who think they have something to rely on. But one who is poor in spirit sees nothing within themselves that can support them against anything found in the word. No, it is the word that must prevail, regardless of the outcome for their present or eternal
state. The word must prevail, and therefore they give an aweinspiring and reverential respect to the word when they hear it.
Eleventhly, someone who is poor in spirit also possesses a tender heart that melts at the word. Even a small thing from God's word will immediately strike them and cause their hearts to melt. You can observe this in truly poor men and women (not your ordinary vagrants and rogues who feign poverty out of idleness). When you speak to them, you will find a spirit of tenderness within them.
Almost anything you say will cause their hearts to melt. Likewise, someone who is poor in spirit has a tender heart towards the word.
Even a small thing from God affects them, and they do not resist the word as others do. They do not have a heart that rebels against the word as others do. When the word comes, their spirits yield to it.
When all these qualities mentioned above are combined, it becomes evident who the blessed man or woman is that our Saviour Christ pronounces as such.
Now if you ask why it is that God regards and respects those who are poor in spirit, let me share a word or two.
The primary reason why the Lord holds such regard for them is because this disposition best serves God's great design of glorifying
Himself in the world, specifically through the exaltation of His free grace. God desires glory from humanity, but what kind of glory? The magnification of free grace. That is the glory God desires above all else. He desires the glory of His power, wisdom, bounty, and patience, but the glory of His free grace in His Son is what brings
Him the greatest delight. Among all dispositions in the world, the poverty of spirit serves God's purpose and design best. Hence, it is not surprising that God highly esteems it.
Secondly, such a disposition makes the soul conformable to Jesus Christ. We know that Christ was willing to be poor. Scripture tells us that Christ emptied Himself, willingly setting aside His glory and taking the form of a servant. When Christ sees a spirit that conforms to His, He regards it and says, "Here is one who is like-minded with Me. I was willing to be poor, and so is this person. I was willing to empty Myself and be anything for the glory of My Father. And here I see a poor creature who is willing to let go of everything they possess and surrender themselves for the glory of My Father and Me." Oh, blessed are these poor individuals! But how few of them can be found in the world! Most often, we find people with spirited hearts—joyful, haughty, proud, pompous, inflexible, rebellious, and bold in their wicked ways. They despise this kind of poverty of spirit. Their hearts are lifted up, and they depend on themselves, standing firm in their own path. It is true, as stated in Isaiah 66, that the Lord who dwells on high in heaven looks upon the poor and contrite. He gazes upon them. But where can God find such objects, such individuals for Him to behold? How few such people exist in the world! The proud and haughty in spirit are cursed. The Scripture speaks of dreadful things against them. However, I am not here to address them, nor am I willing to delay the comfort Christ has for those who are poor in spirit by turning aside to speak to those with proud and haughty spirits. Therefore, I will address the opening of what Christ means when He says they are blessed. Many things could be said to explain their blessedness, but for now, I will share only one Scripture that applies to those who are poor in spirit. To those who are in God's presence today and whose consciences testify that they experience such spiritual workings, I will provide only one text to encourage you until the next day when we will delve into what Christ says about you
—that yours is the kingdom of heaven. The text is found in Luke 4:18, which says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." After reading this passage, Christ closed the book. Christ enters the synagogue, and when a book is opened, He finds this passage from Isaiah—a prophecy about Himself. The meaning is this: God the Father anointed Jesus Christ, appointing Him solemnly to the task of coming into the world and preaching good news to the poor in spirit.
It is as if God said to His Son, "Son, I have many poor servants in the world who are poor in spirit and aware of their own wretchedness and poverty. Now I appoint You and anoint You to go and proclaim to them the joyful news of salvation. Be sure to comfort them. Speak peace into their lives. Pour oil into their wounds and provide relief and refreshment. I see that they are on the verge of despair, but You must encourage them. I appoint You to this task." Thus, you may declare these individuals blessed when God the Father, from all eternity, sets Jesus Christ apart and appoints Him to this office, ensuring His care for you, your comfort, and your assistance. Christ would be unfaithful in His work if He did not preach comfort to you.
This is how much God cares for the poor, even as He seemingly disregards, neglects, scorns, and dismisses the wealthy ones of the world. He sends them away empty-handed. But for those who are poor in spirit, He has given Christ the charge to oversee them. Even if nothing else were said but this, that you have such a promise—that Christ, upon coming into the world, must preach glad tidings to you
—it would be an abundance of mercy. In essence, the very essence of the Gospel is to proclaim glad tidings to the poor. Moreover, we will demonstrate that this is a significant aspect implied by "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." It not only means that they will go to heaven when they die but also that the kingdom of heaven, often representing the ministry of the Gospel, belongs in a special way to those who are poor in spirit.