Read Matthew 5:3; Psalm 24:3-6

The Beatitudes are descriptive of life in Jesus’ kingdom.  They say blessed ARE the poor in spirit.  But at the same time they are prescriptive.  The Sermon is not like the newspaper which you read primarily for information.  The information Jesus gives comes with a call to obedient response.

The Beatitudes are also intuitive contradictions.  They are at odds with the normal approach to happiness.  An article at Australian News.com (02/13/2003) illustrates this.  Christine Jackman reported that a study of indirect marriages (those who cohabit before marrying) had a poorer survival rate and were more likely to break up than traditional marriages.  A Prof. deVaus noted,

But intuitively, you'd think the opposite would be the case. Given that people have had a trial first, you would think that would weed out people who were not going to work in a marriage.

The findings of the study contradicted what we might intuitively think to be the case.  And so it is with Jesus and His pronouncements of blessings.  His words are not the results of a study but they do contradict our way of thinking. 

Where He starts in His approach to happiness bears this out.  The pursuit of happiness always begins with a positive attitude, a “can-do” attitude, a faith in one’s self.  And if not that, the pursuit of happiness will be based in the thought that you cannot be happy and be in financial poverty.  Contradicting both of these thoughts, Jesus begins, Blessed are the poor in spirit.

The words are not complicated.  He does not say blessed are the poor as if having less money is the key to happiness.  He says happiness begins with poverty of spirit.  Consider this with the writer A. W. Pink:

It is the opposite of that haughty, self-assertive and self-sufficient disposition which the world so much admires and praises. … To be 'poor in spirit' is to realize that I have nothing, am nothing, and can do nothing, and have need of all things.  Poverty of spirit is a consciousness of my emptiness, the result of the Spirit's work within.  It issues from the painful discovery that all my righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

This is not new truth.  It is consistent with the call to men to be broken and contrite before God (Ps. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 57:15; 66:1-2.)  It was known by David (Ps. 51), Asaph (Ps. 73:22), and Isaiah (Isa. 6:5).  After his sufferings Job had it (Job 40:4-5; 42:5-6) as did Paul (1 Cor. 15:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:15-17). 

Further it was not the last time Jesus would call people to this poverty.  To follow Him would likewise begin with this self denial (Matt. 16:24-25).  Serving Him would be based in this inability (John 15:5).  He would even tell a parable concerning those who trusted in themselves (Luke 18:9-14). 

Please forgive the abundance of Scripture references but as we begin these intuitive contradictions we must realize that this is fundamental truth.  To be happy is to hold one’s head high.  But happiness begins by bowing in spiritual poverty before the Creator.  Have you started the path of happiness?