The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Genesis:

• 'things' were meant always to be external to the man and subservient to him.
• in the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come.

After Sin's introduction

• made those very gifts of God a potential source of ruin to the soul
• God was forced out of His central shrine and things were allowed to enter
• from then on there is no peace within their hearts
• God's gifts now take the place of God

Matthew 16:24-25

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

Within each of us is an enemy which we tolerate at our peril - the Self-Life. Self-Life includes possessiveness as well as gain and profit. To allow this enemy to live is, in the end, lose everything. The only way to destroy this foe is by the cross. "let him take up his cross and follow me"

In the Beatitudes, we talked about 'poor in spirit'. But what exactly is the meaning of 'poor in spirit'. This is the question that pops up in my mind the first time i read the Beatitudes. Does it mean humble? Is spirit some kind of entity within us that has a measurement? What is it?

'Poor in Spirit' is the way through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things to deeper knowledge of God. The man has been rooted from his heart all sense of possessing. He is no longer slave to the tyranny of things, this is not done by fighting, but by surrendering.

One thing to note is that this should not be understood as a mere Bible teaching, but a marker on the road to greener pastures.

Many of us (including myself) were hindred from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety. But we must understand and KNOW that:

• Our Lord came not to destroy but to save.
• Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed.
• Gifts and talents should also be turned over to Him. They are God's loan to us.

Therefore put away all defence for whoever defends himself will have himself for his defence. Let him come defenceless before the Lord and he will have for his defender no less than God Himself.

There are many teachings in the Bible that we thought we understand. However, the truth must be experienced before we can really know them. Therefore in our hearts, live through Abraham's harsh and bitter experiences if we would know the blessedness which follows them. If we are set upon the pursuit of God, He will sonner or later bring us to the test.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thou wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus' name, Amen!