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“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
Last week, we began the teaching on the Poverty in Spirit, which happens to be the first lesson from the Beatitudes. Poverty of Spirit can be said to consist of four major attributes. These are: (Absolute Dependence on God’s Grace; Humility and Self-abasement; Deference to God’s Will in the Matter of Material Possession; and Unaffected by Worldly Wealth or Position.)
Absolute Dependence on God’s Grace. This is the absence of self-righteousness and confidence in one’s ability to be pure and holy before God. It is the absence of reliance on the flesh and the world. It is also the complete confidence and faith in nothing else except God’s grace to save, sanctify and empower for service. It is a state of being broken and contrite before God. Poverty in spirit is to die to the world and to die to self. It is the realization of our unworthiness and sinfulness.
Humility and Self-abasement. This is another trait of one who is poor in spirit. This attribute entails having the nature of a little child. In Matthew 18:1-4, the disciples were contending as regards who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus answered them thus; “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
What are the traits that qualifies one to be regarded as child-like? What did Jesus mean when he said that unless a person became – like a little child – he or she would not enter the kingdom of Heaven? Jesus meant that God expects the believer to take on the characteristics of a child with regards to his relationship to Him. This in essence means the ability to take corrections, pliability, lowliness, gentleness, obedience and yieldedness to the directives and requirements of God. It is total surrender to God and the desire to yield totally to His will and purpose. The believer is to assume the position of a servant or a vessel and God is to be the Master over his life and his affairs. A person who does not accept correction, who is not totally yielded to the Lord and who is not ready to surrender all, is not poor in spirit and will not gain the kingdom of heaven.
The account of Jesus and a Canaanite woman is a case study on the attribute of being humble and lowly in one’s own eyes. The account is recorded in Matthew 15:22-28. From the passage we learn that a certain Canaanite woman had a problem and she was aware that Jesus was around where she lived. She went out to meet Him with humility and an open heart, a heart yearning and determined to receive, so that He could solve her problem. So it must be with all Christians, we must humbly seek to know where Jesus is and be ready to dispose ourselves to receive from him. In our present time we can seek and find Jesus in our church and fellowship programmes such as Bible studies worship services, prayer closets and Sunday schools just to mention a few. If we seek Jesus in these places with poverty of spirit and with an open heart, He will surely meet our need.
Considering the fact that the Canaanite woman went to meet Jesus with her problem in faith and humility of heart, it would have been expected that Jesus would welcome her with open arms, listen to her problem and take care of it on the spot. Surprisingly Jesus did not initially answer but kept on walking as if he was not aware of her existence. Have we as children of God, ever taken a problem to Jesus to solve and it seemed He is not answering our prayer while the problem continued unabated? From this account, the Bible is telling us that delay does not always mean denial and that we should continue in faith and not lose hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus ignored the woman for a time but when she still persisted in her cries, the Bible says the disciples of Jesus turned to Jesus and told Him to send the woman away as she was becoming a nuisance. This part of the account teaches us that when we have taken our problems to God, sometimes we may get discouraged not only by unbelievers but even by our brethren in the Christian faith. Do we continue to strive on in this kind of situation? Do we still humbly carry our cross and follow Jesus at this point? Do we still exercise that childlike faith, which God requires of us in adversity? Or are we so proud and impatient that we give up and abandon the faith altogether in tough situations? According to the Bible the Canaanite woman did not give up but went further to worship the Lord after getting a discouraging answer.
The Bible says the woman kept asking Jesus for help even when Jesus referred to her as a dog (a gentile) and implied that, for that reason, he could not help her. Are we humble enough to take all these discouragements and still serve God faithfully? Suffice it to say that only few Christians can take the kind of treatment that Jesus meted out to this woman and still persist in faith without their pride and self-worth standing in the way. The woman, contrary to expectation, went a step further and asked if she could have the residue of the blessings meant for the Israelites. It was then that Jesus had to exclaim that the woman had great faith indeed and her daughter was healed instantly. The account of the Canaanite woman and Jesus is a study in humility, poverty of spirit, simple-mindedness and pliability. She was ready to endure insults, discomfort and rebuke from Jesus. This is what God expects us to be like – meek and lowly and to put away all pride and arrogance. (To be concluded next week)
A Call to take a Decision
Beloved, have you entered into personal relationship with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour? If you have not, you need to do so without delay. Inviting and accepting Jesus Christ into your life is the beginning of a glorious and eternally rewarding relationship with God, your Creator. It is a decision you can never regret as you walk with Him faithfully and consistently for the rest of your life. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ today by acknowledging that you are a sinner. God sent Jesus Christ to die for you and as you confess your sins to Him, He will forgive you so that you will not have to be punished for the same. Ask Jesus Christ to cleanse you with His precious blood, deliver you from sin and Satan and empower you by the Holy Spirit to henceforth live above sin and live totally for God from now on. You can write and share your testimony via [email protected]
