“And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3.“Blessed — the poor in spirit – for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Blessed — they that mourn – for they shall be comforted.
- Blessed — the meek – for they shall inherit the earth.
- Blessed — they that hunger and thirst after righteousness – for they shall be filled.
- Blessed — the merciful – for they shall obtain mercy.
- Blessed — the pure in heart – for they shall see God.
- Blessed — the peacemakers – for they shall be called the children of God.” [Mt.5:2-9]
“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee – that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house – even of thy Holy Temple.” [Ps.65:4]
All those that are “poor in spirit” – are all those that been blessed with God’s grace of Repentance. And a true Repentance occurs in a chosen sinner’s life when God’s Holy Spirit of grace reveals unto them – the pure and plain truth about themselves as being sinners! It is He – and He, alone – that can convince them that they are indeed a condemned sinner before God and have nothing in themselves, or even that they can make up their minds to call forth to exercise from themselves that will equal what God requires in order for Him to eternally save them. The sad reality of Is.64:6-7 is revealed unto them: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags – and we all do fade as a leaf – and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away, (7) and there is none that calleth upon thy Name – that stirreth up himself – to take hold of thee – for thou hast hid thy face from us because of our iniquities!”
This despicable reality is why the Savior describes the next blessing bestowed upon His saved ones. He says: “Blessed are they that mourn”. Living life is this fallen-in-sin world produces many sad reasons for us to mourn – but what our Lord is teaching us here is a most particular reason. The real reason the blessed sinner-saved-by-grace-children truly mourn – is the same reason why they are considered to be “poor in spirit”. It is because they are totally bankrupt of the perfect righteousness that they need in order to be eternally saved! And, they “mourn” because the righteousness that they need – can in no way be attained by them – from themselves! And, it is the Holy Spirit of Christ, alone, that gives them an understanding of this reality about themselves. Nevertheless, the message of the Gospel of the glory, only, of the Lord Jesus is: “Blessed are they that mourn – for they shall be comforted! Praise the Savior! So, from where does the Spirit of God deliver unto us eternal comfort from the foreboding reality of our not being able under any circumstances to manufacture and maintain a righteousness that could possibly be approved and accepted by holy, holy, holy God?
He delivers to us everlasting comfort through the person and work of our Substitute/Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ! He points us to the Gospel of His Glory! He gets us deep into the scriptures where it has been recorded! Ro.15:4 tells us: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime – were written for our learning – that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” We are “poor” – because we have no righteousness that we need to get into heaven! We, therefore, “mourn” – because we are nothing in ourselves before our God – nothing but condemned sinners! But, we are blessed because through Christ – and Him alone — we have been given the Kingdom of heaven…and this is what completely comforts us!
For Christ’s Glory Only! – John Carpenter
