Question 4:

What is the difference between self-pity and grieving over sin?
I think for the most part they can appear the same from the outside, but the sinner is the one who knows what's going on in their heart. For me, when I genuinely grieve it is a feeling of total sorrow for my part in the nailing of Christ to the cross. In other times it may be a feeling of sorrow for totally letting God down... again. Self pity is almost like showing sorrow for being caught, not for the sin itself. So, the difference is where the sorrow comes from.

Question 3:

What forms may Godly mourning over sins take?

Question 2:

What are some evasions people use to avoid mourning their sins?
I think the greatest one would be that they have no sin, or that their sin isn't that bad. This is true especially among non-Christians, or Christians who don't really understand their faith.
A few weeks back my minister led the church in prayer, and one thing he said in his prayer was something along the lines of "forgive me father for not wanting to give up my sin". I think this is particularly true. Someone who has a sin of alcohol abuse may not really want to give it up, and so avoid mourning it.

Question 1:

What does this beatitude tell you about the heart of God?
That He is an empathic God. He has love for his children in the same way as we have love for our children, except of course most of our children have not been traitors to us. God's amazing ability to forgive us is one thing, but to comfort us as well...

Study

It is one thing to be spiritually poor and acknowledge it, as the first beatitude says; it is another thing to grieve and mourn over it. In more theological language, confession is one thing, contrition is another. One might almost translate the second beatitude "Happy and the unhappy" in order to draw attention to the startling paradox it contains.
"Blessed are those who morune for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
It is plain from the context that those Jesus promised comfort are not primarily those who mourn the loss of a loved one, but those who mourn the loss of their innocence, their righteousness, their self-respect. It is not the sorrow of bereavement to which Christ refers, but the sorrow of repentance.

Section 2: Repenting of Our Sins - Matthew 5:4; Romans 7:21-25

Please go to Biblegateway to read the passages relevant to this post.

Open Discussion:

When is a time when you feel you have mourned for (That is, grieved or felt sorrow over) something or someone

Please use comments to add your view.

Summary

The indispensable condition of receiving the kingdom of God is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty. To the poor in spirit, and only to the poor in spirit, the kingdom of God is given. For God's rule which brings salvation is a gift as absolutely free as it is utterly undeserved.

Question 12:

What did Christ promise as a result of accepting his offer?

Christ promises us the opportunity to sit at his throne. However, he puts this warning in: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:22), which in other words means 'listen to the spirit in churches, NOT to man'. I hear this as a charge to the body of churches to hold our ministers accountable. This means we listen to what is being said, and as we listen we determine whether this is coming from the spirit, or from another source (and there is only one other source). This doesn't mean people are black or white, just where they get their inspiration can be corrupted, and so we have to be careful to not be blind. To be active in our church.

Question 11:

Verse 20 is often quoted as an invitation for non-Christians to believe in Jesus. But the words were originally spoken to a church. How would Christ's invitation apply to Christians?

Being a Christian is more than just a name. Fortunately, it is not up to me to be the judge of who will get to heaven and who will not. This passage from Matthew reminds me of televangelists and the like:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matthew 7:21-23)
This passage clearly tells me that not all who call themselves Christians actually believe in Christ. Thus, Revelation 3:20 is an invitation to non believing Christians as well as non Christians.

Question 10:

What remedy did Christ offer the Laodiceans (vv.18-20)?

I read this passage and my immediate thought is that Jesus is telling us how to find salvation in the world of materialism. Buying Gold from Him is to listen to His words. Wearing white clothes is to be clean in the sight of God through Jesus by being his follower etc, but I think the key here is the passage "So be earnest, and repent". How many of us are not earnest in their repentance? How often do we say 'this thing that the Lord has bought to my attention, I need to give it up. Yes Lord, I hear you, thank you, I will not do that any more' yet go right ahead and do it again? In which case we are not being earnest. Our repentance is not repentance at all.

Question 9:

What sort of spiritual "wealth" do churches today imagine they have accumulated?

Many churches today rely a lot on pomp and ceremony. I attend a High Anglican service with my wife from time to time when we're in her home town. The whole time I'm there I feel totally unattached to God. For those involved in the ritual, they may find attachment to God, but I certainly don't. Different horses for different courses, naturally, but I have a concern that this question is related to this kind of 'spiritual wealth'. The assumption that 'they' have something that 'we' don't have. Done a robe, put on a dog collar and you're instantly 'more deserving' than 'them' for the kingdom of heaven. NOBODY is deservedly gets to the kingdom of Heaven.

The visible church, for all its Christian profession, was not truly Christian at all. Self-satisfied and superficial, it was composed (according to Jesus) of blind and naked beggars. But the tragedy was that they would not admit it. THey were rich, not poor, in spirit.

Question 8:

It is apparent that the Laodiceans were materially wealthy (v.17). What other kinds of "wealth" might they have assumed they had accumulated?

Jesus said "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14).

I think this is clearly the case with the Laodiceans. They were rich in material goods, and thought that they were rich in spirit as well. The assumption is often that we are one of the saved, but nobody truly knows that they are saved. Accumulation of material wealth is a risk at getting in the way of life with Jesus.

Question 7:

How does this assessment of the Laodiceans contradict their own image of themselves (v.17)?

In the context of this passage the Laodiceans fell for the lies of this world suggesting that they are rich and have no worries in this world. Of course, they may actually be wealthy and not have to worry about anything OF this world, but of course they didn't have their sights set on the next world.

Continually we are reminded that to buy a plasma will find us happiness. When that doesn't work there is always the chocolate. Now of course chocolate and plasma will not buy you happiness, you need to have a holiday in the Bahama's.

In the end, we know as Christians that the only thing on this world that can truly make us happy is a relationship with our father through Jesus Christ. Some Laodiceans may have had a relationship with God through Christ, but by having eyes fixed on earthly wealth makes it that much harder.

Summary

To be "Poor in Spirit" is to acknowledge our spiritual bankrupsy before God. For we are sinners, under the holy wrath of God, and deserving nothing but his judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing with which to buy the favour of heaven.
The "poor man" in the Old Testament is one who is both afflicted and unable to save himself, and who therefore looks to God for salvation, while recognising that he has no claim upon God. This kind of spiritual poverty is specially commended in the book of Isaiah.
Perhaps the best example of the way riches can keep us from crying out to God is the nominal church of Laodicea to whom John was directed to send a letter from the glorified Christ. Read Revelation 3:17-22 for John's assessment of Laodicea.

Question 6:

In what senses do we miss God's kingdom if we do not acknowledge our spiritual poverty?

We need to acknowledge who we truly are. Without an understanding that we are helpless without God we will believe we can 'do it ourselves', which is effectively what Adam and Eve did. It isn't that we will simply eat from the forbidden fruit, it is that we are not listening to God. We are not hearing His plan for us.

Question 5:

In your own life how have you been blessed by acknowledging your spiritual poverty

Question 4:

Identify some circumstances or insights which have helped you realise that you were "poor in spirit".

Question 3:

The Old Testament supplies the necessary background against which to interpret this beatitude. At first to be "poor" meant to be in literal, material need. But gradually, because the needy had no refuge but God, "poverty" came to have spiritual overtones. What do you think it means to be "poor in spirit"?

Being "poor in spirit" is to acknowledge that you have a need for help. Those of us who have bent their knee at the cross know that they have need for spiritual help and that help comes from God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Those on earth who believe that they can 'do it themselves' also believe that they are stronger psychologically and spiritually than those who need the crutch of religion. I know this because I was there. Indeed, in many ways I feel weaker and smaller since acknowledging that Jesus is my Lord and saviour than I did when I 'did it by myself'. The reason for this however, is that now I know where I am in the world. Before I was rich in spirit, and thought that I was the master of my own destiny, that I was my own boss. Now I realise that I'm poor in spirit and in need of God.

Question 2:

How does Jesus' statement in verse 3 contradict our usual idea of blessedness?

We are constantly bombarded with the advertisement which states we will be happy if we have "x". Now, "x" can be a plasma television, or a retirement plan, or many other 'things' that society suggests we need to have to be happy. For the most part these things do not make us happy. There are many biblical references to the fact that following the Lord is the only way to happiness, and it is certainly the only way to true freedom and saviour of our soul.

Some have translated Jesus' opening words "Happy are..." though the Greek can and does mean "Happy", it is seriously misleading to render it "happy" in this case. Happiness is a subjective state, whereas Jesus is making an objective judgment about these people. He is declaring not what they may feel like ("happy"), but what God thinks of them and what on that account they are: they are "blessed".

Question 1:

What do verses 1 & 2 tell us about the context of this message and Jesus' listeners?

Jesus is teaching His disciples in this passage. The passage clearly says that there was a large crowd of people, but Jesus is teaching His disciples. The poor and the destitute made up this crowd, as Matthew 4:24&25 states:

"News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."

So, it is of these people that Jesus speaks. The target of the lesson is his disciples, but the 'poor in spirit' in this case I believe to have been the large crowd who had nobody else to turn to.

I can picture Jesus surrounded by many sick and infirm. The thought comes to him 'these people are blessed as they recognize me for who I am' which is what he teaches His disciples.

What do these verses tell us about Jesus?

This reminds me of the passage by C.S. Lewis:

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

Jesus is passing judgment in these passages. He is saying that the poor in spirit will enter heaven. Only God can categorically state who is going to be entering the kingdom of heaven. Prophets and philosophers can state their opinion, but Jesus is beyond that. He states this here and clarifies his authority at other times in his ministry.

Study

Right at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contradicted all human judgments and all nationalistic expectations of the kingdom of God. The kingdom is given to the poor, not the rich; the feeble, not the mighty; to little children humble enough to accetit, not to soldiers who boast that they can obtain it by their own prowess.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:1-3)

Section 1 - Putting Our Trust in God. Matthew 5:3; Revelation 3:17-22

Please go to Biblegateway to read the passages relevant to this post.

Open Discussion:

What are some good things about being poor?

Please use comments to add your view.