Blessed are the Poor in Spirit?

INTRO: What does it mean to be blessed? What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Why would the poor be happy? What did Jesus mean by this? Does he mean poor financially, poor in health, poorly educated? And why is the kingdom of heaven theirs? This poem is based on the first of The Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12, verse three “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

When I lived in the city centre, the poor people I saw on the streets did not look happy. I see plenty of middle-class people travelling on the bus and train that also don’t look happy. The happiest looking people that I see the most frequently are middle class or wealthy looking actors on TV and in social media advertisements.

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According to the 2021 World Happiness Report, the citizens of Finland ranked #1 in their perception of happiness. The factors that rank happiness were social support of family, health, life choices, absence of corruption in high places and generosity to name a few.

During the three years of Jesus’ ministry, he healed thousands of people, blind, lame, lepers, me, deaf, epileptic… He even raised people from the dead. The Bible records many people who were happy because Jesus healed them, a family member, or a friend. How is this beatitude relevant in 2022?

As Jesus taught throughout the day

Inside, outside, as they walked, as they sailed

He sat to teach the Beatitude blessings

To His disciples and those who chose to be with Him.

PODCAST – Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happiness is often a delusion

Chasing a shadow that keeps moving

Walking in darkness, searching for light

To break through the cracks in the tunnel of life.

God’s true happiness, is not achieved

By living in material poverty

Or living in pious poverty