Helplessly Poor
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Matthew 5:3 reads, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” There are two important words in that passage: blessed and poor. The word “blessed” (makarios) literally means
to be fully satisfied, or happy, not because of circumstances, but the indwelling of Christ. Happiness is due to circumstances; blessed is the result of Christ’s presence. The word translated “poor” is the Greek word ptochos, which means to be helpless; it is different from another word for poor: penes. The penes person is poor but can help himself through labor; the ptochos is completely helpless. Jesus indicated that the kingdom of heaven is reserved for those who are ptochos in spirit. To be justified before God, you must realize that you are helpless to accomplish a good standing before Him on your own. This is the heart that is pleasing to God. Proverbs 15:33 states, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.” Our best efforts fall far short of pleasing God. See Isaiah 64:6 … “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Righteousness is imputed to believers by Jesus Christ: consider the narrative of the Pharisee and tax collector who went up to the temple to pray. Blinded by pride, the Pharisee mistakenly thought that he pleased God. In his humility, the tax collector knew that he was a sinner. Our problem is that we can’t trust our own heart— “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Pride is the great roadblock to becoming ptochos—“poor in spirit”. The only way a person is able to receive the kingdom of heaven is by acknowledging his or her personal spiritual helplessness (a lost sinner) and ask for help (salvation through forgiveness).
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
