"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"- Matthew 5:3

The poor in spirit are those who struggle with self-worth issues.

I was going to add more, but I thought to separate that one sentence from the rest and meditate on it for a bit.

Why are they called blessed, when they seem to be so timid and miserable so much of the time?

Jesus wants you to know that you are VALUED. You are meaningful to Him. The quality that he loves about you is that you are not too proud to seek His help or acknowledge His presence.

Jesus' first work was to minister in healing and reconcile the world to Himself. He addresses the poor in spirit in the very first Beatitude. It is a basic need that we all have, to know the truth about the value God places on us.

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven- what do you think of that?

So does this mean if you get well and stop having self-worth issues you are no longer blessed and no longer does the kingdom belong to you? That you must remain miserable in order to be blessed? If so, of what use is the blessing then? If the blessing removes you from the condition in which it is promised does that mean it undoes itself and vanishes, leaving you in the condition in which it is promised so that you can be promised it, only to take you away from that condition if it comes and again undo itself, etc.?

I'm getting dizzy looking at this yo-yo ...

Quote:

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I'm getting dizzy looking at this yo-yo ...

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So then don't create one!

OK fine, Gail, but it is still a dilemma even without the yo-yo extension. When I read this, I basically read that in order to be blessed one has to have self-esteem issues and be essentially a miserable self-loathing wretch. I have no interest in being that type of person; those are the kinds of things I fight against and try to flush out of my life. I have also observed (and experienced firsthand from my time being there) that such persons tend to make everyone else around them miserable too, and/or to be needy, clingy, high-maintenance and in general, socially undesirable. I have enough "oddness" to make me socially undesirable in the first place; I don't need to add the emotional equivalent of leprosy to the list.

Gail,

I disagree with you in saying that the poor in spirit have self esteem issues. I think the text is referring to an entirely spiritual thing not having to do with a person's emotional health. The poor in spirit are feeling their deep need of a Saviour as they are all too aware of how sinful they are. One has to have a close relationship with God in order to have that insight!! That "poorness" of spirit leads one to spend time with God and to long after the things of God.

That isn't to say that people with emotional health issues aren't included......but they aren't the main focus of this verse, in my opinion.

Morning Glory

I don't have any indication that the blessing will expire should the person change and no longer be lacking in self-worth!

I agree with you, MG, in that the poor in spirit feel their deep unworthiness, and that it does include both mindsets