Listen

Jesus taught many things and the Beatitudes were some of what He taught, these were declarations of blessings.  Jesus sat down on a mountain and taught His disciples and the crowd of people that were there.  The custom in those days was for the Rabbi to sit when they taught.  When Jesus taught He wanted the people to listen and pay close attention to what He had to say.  It says this in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”  This includes any word that Jesus taught, not just the book of Revelation. 

In Isaiah 61:1 it says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”  Jesus applied these verses to himself in Luke 4:16-21.

Jesus started His teaching, saying in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”   What does this mean?  ‘Blessed’ here means more than just being happy, which is an emotion we feel at times depending on the circumstances we experience.  This blessedness was an inner joy and well-being that a born-again believer enjoys by being united with Christ.  ‘Poor in spirit’ speaks of the person that is not proud and puffed up but the one that is dependent on the Lord for their sustenance, the one with the humble and contrite heart.  

Verse 4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”  Isaiah 61:2-3 says this about why Jesus came, “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”  I know when these things were written they were written to the Jews mainly, but when we are born-again we also become God‘s children and so I think these things pertain to us also.  When it speaks of the year of the Lord’s favor it is corresponding to the day of salvation and the year of redemption.  I thank the Lord that He cares for the poor in spirit and those who mourn.  

In a world of many people that seem to only care about themselves, it is comforting to know that the Lord cares about each and every person and His care doesn’t depend on our merit and what we can do for Him but on His unconditional love, praise the Lord.  People that are poor in spirit and those who mourn are the kind of people the Lord desires to bless and comfort, so if this tidbit it talking about you, rejoice and let the Comforter comfort you and bless you.  Have a great day and like I said, rejoice in the Lord.  God bless you and yours!!