Blessed are the Poor

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 (NASB)

The word blessed comes from makarios in the Greek language, which means to be happy, spiritually rich, and supremely blest in God’s provisions. The state of blessedness in Father God requires some faith in Him; thus faith and blessings often are found working together.

There is debate amongst commentators whether Christ speaks of the poor in the sense of those in worldly/physical need or those who are spiritually poor. In Luke 6:20 we find Christ saying “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” which is similar to the verse in Matthew apart from two words: “in spirit.” In my own meditation, I find no contradiction; I believe our Lord cares for the poor in all aspects of their life whether it be physical or spiritual. Throughout the whole Bible, we find many references to God’s love for the poor in both aspects. The “poor” mentioned in our verse derives from ptōchos in the Greek; to be destitute, or to cower. “To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to admit that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God” (Albert Barnes). By this Christ’s teaching was in contrast to that of the world, which focuses on honor, riches, and sensual pleasure. But Christ says that true riches can be found in the valley of poverty, physical or spiritual – this contrasts also the opposites of pride and humility in the spiritual walk.

Dear Reader, in this verse the blessed are those who depend upon God’s providence in their life – they are heirs of Heaven. But those who lean on the desires of this world will miss out. To be in physical poverty is no fun, I know because I have been there in the past. Yet in such circumstances praying unto God can produce some of the most profound blessings that one can never forget; in these, we can truly find spiritual joy for our future.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
Isaiah 61:1

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures

About the Author

Devotional Treasures is a daily source of Biblical posts on various sources; they are free to all. These are written by me, Alan Kearns, and are inspired by my own private reading/study of God's Word.

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