Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:1-12

Key verse: 5:3

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

Read verses 1-2.  What did Jesus do when he saw the crowds?  What did his disciples do when Jesus sat down?  Who did Jesus begin to teach?

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.  He secured a place for Bible study.

Jesus’ disciples came to him.

Jesus began to teach his disciples and the crowds.  His Bible study directed first to his disciples, and second to the crowds.  It was for all levels of Bible students.  

Read verse 3.  Who are the poor in spirit?  Why are they blessed?  What can we learn about real blessings?

The poor in spirit are those who know their need for God.  Whether one is rich or poor outwardly, all are spiritually poor without God.  Living in an outwardly rich, but spiritually poor country, many people fail to recognize their need for God.  We must have a sense of history about what God has done to outwardly bless our nation, our ministry, our families and ourselves (i.e. show pictures of the old Long Beach center, etc).  Also, help your Bible students make a list of material blessings, and give thanks them all.

The poor in spirit are blessed because theirs is the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is the sum total of all spiritual riches.  Jesus came to give us the kingdom of God, first in our hearts.

Real blessing does not come from this world, but from God.  Only God can make us truly happy and totally satisfied.

Skim through verses 4-10.  Match each characteristic with each blessing below.

Characteristics	Blessings
The merciful	They will be filled
The meek	They will be comforted
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness	They will be shown mercy
The peacemakers	They will see God
Those who mourn	They will inherit the earth
The pure in heart	They will be called sons of God

What does each characteristic and blessing mean?  Choose one characteristic that you need to learn, and give an example why?

Characteristics: Those who mourn are those who cry out in their spiritual poverty.  The meek are submissive before others provocation for God’s sake.  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have a strong desire to right their wrongs before God.  The merciful refrain from passing deserved judgment on others.  The pure in heart have right motives in seeking God.  The peacemakers work on their relationship with God and with others.  

Blessings: Comforted refers to spiritual comfort.  To inherit the earth means that although they lose much in this world, they will win souls for God’s kingdom.  To be filled mean to be filled with righteousness.  To receive mercy means to be released from deserved judgment.  To see God means to experience God.  To be called sons of God refers to the blessed status we have in Jesus through our relationship with him.    

  

Read verses 11-12.  Why are people persecuted for righteousness?  What blessing is theirs?  Skim through the passage again to see who receives the same blessing?  What’s the relationship between the poor in spirit and the righteous?

We are persecuted for righteousness, because the people of this world do not do what is right.  When we do what is right, they are judged.  They persecute us in order to escape God’s judgment, but this only serves to confirm their judgment before God.  They must turn to God, and have their sins forgiven.  

The kingdom of heaven.

The poor in spirit are made spiritually rich in the context of their relationship with Jesus Christ.  They receive the righteousness from God.                  

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