As Christians, many in the faith believe that we ought to strive to be rich in spirit and not poor in spirit. Many Scriptures bear witness to God’s desire that His children prosper [1]. The only trouble is, mankind thinks, lives, and operates in the natural world and we judge how rich we are by our economic position in society.

Today, many are like the inhabitants of Laodicea in Christ’s day. Although the context of the Revelation 3 letter to them concerned their self-sufficiency, lukewarmness, and complacency, we can still learn something from them in terms of who they were [2]. We can then adjust our lives accordingly. The people of Laodicea were a wealthy banking center and were very prideful of their rich resources and felt that they didn’t need God, for which God admonished them forthwith in very strong terms [3]. They were not poor in spirit. Their pride was not a good pride.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:3 KJV]

First, the word “blessed [4]” means to receive God’s provision, favor, and protection. It is an extension of His marvelous grace, which is all we need [5].

Given our original quandary, our confusion is understandable because doesn’t the Word of God warn us against being empty and impoverished in our souls? The Word of God declares, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also [6].”

So. . .what did Christ actually mean when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit. . .” Simply put, we must be humble in spirit. Therefore, if we replace the word “poor” with the word “humble,” we will understand exactly what Christ meant. Our (His) Scripture now reads,

Blessed are the humble in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:3 KJV]

The kingdom of heaven is our hope of glory and His promise to us once we secure our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and soon coming husband.

Like the people of Laodicea, we should not be self-sufficient or prideful in our soul thinking that we do not need God. If that’s how we think and live, then God can not bless us. We need to rely on Him and seek His face [7]. End of story.

Next week: We will look at at the second Beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
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[1] Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:8; 1 Corinthians 10:26; Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Timothy 6:17, 18; 2 Corinthians 9:11, and many more.
[2] Revelation 3:14-22
[3] Revelation 3:17
[4] Transliteration: Makarios. Phonetic spelling: mak-ar’-ee-os.
[5] 2 Corinthians 12:9
[6] Matthew 6:21
[7] 2 Chronicles 7:14