Yesterday's Homework

Yesterday we learned some hard truths about relationships and I hope that you have had time to meditate on them. Have you had the chance to make any apologies to anyone yet? One of the hardest parts of apologizing is mustering up the humility to just do it. Our pride gets awfully big, and awfully in our way in moments like those. If you're struggling with humility, hopefully today's teaching will help.

We're going to break down Matthew 5:3 today, and travel all over Scripture to gain understanding about this key verse. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs."
Amen! That's what we want right? Our 1000 Year Plan is all about the Kingdom. We've got plans to make it there. Ok. So, are we "poor in spirit?" What does that even mean?


Whenever you read a passage of Scripture that doesn't quite make sense to you, there are a few quick things you can do to help. First, if your Bible has cross-reference footnotes, you can look up any verses that are related to the one you're unclear about. In my Bible, this verse has two footnotes - let's start there.

Isaiah 57:15, "For the High and Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy says this: 'I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and revive the heart of the oppressed.'" That's a related reference that defines a little better for us what "poor in spirit" means.

My next footnote takes us to Isaiah 66:2, (and up in verse 1, you'll see this is God talking again through the prophet Isaiah) "My hand made all these things, and so they all came into being. This is the Lord's declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and who trembles at My word." Our definition is getting even clearer, which is good, because I was still not sure what He meant by "lowly." He first reminds us who He is - our maker, the maker of all things - then explains characteristics He favors in us, His creation.

So, we've got oppressed, humble, submissive, and reverently fearful. We can take those words back to Matthew 5:3 and get a better understanding of who this first blessing is for.

Another way to search the Bible is to use a concordance which can be found in the back of many Bibles. There are also online resources like http://www.biblegateway.com as well where you can look up a keyword  or phrase and find every verse in which it appears. Let's see what else God's Word says about being "poor in spirit" using the definitions we just found.

Still in Isaiah, tucked in with a prophecy about Jesus in chapter 53, verse 7, we learn that Jesus experienced oppression; He can identify with the oppressed. "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth." Not only was Jesus oppressed and afflicted (prophesying here about his final hours before the crucifixion), but He didn't defend Himself, didn't complain, didn't fight back. Later in verse 12, we learn that Jesus was also submissive, "Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels."

Jesus was humble too, we see in Zechariah 9:9 a prophecy about Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. "Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." He was entering as a king, and being celebrated as a king, not on a high horse, but a donkey.

Jesus described Himself as humble - in Matthew 11:29, "All of you, take up my yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle, and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves." 

Then Phillipians 2:8-11 we read "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death - even to death on a cross. For this reason God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow - of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth - and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins, with humility, and out of obedience. He wasn't up there saying that's right, look at what you made me do. And because of His humility, God exalted Him, confirming what Jesus explained about God's procedures in Matthew 23:12, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (and fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:12 we just read).

We are to strive to be like Christ, so it's important to understand what about His nature it is that we are to emulate. I think we're on a really good track here, and it strikes me that we're learning these things by examining the very first phrase the Bible records of Jesus' teaching.

From moment one - He's telling us that the KEY to the KINGDOM is in being like HIM. Wow.  One verse. And we know our first "to do" that we need to put on our 1000 Year Planning List. Be Like Christ. He knows how hard it is to be oppressed, afflicted, beat down. He knows how hard it is to be humble, and obedient, and submissive. He lived out all those things, as an example to us, and to bring us victory through Him!

He suffered and died to pay our sin debt. But He rose again to give us new life. We have a different kind of debt as believers. Our 1000 Year Plan is pre-paid with Christ's blood, but not without specific instructions about how to keep it a "free" plan. Have you ever bought something "free with mail-in rebate?" You actually have to mail in that form, otherwise, you're out the money, right? Well Jesus left us a mail-in rebate...and we do have to mail it in, so to speak. We are to love one another. That's our postage paid rebate form. 

Romans 13:8, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."

Mark 12: 29 - 31, "This is the most important, Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

And that brings us back to yesterday, and going with humility to ask forgiveness from those we have wronged, or anyone who has a problem with us, whether we think we've wronged them or not. Offering forgiveness even when it hasn't been sought. Humility, relationships, reconciliation - basically the theme of the entire Bible. If you're hesitating to go make things right with someone, and you love Jesus, believe in His Word - you *might* want to get over that hesitation and take care of your business so you can move on.

We've got a lot more to learn, and even more to put into action. We're just getting started.

{I'd love to read stories of reconciliation in the comments if anyone is willing to share.}