“Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit, for Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3)
The “poor in spirit” are those who cast themselves on God’s grace. We personally acknowledge our spiritual bankruptcy before God. It is the tax collector in the temple, beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:9-14). It is an honest confession that we are sinful and utterly without the moral virtues needed to please God. It is the opposite of arrogance. In its deepest form, it acknowledges our desperate need for God. Jesus is declaring that it is a blessing to recognize our need to be filled by God’s grace.
Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project
THE CS COLUMN 