"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matt 5:3-4
I find it extremely significant that, as recorded in Matthew's gospel, Jesus began His public ministry with these words. When He first opened His mouth to speak to the multitudes, as they strained to hear every word He said, He did not talk of power or might or victory, but He gave a blessed assurance- Blessed are the poor in spirit and those who mourn.
But then again, looking through the Gospels and looking through the work of Jesus on earth, we should not be surprised. Jesus never concerned himself with the rich, mighty and powerful people of his day. Time and time again He associated with the needy, the broken, those who had so little on earth- the prostitutes, the blind and lame men, the lepers, the demon-possessed, the poor; those whom society had rejected and labelled as outcasts. The poor in spirit; those who mourned.
There were certain instances when Jesus did associate with the rich and mighty. He rebuked the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, for their hypocrisy and proud hearts; but what did they do? They hardened their hearts and bore malice against him. "Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet." Matt 21:45-46. "Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk." Matt 22:15. Eventually, as recorded in Matt 26, they plotted His death. Jesus also spoke to a rich young ruler. "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Matt 19:21. And his response? "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matt. 19:22.
Jesus did not come to call the mighty, the rich, or the strong. He came to call those who were broken in spirit and repentant at heart. He did not come to call those who were self-sufficient. He came to call those who realised that they had a need that no one or anything in this world could answer. Sometimes our sufficiency and strength, or I would like to say the illusion of these things, is our greatest weakness, because it blinds us from our greatest need- the need for a Saviour, the need for God; the need that every single person on this earth has, with no exception. People try to cover up that need with many things in today's world, and grow hard and proud in their hearts.
Are we like that here in Singapore? Often I think so. We pride ourselves on our prosperity and comfort; we pride ourselves on the many things that we do, the many things that we can achieve; our minds are constantly filled with thoughts of how we can succeed, how we can take the next success step in life. And we can so easily be blinded from our real and greatest need, blinded from the real purposes that God has intended for us. Satan cannot destroy the work that Jesus has done on the Cross. But He can blind and deceive men and lead them away from the truth. He can entice man with the things of the world, till man grows self-sufficient in his heart and thinks he has no, or minimal need, for God.
I believe without God, we would all be like that, deceived by the devil, happy in our own world; it is only because God, through the Holy Spirit, revealed that need in our hearts to us, and made us broken, that we came to know Him. Wherever you are at- realising that you have become self-sufficient and proud, still searching for the God whom you need, still living without that need and brokenness in your heart, or having come to know the Lord Jesus and revelling in His love- I pray that God will reveal His glorious hope to you- the hope of a life lived with Him in joy, and the even greater hope of a life after death with Him in glorious paradise, where all tears will be wiped away.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matt 5:3-4
I find it extremely significant that, as recorded in Matthew's gospel, Jesus began His public ministry with these words. When He first opened His mouth to speak to the multitudes, as they strained to hear every word He said, He did not talk of power or might or victory, but He gave a blessed assurance- Blessed are the poor in spirit and those who mourn.
But then again, looking through the Gospels and looking through the work of Jesus on earth, we should not be surprised. Jesus never concerned himself with the rich, mighty and powerful people of his day. Time and time again He associated with the needy, the broken, those who had so little on earth- the prostitutes, the blind and lame men, the lepers, the demon-possessed, the poor; those whom society had rejected and labelled as outcasts. The poor in spirit; those who mourned.
There were certain instances when Jesus did associate with the rich and mighty. He rebuked the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, for their hypocrisy and proud hearts; but what did they do? They hardened their hearts and bore malice against him. "Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet." Matt 21:45-46. "Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk." Matt 22:15. Eventually, as recorded in Matt 26, they plotted His death. Jesus also spoke to a rich young ruler. "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Matt 19:21. And his response? "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matt. 19:22.
Jesus did not come to call the mighty, the rich, or the strong. He came to call those who were broken in spirit and repentant at heart. He did not come to call those who were self-sufficient. He came to call those who realised that they had a need that no one or anything in this world could answer. Sometimes our sufficiency and strength, or I would like to say the illusion of these things, is our greatest weakness, because it blinds us from our greatest need- the need for a Saviour, the need for God; the need that every single person on this earth has, with no exception. People try to cover up that need with many things in today's world, and grow hard and proud in their hearts.
Are we like that here in Singapore? Often I think so. We pride ourselves on our prosperity and comfort; we pride ourselves on the many things that we do, the many things that we can achieve; our minds are constantly filled with thoughts of how we can succeed, how we can take the next success step in life. And we can so easily be blinded from our real and greatest need, blinded from the real purposes that God has intended for us. Satan cannot destroy the work that Jesus has done on the Cross. But He can blind and deceive men and lead them away from the truth. He can entice man with the things of the world, till man grows self-sufficient in his heart and thinks he has no, or minimal need, for God.
I believe without God, we would all be like that, deceived by the devil, happy in our own world; it is only because God, through the Holy Spirit, revealed that need in our hearts to us, and made us broken, that we came to know Him. Wherever you are at- realising that you have become self-sufficient and proud, still searching for the God whom you need, still living without that need and brokenness in your heart, or having come to know the Lord Jesus and revelling in His love- I pray that God will reveal His glorious hope to you- the hope of a life lived with Him in joy, and the even greater hope of a life after death with Him in glorious paradise, where all tears will be wiped away.
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