Blessing the Poor

Blessing the Poor

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”[1]

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.”[2]

The initial verses from the Beatitudes and the Blessings and Woes are directed at the poor, but with a couple of subtle and interesting differences between them. In the Luke telling (Blessings and Woes) the author speaks in the present tense directly to “…you who are poor.” In the Matthew telling (Beatitudes) the author makes a non-personal statement about the “poor in spirit.” Is there a notable difference between being among the poor and being poor in spirit? I think there is, and I think that difference is worth exploring.

We typically think of the poor as those living in critical need of what are considered necessary elements to sustain a reasonable life – ready access to food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, clean water, and the like. Indeed, food insecurity and homelessness abound in troubling numbers, even in what is considered the richest nation in the world – the United States. This is arguably the most visible and troubling of ways to be poor. But it is not the only way.

Religious ascetics, like monks and nuns, take vows of poverty where they are forbidden from owning anything in a personal way. They are, however, able to use and draw upon the resources of the religious organization to which they belong, so they have ready access to the types of resources often denied to the poor, at least as defined in the preceding paragraph. Whatever assets they may have had when they entered religious life becomes the property of the church and remains with the church on their passing. These people live in poverty, but would we consider them as poor?

There is also a class of people called the working poor who have jobs, homes, and most other of life’s necessities, yet their financial position is so precarious that they exist one major expense away from losing everything they have – one serious medical issue, a car breakdown, a natural disaster not covered by insurance and their house of cards being held together by creative financing and prayer comes crashing down. In increasing numbers, the working poor, even though they may currently live in a nice home in a nice neighborhood,join the ranks of the poor.

In sum, the poor live in lack, or the imminent threat of a lack of something vital to life. And what is important in life is often a relative truth. For example, even a middle-class existence in a third-world country would likely be considered as living below the poverty level in the United States. A middle-class existence in 19^th century America would place one amongst the poorest of the poor today. In today’s environment, things like the lack of internet access, smart phones, and streaming services leave people feeling poorbecause they lack what seemingly everyone around them possesses, even though they may be well-fed and housed. Simply because something makes life easier or more comfortable or more socially compliant does not necessarily make its absence an indicator of poverty.

There are many other ways to be poor, including being emotionally and/or socially deprived of the love and support that even many living in physical poverty may have in abundance. As such, there are value judgements in assessing poverty that occur when what we value creates a disturbing imbalance with what we actually possess. We feel poor even though we may be well-off compared to certain others in society.

And this, I think, is where the differences of opinion about being poor expose themselves. Being poor is experiencing a lack of desired possessions. When the possessions we lack are absolutely necessary for our physical survival – food, water, shelter – we are poor in one way. When we lack possessions that make us feel excluded from a desirable social group – not having a Netflix subscription, for example – we are poor in a different way. When we lack the love, support, and companionship of others we are poor in yet another way. The former is a physical threat to our existence; the second is an emotional threat to our sense of belonging, and the third is an example of social deprivation.

So who does Jesus refer to, in today’s world, when he addresses “you who are poor”? And what does it mean to say their reward is the “kingdom of heaven?” Each of the groups I’ve listed above suffer in some way and lack something others of their peer group appear to possess. Who among these are blessed by being poor and in what way? And what does heaven have to do with any of it? I will explore these questions further next week.

This is the 3^rd in a series titled Blessedness and Woe.Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Matthew 5:3

[2] Luke 6:20b