Blessing the Poor, Part 3

Blessing the Poor, Part 3

“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]

What is the difference between being poor in spirit and simply being poor? While I believe what is called the Beatitudes in Matthew and the Blessings and Woes in Luke stem from the same teaching by Jesus, I also believe the differences in how those teachings are recorded by the authors is at least interesting, if not significant. As I have noted previously, being poor indicates a lack of something important. For example, it is cold in Kansas as I write this, but I recently saw a man walking across a parking lot in shorts and loafers with no socks. I thought to myself, “That man is poorly dressed for winter weather.” In thinking that, I was not necessarily making a judgement about the financial status of the man himself. I did not know but what he had warmer clothes and simply chose not to wear them. But in the moment, and in my opinion, he made poor choices in dressing himself because of something he lacked, either warmer clothing or common sense. Either way, I judged him as poor.

I think the crux of the difference between being poor in needed resources and being poor in spirit is that the former is not usually a conscious choice by the person while the latter may be. This dichotomy is overly simplified, but it does lead to the important question: Which condition was Jesus addressing in this teaching? On the one hand, if Jesus was talking about those who have a lack of vital resources because of circumstances beyond their control, then their blessedness must flow from the generosity of those of us with an excess of those resources. That is what mercy requires of us. On the other hand, if Jesus was making a statement about our need to make ourselves poor in earthly attachments, then he was revealing a path to the kingdom via conscious deprivation.

Of course, there is another, less generous understanding of being poor in spirit, which is that someone lacks knowledge or understanding of what spiritual awareness entails. I know people who are so “intelligent” in science-based knowledge that they refuse to be drawn into explorations of a spiritual nature because such topics cannot be proven to be true or false. I also know people who simply lack the intellectual capacity to grasp sometimes-complicated spiritual concepts. Finally, I know people – my late wife was one – who had no interest in complicating spirituality with a lot of speculative verbiage and mystical practices. They have faith that God loves and will care for them, no matter what happens. Each of these types of people could be considered poor in spirit, but which ones was Jesus indicating would receive the kingdom of heaven?

Personally, I believe Jesus includes every type of person I’ve mentioned in the previous paragraphs and more as worthy of the kingdom of heaven. The distinctions between the various types are human inventions and judgments. It would be a significant deviation from the life and teachings of Jesus to believe otherwise. God created us in a wide diversity of beliefs, capabilities, and practices and none can draw us closer to nor push us farther from our Oneness with our creator. The sense of separation from God applies only on our end – we consciously choose to adopt practices that make us feel closer to or farther from the Divine. Whatever the nature of God, the Universal Energy, or the Spirit Creator, it must transcend our human efforts to define, understand, or limit it.

I have a natural tendency to over-complicate everything, including my belief in and about God, Jesus, and the supernatural. I am skeptical and full of doubt and questions. Regardless, I believe I am a beloved child of God. My late wife, Carrie, was not skeptical or doubtful, nor did she waste time or effort trying to prove the basis for her inherent faith. I believe she, too, is a beloved child of God. And wherever you who are reading this land on or beyond the spectrum between Carrie and me when it comes to faith, I believe you, too, are a beloved child of God – for the sole reason that God is who God is. It has nothing to do with our successes, failures, or worthiness, other than that we are the beneficiaries of Divine love and care. We all lack something, which is why we need others. Whether we are poor in spirit or just dirt-poor, we are loved by an energy that transcends our earthly categorizations even as it works through others to meet our needs. And as we are able to consciously accept our good fortune, the kingdom of heaven becomes ours in ways more visible to us.

This is the 5^thin 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