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I want a great life. Don’t we all? You might say that it depends on what I mean by great. The world defines a great life as a comfortable, easy sort of life with no trouble whatsoever. Health, wealth, a good-looking spouse, nice kids, a decent home, and enjoyable work. Or, ideally, early retirement. It’s a sort of enlightened hedonism. But how does the Bible define a great life? That’s what Christians want (or at least, we should). In the Bible, a great life is a blessed life. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).
So if I want a great life—if I want to be blessed—according to Jesus, I need to be poor in spirit. That sounds reasonable enough; it means that I should pursue being poor in spirit, right? But how does that lead to a blessed life? And what does that have to do with the kingdom? Those are reasonable questions when we face a text like this, and the best way to look for answers to a biblical question is the Bible. Who are the poor in spirit in the Bible?
There are many people in the Bible who are good examples of being poor in spirit. I think of Moses, the most humble man (Num. 12:3). I think also of Hannah as she prayed at the tabernacle (1 Sam. 2) and of Daniel as he endured exile (Dan. 1). Based on these examples and more, we might say that to be poor in spirit is to have a humble, trusting heart before God—placing matters into His hands, acknowledging our own weaknesses, and resting in His strength, not our own. That’s what Moses, Hannah, and Daniel did—even if it meant severe disappointment or even death. It’s that type of person who is blessed because it’s that type of person who can receive the good news of the gospel. It’s only when we acknowledge our own weakness, inability, and sinfulness that we can embrace Jesus Christ as Savior. That is our first step into the kingdom; that’s why it’s to the poor in spirit that the kingdom belongs—not the proud in spirit.
Of course, the best example of being poor in spirit is Jesus Christ Himself. He was the King of the world, and yet He was born in a stable. He’s the upholder of the universe, and yet He had no place to lay His head. He deserved all the praise that this world could give Him, and yet He willingly chose an ignominious death for the sake of saving His people. Jesus was a humble man. That doesn’t mean, to be sure, that He won’t return in glory, but when He does, He will still be poor in spirit. Being poor in spirit doesn’t mean adopting a false humility, cultivating a spirit of abject deference, or bending over backward for everyone. Instead, it means being biblically realistic. Jesus was the obedient Son who accomplished the mission that His Father sent Him to accomplish. We ourselves, following in His footsteps, endure the shame, trials, and suffering of this world, acknowledging that we are but weak vessels called to shine as lights in the world. Christians are poor in spirit.