The Kingdom of Heaven: The Main Theme of the Sermon on the Mount
To understand the first beatitude, we must understand the context of the entire Sermon on the Mount. This is not a collection of disparate aphorisms or proverbs. It is a coherent teaching with one main theme—the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus spoke constantly about the Kingdom. When He called people to repentance, He did not use modern formulations about a “personal Savior.” His message was different: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. This Kingdom is not just a territory, but the rule of God. It is a society where God is King and His will is executed perfectly.
Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven” as a synonym for “Kingdom of God,” respecting the Jewish tradition of avoiding frequent mention of God’s name. For Jesus’ listeners, the sermon about the Kingdom of God was revolutionary, although in an unexpected way. They wanted political changes, a change of power, deliverance from the Roman yoke. Jesus, however, spoke of a Kingdom that had already arrived, which is “in the midst of you” (Luke 17:21).
The Beatitudes are a description of the citizens of this new Kingdom. These are not eight different types of people, but eight characteristics of the same person. Every citizen of Heaven is one who is poor in spirit, who mourns over sin, who is meek, who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, who is merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, and ready to suffer for the truth.
These beatitudes can be divided into two parts. The first four describe the conditions for entering the Kingdom—what a person must become for God to recognize them as His own. The second four describe how life in the Kingdom changes a person’s character, how heavenly citizenship manifests in their relationship with the world. And it all begins with poverty of spirit.
Poor vs. Destitute: A Radical Difference
In many languages, there are two different words for the lack of means. The first word describes a “poor” person (Greek penes). This is someone who lives meagerly, who must work hard to make ends meet. He has no surplus, but he still somehow provides for himself. He maintains his independence and dignity.
The second word, which Jesus uses, means “destitute” or “beggar” (Greek ptochos). It describes a person who is in extreme need. He has nothing. He is completely devoid of means of subsistence. He is not just poor—he is bankrupt.
A beggar is someone who can no longer take care of himself. He has no money to buy food, and he cannot earn it. He has no choice but to stretch out his hand and ask for alms. He is completely dependent on the mercy and disposition of others. If he is not given to—he will die.
When Jesus says “Blessed are the poor,” He uses this radical word. In the Gospel of Luke (6:20), the commandment sounds simply: “Blessed are you who are poor.” This led to the emergence of movements in church history (for example, the Franciscans) that saw the very fact of the absence of material property as a special path to salvation.
However, Matthew clarifies: “poor in spirit.” This does not mean that material poverty itself is a virtue. One can be poor and at the same time incredibly proud, relying on one’s own strength or dreaming of wealth as a means of independence. On the other hand, one can be rich materially but realize one’s complete dependence on God. To be poor is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, to be “those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it” (1 Cor. 7:31).
Poverty of spirit is not a matter of the wallet; it is a state of the heart before the Creator.
What Does It Mean to Be Poor in Spirit?
To be poor in spirit is to realize one’s complete spiritual inadequacy. It is the opposite of self-sufficiency, self-confidence, and religious pride. It is the recognition that in the face of a holy God, we have absolutely nothing we could offer Him in exchange for salvation.
The spiritually poor person is someone who has realized that his “righteousness” is like filthy rags. He does not try to “negotiate” with God, does not list his merits and good deeds. He stands before God with empty hands, realizing that if God does not show mercy, he is doomed.
This state can be compared to bankruptcy. Imagine a person who owes billions and doesn’t have a penny. He cannot “work off” this debt. He can only admit his guilt and hope that the creditor will forgive him out of his kindness.
In the Bible, we see many examples of such poverty of spirit:
- Abraham, the father of believers, when addressing God, spoke of himself: “I who am but dust and ashes” (Gen. 18: 27). He did not rely on his status or wealth.
- Jacob, after many years of trying to arrange his life through cunning, comes to the moment of truth: “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant” (Gen. 32:10).
- Moses, when God called him, did not exclaim: “Finally You noticed my potential!”. On the contrary, he asked: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Ex. 3:11). And later he prayed: “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Ex. 33:15). He knew that without God he was nothing.
- David, the great king, after his fall, did not try to justify himself. In the 51st Psalm, he writes: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” He understood that God does not need rituals without an awareness of one’s own need for His forgiveness.
- The Prophet Isaiah, seeing the glory of the Lord, cried out: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5).
- The tax collector in the temple, who did not even dare to lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying: " God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" (Luke 18:13).
All these people fell into the category of the “poor in spirit.” They were not weak in the worldly sense—many of them were great leaders. But in their relationship with God, they understood: they could offer nothing, they could only stand like beggars with an outstretched hand.
Why Is This a Blessing?
Here lies the deepest paradox. Why does Jesus call the state of poverty, which the world despises, a “blessing”? The word “blessed” (Greek makarios) means the highest degree of happiness, an inner joy that does not depend on external circumstances. It is a joy whose source is God Himself.
The poor in spirit are blessed because to them “belongs the kingdom of heaven.” As long as a person considers himself “good enough,” as long as he relies on his morality, religion, or intellect—he remains outside. He tries to “buy” what is given only for free.
Only he who recognizes his emptiness can be filled by God. Only he who recognizes his weakness finds God’s strength. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
Christianity is often criticized as a “religion for the weak.” And that is the pure truth. Jesus came not to those who are healthy, but to the sick. He came not to save the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. If you consider yourself a spiritually strong and self-sufficient person who doesn’t need help—Christ has nothing to offer you. You don’t need salvation if you’re not drowning.
But for those who have reached the end, who have realized the weight of their sin and their inability to overcome it on their own, the news of poverty of spirit becomes the most joyful news. It means that you don’t have to be “worthy” to come to God. You just have to come.
The Paradox of Enrichment
Entering the Kingdom through poverty of spirit leads to an amazing result. By becoming poor in our own eyes, we become incredibly rich in Christ.
The Apostle Paul describes this paradoxical state of God’s servants: “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor. 6:10). A citizen of Heaven is the richest person on earth because his treasure is the Lord Himself. He is no longer afraid of losing earthly goods because his main possession is eternal and unchanging.
Moreover, it is the realization of our poverty that makes us capable of truly loving and serving others. When I realize that I am just such a poor sinner, saved only by mercy, I can no longer look down on others. I become merciful, meek, and a peacemaker—precisely those qualities that Jesus speaks of in the following beatitudes.
Conclusion: Coming on His Terms
One cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven on one’s own terms. One cannot bring one’s “achievements” there and expect praise. The only way is the way of Christ.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. This is not a call to depression or self-deprecation. It is a call to realism. It is a call to see oneself in the true light before God and discover that it is in this recognition that the door to the inexhaustible riches of God’s grace lies.
If today you feel your spiritual inadequacy, if you are tired of trying to be a “good Christian” on your own—rejoice. You are in the right place. You are standing at the threshold of the Kingdom. Just reach out your hand and accept what Jesus has already done for you.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).