Poor In Spirit
Word
Read Matthew 5:3 and Psalm 51:17
- Alternate translation from the Message: Psalm 51:17: “Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.”
- According to Psalm 51 - what does it mean to be poor in spirit?
Read Luke 18:9-14
- What does this parable teach us about being poor in spirit?
- What do these passages teach us about God’s heart?
World
- If “poor in spirit” is the beatitude of Jesus, what would be the beatitude of the world?
- The world offers us “happiness” at the tips of our fingers in exchange for center stage and self-reliance. It says that if we are rich and famous, we will inherit the earth. But the Lord promises that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those poor in spirit. In what ways must we surrender in order to combat self-reliance and self-preservation to embrace the hope of the kingdom of heaven?
- How can we embrace and lift up the “poor in spirit” in our families, friend groups, neighborhoods and communities?
Us
- Do you tend to rely on yourself more than others? Think of practical, daily examples.
- In what areas do you need to be humbled of self-reliance to rely solely on the Lord?
- In what areas can you find hope in this call to the best way of living?
- How can you “be and do” the beatitude of “poor in spirit” this week?