Jesus' Sermon on the Mount spans chapters five through seven in Matthew's Gospel. Of all the words ever spoken or written, none are as far-reaching as these. I pray this message helps take you into this first of eight beatitudes today as we examine what it means together. This message is a part of my contributions to a sermon series called, "Kingdom Living" done by the teaching elders in the church I’m currently serving in.

This sermon makes me see why Paul wrote the following: “And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” Ephesians 2:17-19. It's what we see today.

On this first beatitude, CH Spurgeon commented: “A ladder, if it is to be of any use, must have its first step near the ground, or feeble climbers will never be able to mount. It would have been a grievous discouragement to struggling faith if the first blessing had been given to the pure in heart; to that excellence the young beginner makes no claim, while to poverty of spirit he can reach without going beyond his line.” Amen. This quote is read in today's sermon.

One other quote that's read is the following from Jamieson, Fausset and Brown: "The poor in spirit not only shall have--they already have--the kingdom. The very sense of their poverty is begun riches. While others "walk in a vain show"--"in a shadow," "an image"--in an unreal world, taking a false view of themselves and all around them--the poor in spirit are rich in the knowledge of their real case. Having courage to look this in the face, and own it guilelessly, they feel strong in the assurance that "unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness" (Psalm 112:4); and soon it breaks forth as the morning.”

Blessed indeed are those now in the kingdom. Blessed are the poor…made rich in faith.

God bless!!!

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