The Be-Attitudes: Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

Mother Teresa is the first person to come to mind as I read this verse. I used to think of her as worthy of respect mainly because of the images I had seen of her caring for the suffering, the downtrodden, and the dying. I often wondered how she could selflessly devote much of her life and resources to this task. Yet, until recently, while reading a biographical article on this dear soul, I came to see her as more than just a humanitarian. I began to see her spiritual convictions, which were the answer to her tireless, selfless efforts to help humanity. Mother Teresa cared not only for the physical needs of the suffering but also wanted to see the spiritual brokenness of those she encountered healed.

Before her death, she said she desired to "bring them directly to the heart of Jesus."

I thought about this. Undoubtedly, there is a lot of physical suffering in the world. Still, equally, there is an abundance of spiritual pain, too. Mother Teresa understood that physical healing was temporal, but spiritual healing was eternal.

Jesus said that the attitude of our minds and hearts must first and foremost be to understand and accept not only our physical shortcomings that bring pain but also the spiritual brokenness that leaves us helpless, defenseless, and in need of rescue by Jesus.

To receive the gospel, the kingdom of God, into our hearts is not impossible. Instead, it depends on our spiritual condition's "Be" attitude - that we, too, are broken, defenseless, and in great need of "being brought directly to the heart of Jesus."

May each of us desires a heart that understands the brokenness of the human heart, its great need for rescue, and the unending longing to be near the heart of Jesus.

Comments

When People Make Life Hard

"Well, are you going just to stand there or do something?" It was my first year of teaching, and I had learned quickly that the cafeteria was a no-talking zone for anyone. Students were expected to enter in silence, eat in the same manner, and exit without a word. So, staring at the horror on the child's face, the disapproval of my principal, and my feet surrounded by the mess on the floor, from the dropped tray, I froze. It didn't appear that either of us would experience any mercy. Sometimes, people just make life hard. It's not a new problem; it's an ancient one. Exodus chapter 5 has much to say about the perils of dealing with difficult people. In this chapter, the Israelites are enslaved people in Egypt under a Pharaoh who is quite a taskmaster and knows nothing about his slaves except that they can make many bricks every single day. Things get pretty ugly when Moses and Aaron are sent to free the Israelites from their bondage. Pharaoh had no intention o...

Christian Chameleons

As a teacher and administrator for the past thirty-one years, I have learned the powerful messages that are hidden within the pages of children's literature. Even as an adult, I identify with the character in Eric Carle's book, The Mixed-up Chameleon. It's the story of a young chameleon who just wanted to be like everyone else. So, unsatisfied with who he was on a particular day, he took on the likeness of every animal he met. Satisfied for a while, he later realized he had assumed the characteristics of so many different animals that he could no longer find himself. As believers in Jesus Christ, isn't this our story at times? We come to believe it is permissible for something or someone other than God to shape our character. In doing so, we become Christian chameleons and compromise our convictions for comfort to be like the rest of the world. Staying true to our convictions and beliefs nowadays is tough to do! The world cries out to us through media, music, literatu...

Hello Sixty

R ecently, I had one of those significant birthdays, another milestone, a wake-up moment that reminded me that I don't have forever left - at least not this side of heaven. I don't want to make too big a deal out of skipping from one decade to the next, but how did time pass so quickly? One minute, I am graduating from college, only to realize I now have four years left until retirement. In an instant, it seemed I had shifted from a new mother to a grandmother. Just yesterday, I was driving kids to the pool, hosting sleepovers, packing for camps, and shopping for school supplies. Still, nowadays, I rarely step foot in a pool or participate in any of those other activities. As I reflect on all these changes that came so slowly at the time yet now appear to have happened in a mere flash of light, I am tempted to make an argument for time travel. Not really, but things have changed - r...

When the Menu is Manna

Search This Blog