The Gospels seem to be negative about being rich in this world contrasting it with being rich before God (Luke 12: 21 is a graphic instance). The Gospel of Luke is generally pro-poor denouncing the rich who already have had their comfort here on earth (6:24). This line of thinking is a result of the aim and objective of Luke's Gospel that is the salvation of all, especially of the poor and the downtrodden. The privileged position of the poor in relation to the Kingdom of God is used by Luke to invite the rich to repentance here and now as is evident from the parable of Jesus about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke, 16:19-31). Ultimately, therefore, even Luke would agree that 'poor' means 'poor in spirit'.
What exactly does 'poverty in spirit' mean? It is diametrically opposed to spiritual poverty that is a result of inordinate attachment to the world and its attractions resulting in a kind of numbness of spirit to higher realities. A rich person can be poor in spirit if he or she is mindfully detached from the accumulated riches in order to be alive and awake to the call of the Spirit. In the Gospels we see tax-collectors who are rich and in spiritual poverty like Levi and Zacchaeus (Luke, 5: 27; 19: 1-10). Jesus transformed them from spiritual poverty to poverty in spirit by which they were justified before God.
The first beatitude in Mathew's Gospel brings out clearly the importance of poverty in spirit. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew, 5: 3). Those, whether materially rich or poor, who strive to attach themselves to God and His Word and willing to lose everything, if need be, are the ones who are poor in spirit. They are the 'anawim' of the Old Testament who have no one else to look up to when distress and disaster strike. The 8th and last beatitude too promises kingdom of heaven to those who suffer persecution for justice' sake (verse 10) and is thus intimately connected to the first beatitude.This kind of suffering is only possible by those who are poor in spirit who are determined to be on the side of God (justice being God's essential attribute) even under very trying circumstances.
Here we have to be cautious against fanatics who ignorantly sacrifice themselves being indoctrinated by those with vested interests. Avoiding unnecessary conflicts is legitimate as is seen from the example of Jesus who went into solitude when John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew, 14: 13). When the Samaritans refused to entertain his company of disciples, Jesus rebuked them for entreating him to destroy them with fire (Luke, 9: 52 - 56).
We have other examples of rich people besides Levi and Zacchaeus in the Gospels who were both rich materially and poor in spirit. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea were rich and very influential members of the Jewish Governing Council who were secret disciples of Jesus due to fear of the Jews. At the time of Jesus' burial, however, they surfaced boldly to fulfill the sacred duty of burial of Jesus when even his own disciples were in hiding from fear of the Jews. They had thrown to the winds their prestige, position and wealth when it most mattered because they were poor in spirit, although materially they were immensely rich. On the contrary, one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas Iscariot, was very poor materially and was in greed for money perished by betraying his own Master and Lord as he could never be poor in spirit.
Jesus expressed the practical difficulty of the rich for being poor in spirit by saying that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mark, 10:25). Jesus said this after a certain rich young man approached him for finding out about obtaining eternal life. He had to go away disappointed as he was ineligible for perfection, though worthy to attain eternal life, since he could not be detached from his material possessions. He could not be poor in spirit and so was incapable to enter the kingdom of heaven, though eternal life was his as he observed all commandments (Mark,10:17-22).
The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus with which he was anointed to announce the good news to the poor (Luke, 4:18). From what we have seen above, it is clear that the Good News of the Gospel is for everyone to receive which one has to be poor in spirit. We are required to give up apparent wealth (sustained by our inordinate attachments) for real wealth (acquired by detachment from pollutants) consisting in real love, joy and peace that is the same as kingdom of heaven on earth Taking into account the importance of 'Detachment' for our well-being, it shall be discussed in our next post.
What exactly does 'poverty in spirit' mean? It is diametrically opposed to spiritual poverty that is a result of inordinate attachment to the world and its attractions resulting in a kind of numbness of spirit to higher realities. A rich person can be poor in spirit if he or she is mindfully detached from the accumulated riches in order to be alive and awake to the call of the Spirit. In the Gospels we see tax-collectors who are rich and in spiritual poverty like Levi and Zacchaeus (Luke, 5: 27; 19: 1-10). Jesus transformed them from spiritual poverty to poverty in spirit by which they were justified before God.
The first beatitude in Mathew's Gospel brings out clearly the importance of poverty in spirit. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew, 5: 3). Those, whether materially rich or poor, who strive to attach themselves to God and His Word and willing to lose everything, if need be, are the ones who are poor in spirit. They are the 'anawim' of the Old Testament who have no one else to look up to when distress and disaster strike. The 8th and last beatitude too promises kingdom of heaven to those who suffer persecution for justice' sake (verse 10) and is thus intimately connected to the first beatitude.This kind of suffering is only possible by those who are poor in spirit who are determined to be on the side of God (justice being God's essential attribute) even under very trying circumstances.
Here we have to be cautious against fanatics who ignorantly sacrifice themselves being indoctrinated by those with vested interests. Avoiding unnecessary conflicts is legitimate as is seen from the example of Jesus who went into solitude when John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew, 14: 13). When the Samaritans refused to entertain his company of disciples, Jesus rebuked them for entreating him to destroy them with fire (Luke, 9: 52 - 56).
We have other examples of rich people besides Levi and Zacchaeus in the Gospels who were both rich materially and poor in spirit. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea were rich and very influential members of the Jewish Governing Council who were secret disciples of Jesus due to fear of the Jews. At the time of Jesus' burial, however, they surfaced boldly to fulfill the sacred duty of burial of Jesus when even his own disciples were in hiding from fear of the Jews. They had thrown to the winds their prestige, position and wealth when it most mattered because they were poor in spirit, although materially they were immensely rich. On the contrary, one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas Iscariot, was very poor materially and was in greed for money perished by betraying his own Master and Lord as he could never be poor in spirit.
Jesus expressed the practical difficulty of the rich for being poor in spirit by saying that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mark, 10:25). Jesus said this after a certain rich young man approached him for finding out about obtaining eternal life. He had to go away disappointed as he was ineligible for perfection, though worthy to attain eternal life, since he could not be detached from his material possessions. He could not be poor in spirit and so was incapable to enter the kingdom of heaven, though eternal life was his as he observed all commandments (Mark,10:17-22).
The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus with which he was anointed to announce the good news to the poor (Luke, 4:18). From what we have seen above, it is clear that the Good News of the Gospel is for everyone to receive which one has to be poor in spirit. We are required to give up apparent wealth (sustained by our inordinate attachments) for real wealth (acquired by detachment from pollutants) consisting in real love, joy and peace that is the same as kingdom of heaven on earth Taking into account the importance of 'Detachment' for our well-being, it shall be discussed in our next post.
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