The Blessed Life - Part 2

The Blessedness of Those Who Are Humble


Blessed are the poor in spirit,
  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
  For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
  For they shall inherit the earth. 
(Jesus, Matthew 5:3–5) 

            In thinking about what constitutes a blessed life, humans are inclined to believe that happiness is found gaining as much as possible. Hence, we spend a lot of time trying to gain more money (and possessions), more success, and more security. Our constant pursuit of these things reveals the underlying belief that we will find true happiness by gaining in these areas. Jesus’ beatitudes, in stark contrast, dispel some of the popular notions about achieving fulfillment in life.

            The first is the notion that a happy life is one of self-promotion. As we look at the first three beatitudes, Jesus reveals that the truly blessed life is one characterized by humility: poor in spirit, mournful, and meek. Someone who is poor in spirit is not a person who feels self-sufficient. Rather, this person is like a beggar, sensing a great need in his or her life. Sadly, many successful and financially stable Americans feel they are “all set” and so, they are not are in the position to find the blessing that is promised to those who are poor in spirit. In believing they have everything they need, or at least are pursuing everything they need, they are missing out on what they could have if they recognized their own deeper, fundamental need.

When we are poor in spirit, essentially we realize that no matter how outwardly prosperous we are, we have an inner poverty that can only be met through the blessing God offers. This blessing, according to Jesus, includes participation in the kingdom of heaven–to the poor in spirit belong the kingdom of heaven. The people who seek God out of desperation can have the joy of knowing they are part of a heavenly kingdom. They are accepted by God and are not subject to only having hope in present circumstances.

Jesus also mentions those who mourn as being blessed. In one sense, these do not seem like happy people, but it must be noted that the path to joy and peace is found in facing our problems, not denying them. Those who mourn are people who are deeply saddened about their lives. Again, this is in contrast to many today who simply ignore or downplay their problems and the root cause of those problems. Jesus will go on in this sermon to show that our supreme need is to find righteousness. The essence of our problem, then, is a moral issue. Interestingly, James the brother of Jesus teaches on the subject of mourning in this manner:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:8–10).

Though none of us like to experience deep anguish, the reality is that in facing our moral destitution and having remorse over our failures, we can find healing. Jesus says those who mourn “shall be comforted.” When we admit our need, God can help us, lifting us up and comforting us. As Jesus put it to some very self-righteous people who did not like Him hanging out with riff-raff, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous [people who think they’re just fine], but sinners, to repentance.” God heals those who recognize they have a malady, who mourn over their condition.

Being poor in spirit and mournful leads to another quality Jesus mentions: meekness. This alludes to people who have a softness about them, but it doesn’t mean they are feeble doormats. It is like an animal that is powerful yet tamed and made useful to its master. An example of this is seen in a story told by John Dickson:

Three young men hopped on a bus in Detroit in the 1930s and tried to pick a fight with a lone man sitting at the back of the vehicle. They insulted him. He didn't respond. They turned up the heat of the insults. He said nothing. Eventually, the stranger stood up.

He was bigger than they had estimated from his seated position — much bigger. He reached into his pocket, handed them his business card and walked off the bus and then on his way. As the bus drove on the young men gathered around the card to read the words: Joe Louis. Boxer. They had just tried to pick a fight with the man who would be Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World from 1937 to 1949, the number one boxer of all time, according to the International Boxing Research Organization (second on the list is Muhammad Ali). (John Dickson)

It was good for those young men that Joe Louis did not choose to show his power and retaliate. The Bible describes Jesus Himself as meek, and the disciple Peter wrote of him that “when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (I Peter 2:23). It is hard to imagine what Jesus could have done if He chose to react, but He was a meek man, one who had a controlled strength. When we understand our insufficiencies and experience God’s grace, it helps us to have a humble attitude of meekness.

Jesus says that these are the kind of people who will inherit the earth (ultimately as a part of God’s kingdom). We naturally believe that wielding our power to our own ends is the means to gain, but not so in God’s economy. The way to find the greatest gain is in demonstrating meekness, not insisting on our own way and our own rights.

In looking at these three qualities that are blessed, it would almost seem that Christianity is for people that many would perceive as weak. Is this true? Is Christianity for weak people? In one sense, this is almost the very picture Paul paints when he writes to Christians to “consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (I Cor. 1:26, ESV). This is not very flattering, but in essence he is saying that those who follow Christ often are people who are not esteemed highly by outward standards. In fact they do not esteem themselves highly for that matter; they are humble, but they are happy. And that is because they possess the truly blessed life.

Works Cited:

John Dickson, Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership, story quoted by Adam Forrest in Zondervan Blog post  (available at http://zondervan.typepad.com/zondervan/2012/01/joe-louis-punching-power-8-surprising-ideas-humility.html, accessed May 2012; Internet).

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.