Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Passage: Matthew 5:1-20
Focus: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3.
I’d like to attempt paraphrasing this idea in my own words. “The person who makes good use of his intelligence, who grapples with the big issues of cause and effect, who recognizes spiritual reality beyond physical reality and arrives at the firm conclusion that he, in himself, is not big enough or smart enough to safely determine his own course through life and beyond. In other words, this person knows he desperately needs God. His perspective and attitude of heart is what qualifies him for receiving God’s attention in the form of grace that leads to His presence in time and eternity.”
A sobering deduction can be drawn from this by calculating the outcome of an opposite attitude. For if a person concludes that he himself is sufficient for the task of successfully doing life and eternity, that he has no need of God, there is no biblical way that he will end up in a heavenly state. The opposite of “blessed” is “cursed.”
This deep sense of desperately needing God is amplified in verse 6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
O, what thoughts! O, what promises! O, what a destiny!