I am a Jesus pusher!!! We must understand the proper location of “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” It is in our spirit. Luke records this Beatitude as “Blessed are you poor” (Luke 6:20). In the original language the phrase are you is not present, nor does he include in spirit. You might think Jesus was referring to materialism. Matthew’s account of this message clarifies any misunderstanding about the location of the poverty in the heart of the Kingdom of Heaven. The idea of economical poverty is not the focus of this statement. Jesus calls for a spiritual perspective of our attitude toward God. The helpless, destitute poverty is located in the spirit of the individual.
The spirit of man is the principle of life causing him to live. The spirit can live without the body, but the body cannot live without the spirit (Matthew 27:50). It is the breath breathed by God into man and will again return to God (Genesis 2:7). It is the spiritual entity in man. It is related to the hidden person of the heart, which is to be characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4). Therefore, the spirit would focus on the inner aspect of man, which determines the response of his living. His spirit causes his attitude, reactions, and perspective of life. This is the core of man’s being. This is the location of man’s poverty and helplessness.
This location is where Jesus wants to dwell. For the Spirit of Jesus to indwell man here would be fullness indeed. It affects the life, enables every avenue of existence, and strengthens every facet of his thinking. We are in desperate need of Jesus. I am a Jesus pusher!!!