I am a Jesus pusher!!! “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The location of poverty is in the spirit. This is the principle of life causing man to live. It is the spiritual entity in man and focuses on the inner aspect that determines the response of man’s living. Man’s spirit carries his attitude, reactions, and perspective of life. When man’s spirit embraces his helplessness, the first Beatitude becomes reality. He is to be congratulated.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). The first Beatitude gives birth to the second Beatitude. As man’s spirit embraces his helplessness, he begins to mourn. Helplessness is the mind and will expressing itself through mourning, which is the emotional aspect. We follow the pattern of Isaiah, the prophet: poverty in spirit admits its helplessness and says, “I am undone!” This causes a great mourning that breaks forth in the form of a lamentation, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does not propose a set of rules or activities to be acknowledged intellectually and adhered to physically. He does not present emotional feelings we are to experience at certain times. He presents a combination of the mind and will, embracing the reality of a state of helplessness that will break forth with emotional expression and feeling of mourning. Thus the whole being of man, including mind, will, and emotion responds to his state of being poor in spirit. None of this can be left out. This enables us to embrace Jesus! I am a Jesus pusher!!!