Friday, February 19, 2016
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
HUMBLE AWE
You do not have to be poor in material things to be poor in spirit. So also a proud spirit can be found in both rich and poor. The high priest Caiaphas was rich, and Peter was not, but both were afflicted with pride. So are all of us in our corrupted human nature.
Pride is centered on self, thinking about self. Humility is not. Humility looks to another center, and the only safe center is the God who said, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!" (Isaiah 45:22).
Because "pride" includes having a high opinion of yourself, some think that humility is having a low opinion of yourself. Not so. Someone with a low opinion of himself may still be self-centered, and look down on Him who made such a miserable creature. No, the blessedness of the poor in spirit does not come from their opinion of themselves, but from the Kingdom of Heaven -- from God. To be proud is to have a high opinion of yourself, and the opposite -- to be humble -- is to have a high opinion of God, and of the gift of the kingdom, His ruling hand.
A truly humble person can rejoice in God's material gifts, whether they are given to him or to his neighbor; can rejoice in a painting, whether he painted it himself, or his neighbor did it. He is rejoicing in God from whom comes every good gift.
How can we come to have such a high opinion of God? How can we tear our eyes away from ourselves when our sinful flesh sees humility as its own death? Pilate said it: "Behold the man." Look to Jesus!
On my heart imprint Thine image, Blessed Jesus, King of Grace.
