Re:Verse reading—Luke 6:17-45 (day three)
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” The getting of our goat consists in the favor that God lavishes on other men—that we cannot be the arbiters of the Lord’s grace. Those without any learning, any power, any influence were esteemed by God? Surely this was novel theology. Jesus repeatedly declared, however, that his detractors hadn’t listened to the very prophets they accused him of misrepresenting. Even Jesus’s own disciples boasted that they had shut down others who acted in the name of Jesus because they weren’t part of the Twelve. But God’s grace will not be held hostage to our spiritual poll taxes. The disenfranchised are right at the center of God’s attention, and should be at ours. If the lowliest aren’t blessed in your presence, in whose presence will they be?
Strong words, bro: convicting and empowering simultaneously, which is the unique work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His people!
It is a good reminder about saving the lost. God cares about the lost as they have not been saved. God is just but it seems to me that there is an urgency to help people in spiritual poverty before Satan traps them further into darkness of earthly life. The Kingdom of God is available to all.
This blog led me to reflect on why it is important to focus on those who are in need, whatever the need would be within God’s standards and frameworks. Peace, joy, happiness cannot be fully achieved when there are still inequalities and poverty in spirit in our surroundings. God taught us how to love others who might be different from us, in spirit or in status of belief and the value of inclusion.
In general, good parents would pay more attention and would focus their efforts to help their poor kids so family harmony can be achieved. Effective leaders would pay more attention to those who may disagree with them and would focus their efforts in bringing them on board to serve organizational mission. Good supervisors and managers would pay more attention to those who do not meet their performance expectations and would focus their efforts in helping them through training opportunities or through meeting their personal and professional needs. Strong believers in Christ would focus their efforts in building relationship with unbelievers and weak believers and pulling them along God’s path for Godly daily living and eternity. Relationship matters!!
God through Jesus taught us the value of building relationship, love and mercy. He is the relationship builder. Through love and mercy, the lost can be saved and share God’s Kingdom. The poor, in this passage, to my understanding is poor in Christianity spiritual foundation. God’s will is for His followers to reach out to those who are poor in spirit, get them to know God and to receive God as their leader, teacher and guide in their daily living.
God cares and has concern for people who are poor in spirit. God wanted for them to know that He is present and available to them and for them to build close spiritual relationships with Him and be saved. It can be a life changing for the lost by getting to know God through the Lord Jesus!
What is your definition of the poor in this passage? What is your definition of the lost? What can you do to influence the lost to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? What are your thoughts on why they are lost or are poor in spirit? What can strong believers do to help turn the lost around?
We are reminded how important lost people are to God! There are those who are saved and those who are lost! Is there an urgency to reach out to those who have not yet known Christ before Jesus returns? God’s love and mercy to all are unfailing. He is a faithful God! In Him we can trust and have faith for inner peace, joy, happiness and eternity.