The Beatitudes (Part 1)
Completely destitute except for this one hope
===
When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them by saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
Matthew 5:1-3 (NET)
===
I’m going to do a mini-series through the Beatitudes.
First, why do we call it “beatitudes?”
Beatitude is an old word meaning “supreme blessedness.”
Which makes sense based on the content of this message, Jesus starting off by giving us a series of blessings.
They’ve been bundled together so we can see what Jesus thinks about pronouncing a blessing on a person’s life.
If I want God’s blessing on me, I better pay attention.
He starts by blessing those who are poor in spirit.
The word for poor here is about those who are destitute and oppressed.
In a financial sense, these kinds of people are the poor who are just beaten down by life, by society, by the cruelty of others. They have little hope of escape. Every day is a struggle.
Except, Jesus is not talking about money here.
Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who are destitute in spirit.
The ones who are beaten down by life, oppressed by the cruelty of others, subjected to the torments of demons.
Etc. etc.
They have little hope for escape. Every day is a struggle.
Except, now the Savior is here.
Jesus literally came to earth to rescue the poor in spirit — people destitute and hopeless like you and me — from the clutches of sin.
We have nothing in our spirit to offer Christ as payment for entry into His kingdom.
But that’s okay because He freely gave us the ticket: just place our faith in Him.
Those people are truly blessed.
(I am one of them.)
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.