Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be you poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Poverty of spirit runs through every act of citizenship; it is the secret of its beginning, continuance, and final fruition. It is the secret of entrance into the kingdom, for it is the very essence of baptism. We bring the infant to be baptized because it is nothing, has nothing, can do nothing, and therefore we ask God, of His great mercy, to make the child an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. It is the secret of perseverance, for poverty of spirit is the only fitness for the right use of every means of grace. In confirmation, he who comes urges this as his plea, "I am weak, strengthen me by Thy Spirit, O my Father." In holy communion the communicants pray, "We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table." In prayer our very posture reminds us that we are suppliants at the throne of grace. In every effort after holiness the Master's words are ever sounding in our ears, " Without Me ye can do nothing." In every work of love we can only hope it will be accepted with the words, " She hath done what she could." In every almsgiving we must say with David, "All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee." And in final blessedness the attitude of the redeemed tells us that poverty of spirit belongs to the subjects of the heavenly kingdom, for see, they fall on their faces and cast their crowns at the feet of Him who sitteth upon the throne; and this is the song they sing, "Thou art worthy," etc. (Revelation 4:11). (C. J. Ridgeway, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. |
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