Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

  1. What’s your favorite ‘Rags to Riches’ story? Why do you think these stories are so popular in our culture? How does our love of ‘upward mobility’ affect the way we practice our faith?

  2. Read Psalm 34:6, 40:17, and Isaiah 66:2. How do these OT texts inform our understanding of Jesus’ term ‘poor in spirit’ in Matthew 5:3? How would you define the term in your own words?

  3. Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “There is no one in the kingdom of God who is not poor in spirit.” Why is it impossible to enter the kingdom without this character quality?

  4. Read Luke 15:11-32. Which character illustrates ‘poor in spirit’? What actions help us to know? Which character illustrates the opposite attitude?

  5. In what areas of your life are you inclined to ‘write your resume’ to prove you are self-made and self-promoting? What will repentance look like for you if you are going to be conformed to the character of Jesus?

Robb EsperatComment