Jesus Often Wants What You Don’t

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:2-3)

It is strange and heartbreaking times in which we find ourselves. Division, racism, politics, and violence rule our newsfeed and cloud our hearts. As the world caves into itself, I find the Sermon on the Mount as being the most crucial of teachings for us to return to. It reminds us of the backwardness of God. In our daily lives, it is easy to make our opinions king but we must always remember as children of God that our default mode is anti-God. Our hearts are incredibly subversive and will strangle the life of our faith without us noticing. With each sunrise, our hearts must bow in submission to whom who knows better.

Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . If this is true, then seek to be broken. It is in poverty that we find Christ. How does the self sustained saint need Christ? Where is the quiet soul desperation that cries out in the pitch of a broken spirit? In our world, the broken lack value. We disregard and forget. In God’s economy however, they are praised and made new. It is in times like these we remember that the God in whom we worship was intimate with suffering. He was broken and glorified, why wouldn’t His followers seek the same avenue of righteousness? Be mindful saint, victory often comes from defeat. Poverty will never have the last word in an environment of grace. And while we don’t necessarily seek out brokenness, we are to hang tight to the spiritual truth that we are of poor spirit without the reigning backwards King of souls.

Lord, please help us to live backwards lives. May we cling to your Truth over our preference.