THE WAY TO A MEANINGFUL LIFE
A Realistic Appreciation of Yourself

Dr. Richard J. Henderson February 25, 2007

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Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Matthew 5:3, 5

Introduction

She was a quiet woman; humble but strong. She endured a lot; she went through times of difficulty, pain, loss, and yet she always held to an enduring trust. She had a great sense of humor, and part of her humor was an ability to laugh at herself.

There wasn't the slightest hint of pretense about her. She knew who she was, what she believed in, and she stood strong in defending that. She was gentle and strong-willed, but always kind. She knew what she was good at, and what she needed help to do.

Underlying all of her life was a deep commitment to her God and to live as Christ taught us. At the time of her death many people used the phrase, "salt of the earth." People knew they could depend on her. When I hear the phrase, "poor in spirit," she is one of the people I think of right away.

I

This morning we are going to talk about the "poor in spirit," and "the meek" together because they are very similar, but different. Some scholars believe that the "poor is spirit" is mentioned first because it represents the foundation for all the other beatitudes. I believe they're right because poor in spirit is about identity, and it is a foundation on which all of the other characteristics are built.

All of us at one time or another have to wrestle with who we are: what's important to us, what has value in our lives, and what abilities we have and don't have. We need to come to the point where we know who we are, and who we are in relation to God.

In talking about these two characteristics, Jesus is talking about a realistic appreciation of ourselves, not an over-inflated idea of who we are, and not denigrating ourselves either. It's about having a healthy understanding of ourselves in relation to God.

We are God's creation. God made us in his image. At creation, God said that we were "very good." We know we've made mistakes, made wrong choices - sometimes on purpose and sometimes unintentionally. We aren't perfect. But we are loved by God. When we know who we are and appreciate ourselves as God's people, we tend to be poor in spirit and meek, in the sense Jesus meant.

II

The "poor in spirit" realize their spiritual need. They know themselves and they know they need God in their lives. Augustine said it best when he said to God, "My heart is restless, until it rests in you." Being poor in spirit means being aware of our spiritual need and knowing we can't depend solely on ourselves - and we don't have to.

The opposite of poor in spirit is arrogant, having the idea that I don't need God or anybody else. I am self-sufficient. This kind of arrogance is the worst kind of spiritual blindness because you don't even know to ask for help.

The opposite of poor in spirit is unjustified pride - thinking we are more than we really are. This unrealistic pretending to be more than we are hurts us and others. The warning to Christians is that this puffed-up pride can be religious pride too.

To be poor in spirit is to have a realistic appreciation and enjoyment of what we can do and who we are. Often the poor in spirit people are successful. They are productive, in part because they don't have to spend a lot of time trying to impress people. Somehow, when a person is real, it shows through quickly.

The difference between the proud and the poor in spirit can be seen in Jesus' story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember the two of them go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee was the religious leader. He prays, "I thank you that I'm not like other people - thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even this tax collector." The tax collector, whom we would assume is a sinner, doesn't even lift his head up to heaven. He says, "God, be merciful to me a sinner."

One of them comes to pray with religious pride. The other comes as a person poor in spirit. Jesus says the man who is poor in spirit is justified.

III

The most difficult of all words in the beatitudes for us to understand is "meek." "Blessed are the meek." We think of one who is cowardly, soft, afraid, and harmless. The term, "doormat" comes to mind. Someone named Casper Milquetoast. We think of a timid person who allows people to walk all over him.

People in Jesus' day wouldn't understand this kind of thinking. It wouldn't be what the word meant to them.

The Greek word means a person who offers goodwill to others; one who walks in reverence to God. Usually it is a person of quiet strength, who stands up for what he believes without making a show of it. Mahatma Gandhi was meek - but powerful. Meekness is humble strength in reverence.

In the Old Testament, the Bible points to Moses as someone who is meek. Clearly he was a powerful leader who stood up to all the power of Egypt and prevailed. He drew his strength from his relationship with God.

In the New Testament, Jesus is described as meek. He stood firmly for what he believed, but treated people with dignity and respect. He was strong enough to endure crucifixion. Yet he surrendered to God's will.

The opposite of meek is harsh, aggressive, vengeful, self-promoting, or brutal. Meekness is the anti-Rambo. A great example of meekness is Abraham Lincoln.

Conclusion

I have been privileged to know a lot of people who are meek and poor in spirit. They aren't the flashy people who get a lot of attention. They don't draw attention to themselves. Usually they are quiet, hard working people who get a lot done. They are humble and realistic about themselves.

I think of Fred. He was a deeply religious person, but he didn't wear it on his sleeve. In fact, he didn't come to church until after his wife died. We became friends during her illness, and I did the funeral. When he came to church he sat in the back on the right side. He was a great golfer, but was humble about it. He is the only guy I ever knew who got 4 holes-in-one in his lifetime. He had a dry sense of humor, but was really funny. The thing that you felt about him was that he knew who he was. He didn't have to pretend.

He suffered intensely when his wife died. It was an enormous loss.

He was a quiet, humble, gentle person who had a strong relationship with God. We heard a lot about those traits at the time of his funeral when people talked about how he had touched their lives. There was, of course, great sadness at his funeral, but also a sense of celebration of a life truly well-lived.

He didn't say a word about it, so I was shocked when his attorney called a few months later to say that Fred had included Faith Community in his will. I guess my surprise showed when the attorney told me. He said, "Didn't Fred tell you?" I said no. It was just like him to include his church and not say a word about it.

He died almost ten years ago, but he made such an impression that I remember him very well. He was meek and poor in spirit.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2007