Such as these

I have just a few very simple yet challenging thoughts circulating in my head today. Normally my posts tend to be pretty long and involved, but today I'm not thinking that will happen. Sometimes, I think the power of insights can be lost when too many words are used. I mean, look at Jesus and the way he taught. He didn't spell things out to the last detail for people. In fact, he often left them wishing that he would explain more fully and wondering why he wouldn't. But, by leaving his teachings as they were without over-explaining, I think Jesus encourages us to go back to things and ponder them ourselves. Then, we have to engage our minds and search for him, which brings him glory. "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings," (i.e. us!) Proverbs 25:2.

I think that the teachings of Jesus most emblematic of this concealed style or strategy on his part are the beatitudes. They seem so simple on the surface, even as a group, but each one of them is deep enough to study for a week... or eight... or more! The one I've been thinking about recently, along with many people from the house of prayer, is the first of them, Matthew 5:3. It says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? More than I could ever address in a blog entry, that's for sure. I'll give you just one aspect of it that has been on my heart. For me, the mention of the kingdom of heaven in this verse brings to mind another verse where Jesus is talking about the same thing. In Matthew 19, people were bringing their children to Jesus so he could pray for them and bless them. The disciples didn't want to "waste his time" with these kids, so they were shooing them off. But in verse 14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

What a profound and seemingly almost crazy statement! The kingdom belongs to children? What kind of kingdom is that? In the accounts of the same story in Mark and Luke, Jesus goes even further than that: "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Luke 18:17). Clearly, this is a pretty big deal in Jesus' mind and we would do well to think more about it.

Here's how I see this whole thing relating to being poor in spirit: being poor (in spirit or in body) means you know you need to receive. You don't have what it takes, and you need someone to help you. And who knows how to receive better than little kids? Jesus even points out in that Luke verse that their ability to receive is what we should emulate. Why are they so good at receiving? Partly, I think, because they realize they don't have any other choice.

Think about it: if a little kid is thirsty and wants a glass of water, can they reach the cupboard where the cups are? If they could, then could they reach the faucet to pour it? No, they have to ask for it! Dad, can you get me... etc. For quite a while, small children remain completely dependent on their parents like this. That, to me, is a perfect picture of being poor in spirit.

We can't make God let us into his kingdom or his blessings. We can't get in ourselves by our efforts. We have to ask. In fact, some translators believe that the kids that were being brought to Jesus were actually infants. In that case, we can't even ask... we just have to cry. We have no other choice but to trust that God will know our needs and meet them. It's not so much that we have to lay down our adulthood and be childlike as it is that we need to realize that we are children in God's sight. None of our demands or efforts really changes anything. All we can do is receive the gifts of a good father to his helpless (although sometimes rebellious) children. The kingdom of heaven, for such as these.

What a mystery.
What a blessing.