Defining the Poor in Spirit
'Tis the season. Yep, time for political signs, attack ads and bullet-point rehetoric. It's election season. As I view each of the candidates, they each, in their own way, say similar things. What's the answer for your problems? More government regulation, more legislation and better policies. All of these things, according to the people running for office, will make your life easier and help you significantly. Among their words is the discussion of the poor. Who is poor? Who is rich? Who should be taxed? Who should be helped? But really, who is poor? In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said we are all poor. We are poor in spirit. He defines poor, not by wealth or means, but by our utter need for the presence of God in our lives. We are all created with a hole that only God can fill. We are God-poor. We need him and only Jesus can provide a relationship with him. It's the foundational statement in the Beatitudes. Those who are poor in spirit, when...