Hi, Lelia,
I'm not quite certain of an answer to your question, but when people under
the Old Covenant in Israel were poor of this world's goods, they submitted
themselves to those who could help provide for them, and they didn't have
to beg.  There are examples of this in the Bible, but I won't go into that
now.  However, it seems to me that Jesus is saying that the poor in spirit,
are likened to the poor in material goods.  In other words, being poor in
spirit causes one to be totally dependent on God, emptied of anything in
them that would cause them to strive for the kingdom of Heaven.  And as a
person is poor in spirit in this way, then God is able to fill them with
Himself in the Person of His Son, manifested by the Holy Spirit
within.  All of their spiritual needs are met as they empty themselves of
the striving of the flesh to inherit the Kingdom.  Being poor in spirit is
a wonderful gift from God, and I think it is significant that Jesus
mentioned that one first, among all the other beatitudes.  Notice that He
said that the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  He didn't say it would become
theirs, or that they would come to it, but it is a present position.
In His Love,
Helen


Earlier, Lelia Struve wrote:
>Hi all, ok I have a question and I'm asking not because I know but because I
>don't know.
>
>In Matthew in the b attitudes it says Blessed are the poor in spirit for
>they shall inherit the kingdom of Heaven what does that mean?  I know what
>the last part means for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven but what
>does the first part mean what are the poor in spirit?
>
>Thanks
>
>
>Lelia Struve email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]