Rev. Sang Ho Bae's 13th expository work on the Gospel of Matthew is about the meaning of the blessedness of someone poor in spirit. I find his exposition interesting, for this is exactly the text I used in my master's thesis.

Not a Moral Code

Matthew 5–7 is the Sermon on the Mount, which Jesus spoke on the mountain. The Sermon on the Mount is the law of the kingdom given to the citizens of heaven—namely, the saints—who dwell on earth. It is not a law of this world or a moral code. If it were an earthly law, the statement that those who mourn or those who are persecuted are blessed would make no sense. Yet it is not a heavenly law either, for in heaven there is no mourning or persecution. The Sermon on the Mount is a special law that applies only to the saints who live on earth. Therefore, to those who are not citizens of heaven, these words sound absurd. They will regard the statements “Blessed are those who mourn” and “Blessed are those who are persecuted” as nonsense. But the saints long to live according to this law, and they grieve that they do not live it out more fully. In this way, the Sermon on the Mount becomes the touchstone that distinguishes true believers from unbelievers.

The Gateway

The reason the statement “Blessed are the poor in spirit” appears first is that it becomes the gateway to all the blessings that follow. Without a poor heart, one cannot mourn or be meek. A person filled with pride cannot hunger and thirst for righteousness. The first characteristic of a citizen of heaven is a poor heart. The poverty spoken of here is not economic poverty but spiritual poverty. Economic lack cannot itself be a blessing. Of course, poverty may sometimes help a person become humble, but it does not necessarily guarantee a good heart. In fact, it may even lead one deeper into material greed or make one servile. To have a poor heart does not mean simply being naïve or naturally kind. The qualities of the Beatitudes are not innate traits but new qualities given by the Holy Spirit to the born-again believer. They are qualities that the people of the world cannot possess. Therefore, the Beatitudes become the standard that distinguishes believers from unbelievers.

Biblical Examples

People of the world pursue money and honor, but believers desire to live rightly before the Lord. They long to live truthfully and holy, and to walk with the Lord according to His Word. When they fail to live this way, their hearts ache and suffer. This is the heart of a born-again saint. A poor heart denies itself. This was the heart of the holy people of faith. David confessed that he was born in sin; Gideon said he was the least in his family. Peter said, “Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man,” and Paul confessed, “Nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” To deeply recognize one’s own lack and inability—this is a poor heart. It is not an inferiority complex that comes from comparing oneself to others, but a heart that realizes its spiritual poverty before God. A person with a poor heart depends entirely on the Lord. Just as a fish cannot live apart from water, they know they cannot live without the Lord. The kingdom of heaven belongs to such people. The proud cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom is great and vast, but its gate is low, so only those who bow humbly can enter.

The Receptivity of a Poor Heart

The grace of God flows into a heart that has been brought low. A poor heart hears God’s voice in every situation. A proud heart listens to the Word defensively and thus finds it difficult to receive grace. David humbly accepted Nathan’s rebuke and repented, and he even heard God’s voice in Shimei’s cursing (2 Sam. 16:10–11). A poor heart hears God’s voice even in words of cursing. When the heart is poor, one does not easily become entangled in relational conflicts. When the heart is not poor, one’s emotional antennae stand high and catch on to everything. One gets caught even by passing remarks spoken casually, and is wounded even by light jokes. A proud heart invites suffering upon itself, but a poor heart has peace. A poor heart is formed only when one looks to the Lord. It is not produced by forcing humility or by asceticism. In fact, ascetic methods make a person proud, leading them to criticize and condemn those who do not live as they do. But when one looks to the Lord, the self is broken, and one realizes that they have no righteousness, and that they are unclean and naked. Abraham became low like dust before God; Isaiah confessed, “Woe is me, for I am ruined”; and Paul called himself “the foremost of sinners.” Only the one who falls before the Lord’s glory deeply recognizes their own worthlessness. And just as the hymn says, ‘Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling,’ the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who have such a poor heart.

Note: Date shared on Facebook group chat: Jan 5, 2026, 8:20 PM

Personal Response and Reflection of Rev. Angelito Carillo

This passage reminds me that the doorway to God’s kingdom is not strength, achievement, or even good intentions—but humility. To be poor in spirit is to stand honestly before God, knowing that I have nothing to offer apart from His grace. It is not about thinking less of myself because of others, but about seeing myself truthfully in the light of God’s holiness. I realize how easily pride creeps into my heart—how I defend myself when corrected, how I become sensitive to words, or how I rely on my own understanding. Yet a poor heart listens, bows, and depends fully on the Lord. Like David and Paul, I am reminded that recognizing my weakness is not shameful; it is the place where grace flows most freely. This reflection calls me to look to the Lord rather than to my own efforts. True humility cannot be manufactured; it is formed when I see Christ—His holiness, His cross, His mercy. When my heart is brought low before Him, I find peace instead of striving, repentance instead of excuses, and hope instead of self-reliance. Truly, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who come empty-handed and cling only to Christ