“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
“The poor, the hungry, the mourners, and the oppressed truly are blessed. Not because of their miserable states, of course—Jesus spent much of his life trying to remedy those miseries. Rather, they are blessed because of an innate advantage they hold over those more comfortable and self-sufficient. People who are rich, successful, and beautiful may well go through life relying on their natural gifts. People who lack such natural advantages, hence underqualified for success in the kingdom of this world, just might turn to God in their time of need. Human beings do not readily admit desperation. When they do, the kingdom of heaven draws near.”
Philip Yancey (b. 1949) in The Jesus I Never Knew: Revealing What 2,000 Years of History Have Covered Up (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) 116-117.
Today we turn our attention to a friend and amazing author in Colorado, Phil Yancey. Phil taught me some of his writing disciplines which have shaped my writing.
Today’s post shows the beauty of the kingdom. When we have limited wealth because we have stored it up in heaven, we gain an innate advantage. We don’t try to do things ourselves.
We take the posture that says, “Jesus I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.” Those who are rich tend to rely on their privileged position to excel.
The paradox of generosity that is sacrificial and puts us in a place of dependence on God is that it puts us in a better position to rely on and experience His hand and help in our lives.