Matthew 5:3

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed/happy; I recall that the word 'makarios' [the Greek word underlying 'blessed'] is not a word for a religious act of blessing but a more 'secular' word connoting happiness, fortunate-ness etc. Possibly even 'Lucky ..' but that would be provocative wouldn't it? And as I hear in my mind's ear the words 'poor in spirit' I can't help but recall the NEB's transalation, I think it is, that has it rendered as 'those who know their need of God'. The NLT has "God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them." And the Message has "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule". All of which seem to be quite good renderings of what I seemed to recall as the consensus of interpretation I know I siad I'd have a go at 'unplugged' but on the other hand there is this stuff in my head...

I'm struck I think by the fact that makarios is a less 'religious' word than might have been expected; it is less 'spiritual' -in keeping with the present tense of the 'kingdom of heaven' bit; this isn't a spiritual promise of blessedness when the kingdom comes in the future, it's a present reality to be experienced as bringing joy and delight in a life here-and-now.



'Poor in spirit' seems to call out to be interpreted in a way that makes a direct connection with 'having' the Kingdom of Heaven [God's rule, God's will-being-done] so poverty of spirit on that reading would be anything that fills us up in such a way that God's will is displaced or barred entrance. However, that kind of description seems to fit a pharisaical take on life, the universe and everything; but somehow it seems fairer to characterise that attitude as '[supposedly] rich in spirit'; the point being that the person already feels themselves to be 'rich and well-off' not realising that they/we are poor, naked and blind. So the point must surely be that these are people who are not only 'poor' towards God but know that they are and so are willing to take what God is offering rather than to continue to try to impress God or whoever with what they have and who they are. Which gets us back to those translations I just mentioned; the more I think them over the more 'right' they seem. But thre is a sneaking suspicion in me that there's something missing from that interpretation.



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