提要
八福的演說不僅揭開耶穌登山寶訓的序幕，也是耶穌事工的基礎。祂來帶領人進入天國。但這個事工不是藉著宣佈一下就可以完成的，聽到這個宣告的人還要欣然接受天國。接受天國的主要意義包括了悔改、委身、順服、聽從。所以，當耶穌說：「虛心的人有福了，因為天國是他們的。」，祂是在告訴我們，靈裡的貧窮是進入天國的一般資格。
你我的說法可能大不相同。我們可能會說：「成功的、勝利的、虔誠的、和屬靈的巨人有福了，因為天國是他們的。」我們會這麼說因為我們都是罪人，在某種程度上都犯了驕傲的罪。驕傲與耶穌在這裡所說的虛心正相反。驕傲的人常將自己與他人比較，然後不是壓倒對方就是貶低自己。貶低自己並不是一種美德。有時候自卑也是一種變形的驕傲。我們積極的或消極的與他人比較，然後就開始與他人競爭。這一切可能是在不知不覺的情況下發生。我們企圖爬到別人頭上──如果我們不能超越他，也要想辦法把他壓下來──使我們能出頭。
我們也渴望一種不受拘束的獨立。我們不想依賴任何人，包括上帝。我們盡一切的可能要自給自足。不過，虛心與驕傲完全相反。承認自己心靈貧窮是一種羞辱、痛苦的經驗。但在這裡我們並不是要人自我貶低，乃是說要從天國的角度看清自己是多麼不配、污穢、完全沒有資格進入天國，因為我們的衣著是那麼不相稱。耶穌看著那些承認自己心裡貧窮的人說：「你們正是我要尋找的對象。我不是來召健康的人，我是來召罪人。」
或許我們要學習的最重要功課是，雖然我們是為天國而造，但天國不會變成我們的，除非我們誠實的向上帝承認我們的不配。
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Overview
This beatitude not only sets the tone for Jesus’ “sermon on the mount”, but it’s also the bedrock of Jesus’ ministry. He came to bring men and women into the kingdom. It wasn’t just a case of coming and announcing the kingdom; the hearers of that announcement had to willingly embrace the kingdom. It wasn’t just a case of coming and announcing the kingdom. There were requirements, repentances, commitments and obedience which were part and parcel of the meaning of embracing the kingdom. So, when Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He’s telling us that spiritual poverty is the general qualification for entry into the kingdom of heaven.
I think you and I might put it differently. We might say, “Blessed are the successful, the victorious, the pious, the religious and the spiritual giants, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We’d say this because all of us are guilty, to a greater or lesser degree, of the sin of pride. Pride is the antithesis of what Jesus is talking about here. Proud people tend to compare themselves with others and put down either the other person, or themselves. Putting yourself down, by the way, is not virtuous. Sometimes an inferiority complex is an inverted form of pride. We compare ourselves with others positively or negatively and then we compete with others. This can happen in fairly subtle ways. We attempt to rise above the other guy – to put him down if we can’t rise above him – but in some way, to push ourselves ahead.
We also have this longing for unrestrained independence. We don’t want to be dependent on anyone, God included. We try as much as possible to be self-sufficient. Well, poverty of spirit is antithetical to pride. To admit that one is poor in spirit is a humiliating and painful experience. We’re not talking here about putting oneself down, rather we’re talking about seeing oneself in the light of the kingdom of heaven totally undeserving, totally incapable of entry because our garments are so unworthy. Jesus looks on those who acknowledge their poverty of spirit and says, “You are the ones I am looking for. I didn’t come to call the healthy, I came to call the sick.”
Perhaps the most important lesson of all for us to learn is that, even though we’re made for the kingdom, the kingdom will never be ours until the day we honestly confess to God our unworthiness.
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