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“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”
(Matthew 5:3–5, NASB)
This song is built around the opening words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. These are not sentimental sayings. They are kingdom laws. Jesus is not describing a passive attitude. He is laying out the conditions for entering, possessing, and ruling in the kingdom of God.
The central line of the song captures this:
> “Humble hearts, empty hands—
> God’s kingdom belongs to them now.”
That is a kingdom principle. God gives His rule, His reign, His authority—not to the self-confident, not to the self-sufficient, but to the spiritually bankrupt, the broken, the submitted.
The “kingdom of the humble” is not a poetic phrase. It is spiritual reality. The kingdom of God is revealed to, and ruled by, those who meet these conditions: poor in spirit, mourning, and meek.
Let us look at what the Word of God says.
Matthew 5 is the beginning of what we call the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus has just begun His public ministry in Galilee. He is preaching a simple message:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
Crowds have gathered from all directions (Matthew 4:23–25). People are sick, oppressed, demonized, needy. They are attracted to His miracles, His deliverance, His teaching. Then Jesus does something significant:
“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying…” (Matthew 5:1–2)
He sits down—that is the posture of a rabbi with authority. His disciples come to Him—He is addressing those who are willing to be taught, to be governed.
The “Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3–12) are the opening declaration of the constitution of the kingdom of heaven. He is not addressing casual listeners. He is instructing those who will submit to His rule.
Notice also the context of Israel’s expectation. Many Jews expected a political Messiah who would overthrow Rome. But Jesus begins by speaking of the “poor in spirit,” those who “mourn,” those who are “meek.” This is the exact opposite of religious pride and nationalistic arrogance.
Jesus is saying: “The kingdom I bring is not built by human strength. It is given to those who recognize their need, who grieve over sin and brokenness, and who submit themselves under My authority.”
The song echoes this by calling:
> “Come poor in spirit, come as you are—
> the kingdom of heaven is yours.”
In other words: come without claim, without self-righteousness, without spiritual pretension. Come as a beggar, and you will be made a citizen—and more than that, an heir—of the kingdom.
### 1) “Poor in spirit” – πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati)
The Greek word translated “poor” is ptōchos. It does not mean “someone who has little.” It means one who is utterly destitute, a beggar dependent on others for survival. In classical Greek it describes someone who crouches or cringes as a beggar.
Jesus does not say, “Blessed are the somewhat needy in spirit.” He says, “Blessed are the ptōchoi in spirit”—those who recognize they have nothing in themselves to commend them to God.
To be “poor in spirit” is to be spiritually bankrupt—aware that your own righteousness, your own wisdom, your own strength, your own spirituality are utterly inadequate.
This is strongly reinforced by Jesus in Revelation 3:17, when He rebukes the self-sufficient church of Laodicea:
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”
They did not know their true spiritual condition. They were the opposite of “poor in spirit.” They were self-deceived.
The song phrase, “Humble hearts, empty hands,” captures ptōchos well. Empty-handed. Nothing to offer. Nothing to claim. No spiritual entitlement. Only mercy.
### 2) “Meek” – πραεῖς (praeis)
The word “meek” in Matthew 5:5 is praeis (plural of praos). In modern English, “meek” often suggests weak, timid, passive. That is not the biblical meaning.
In Greek usage, praos was used of a wild horse that had been tamed—its strength was not destroyed, but brought under control. The idea is power under authority. Not weakness, but controlled strength. Submitted strength.
Moses is called “very meek (very humble), more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3, LXX uses praus). But Moses was not weak. He confronted Pharaoh, led Israel, judged sin. Yet he did not defend himself when attacked; he let God vindicate him. That is meekness.
Jesus Himself says:
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [praus] and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)
Meekness is the character of Christ—strength submitted to the Father’s will.
So when the song proclaims:
> “Humble hearts, empty hands—
> God’s kingdom belongs to them now.”
It is describing the ptōchos attitude and the praeis character: emptiness before God, submission under God.
### “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The repetition in the song highlights what Jesus emphasized: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Notice the present tense—is, not “will be.” This is the only beatitude with a present-tense promise (v.3 and v.10); the others are future (“shall be comforted,” “shall inherit,” etc.).
The moment you become truly poor in spirit, the rule of God becomes your present possession. You come under His government, and His government begins to work in and through you.
It is the poor in spirit who can pray rightly:
“Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” (Matthew 6:13)
Poverty of spirit is the doorway to everything in the kingdom. Without it, we are excluded, even if we are outwardly religious.
Consider Luke 18:9–14, the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee was rich in his own estimation: “God, I thank You that I am not like other people.” The tax collector stood far off, beating his breast: “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” Jesus says that man went home justified. That is poverty of spirit.
The song’s repeated line, “the kingdom of heaven is theirs,” aligns exactly with Christ’s verdict. The kingdom does not belong to the prayerless proud, but to the repentant beggar of mercy.
### “Humble hearts, empty hands—God’s kingdom belongs to them now.”
Two images:
1. Humble hearts – This speaks of inner posture. Not just outward religious performance, but inward honesty before God. Isaiah 57:15 describes the One who dwells:
“For thus says the high and exalted One… ‘I dwell… with the contrite and lowly of spirit, in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
God dwells with the lowly. Revival, in its true sense, is God reviving the lowly and contrite.
2. Empty hands – This speaks of dependence. You do not bring your spiritual résumé. You do not bargain with God. The only posture He accepts is that of one who says:
“Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.”
This is the opposite of religious self-reliance. In Philippians 3:4–8 Paul lays out his impressive credentials—and then calls them dung (σκύβαλα) for the sake of Christ, that he might gain Christ. That is empty hands.
Spiritually, this emptiness is essential to be filled with the Holy Spirit. God does not fill fullness. He fills emptiness. Luke 1:53: “He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.”
So the song is not romanticizing emptiness. It is defining the only position from which God can truly fill and rule a life.
### “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
The second beatitude appears briefly in the song but is crucial.
What kind of mourning? Not merely human sorrow, not self-pity, not depression. This is godly sorrow—sorrow according to the will of God.
Paul explains:
“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation…” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
This is mourning over sin—our own sin, the sin of the Church, the condition of the world. This mourning is the fruit of seeing accurately, with God’s perspective.
Psalm 119:136 says:
“My eyes shed streams of water,
Because they do not keep Your law.”
That is the mourning of a righteous man in a lawless generation.
Those who mourn like this do not stay in grief; they are “comforted” by the Comforter—the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). He does not comfort denial. He comforts those who truly face sin and brokenness, then turn to God.
This beatitude protects us from false triumphalism. Some want victory without repentance, joy without brokenness. But scriptural order is clear: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting” (Psalm 126:5). The way to true comfort is through mourning.
The song places “those who mourn” alongside the poor in spirit and the meek, indicating this is the same kind of person: broken before God, honest about sin, longing for His kingdom.
### “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
The third beatitude is a direct quotation (and fulfillment) of Psalm 37:11:
“But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”
Here is a major kingdom principle: the earth is ultimately given to the meek, not the aggressive.
The world system believes the strong, the assertive, the dominant will rule. But God says the opposite. Those who submit to Him now will be entrusted with rule in the age to come.
Revelation 5:10 describes the redeemed:
“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Who are these people? They are those conformed to the likeness of the Lamb—the meek King who went to the cross.
So meekness is not a personality type. It is a supernatural fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23, “gentleness” is the same Greek word). It is the character of those fitted to reign.
The song does not explicitly restate “inherit the earth,” but it roots kingdom inheritance in humility:
> “Humble hearts, empty hands—
> God’s kingdom belongs to them now.”
The earth belongs to the meek in the age to come; the kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit now. These are two stages of the same reality: first inner submission; then outer rulership.
### “Come poor in spirit, come as you are—the kingdom of heaven is yours.”
There is an implied call to response here. The Beatitudes are not just descriptions; they are invitations and challenges.
Notice: “come as you are” does not mean “stay as you are.” It means you do not need to clean yourself up before coming. You come with your poverty, your mourning, your brokenness, and you meet a King who transforms.
Isaiah 55:1–3 gives the same invitation:
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost…”
Those with “no money” (no spiritual capital) are invited. The only condition is hunger, thirst, and a willingness to listen.
When you come poor in spirit, God begins to write the Sermon on the Mount on your heart. The kingdom of heaven is not merely a place you go to when you die. It is the rule of God you enter now, which will be manifested openly when Christ returns.
Ephesians 2:6 says that God “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” That is kingdom reality now—for the poor in spirit.
The Beatitudes are not theory. They are spiritual laws. If we want to live in the reality described in the song, we must respond deliberately.
### First, we must renounce self-righteousness and self-sufficiency.
We cannot be poor in spirit while secretly relying on our own goodness, our record, our knowledge, or our ministry.
Paul sets the pattern in Philippians 3:7–9: he considers all his spiritual assets as loss for the sake of Christ, so that he may be “found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own.”
A practical step: confess to God that you have nothing in yourself to commend you. Verbally renounce trust in your own righteousness, your own wisdom, your own strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose hidden pride and self-reliance.
A proclamation you can make:
“Lord, I lay down all confidence in my own righteousness, wisdom, and strength. I confess that apart from You I can do nothing (John 15:5). I come to You empty-handed.”
### Second, we must embrace godly mourning over sin—with repentance.
Do not run from conviction. Do not silence the tears the Holy Spirit wants to bring. Those tears are a gift. David says:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
Ask the Lord: “Show me my sin as You see it. Give me sorrow according to Your will.” Then respond with repentance—change your mind, turn from sin, make restitution where necessary.
2 Corinthians 7:11 describes the fruit of godly sorrow: earnestness, vindication, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, avenging of wrong. True mourning over sin leads to radical change.
This is part of spiritual warfare. The enemy gains legal ground through unrepented sin. When we mourn and repent, his ground is removed (Ephesians 4:27).
### Third, we must submit our strength under God’s authority—meekness.
You may have strong personality, strong gifts, strong opinions. Meekness does not destroy these; it places them under the yoke of Christ.
Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). To take His yoke is to accept His discipline, His leading, His limitations, even His timing.
A practical step: yield specific areas of strength to God. Your tongue, your intellect, your leadership, your earning ability. Say: “Lord, this belongs to You. Direct it. Restrain it. Use it when and how You choose.”
Resist the urge to vindicate yourself. Leave your reputation in God’s hands. That was Moses’ practice in Numbers 12. That is meekness. In spiritual warfare, self-defense and self-justification often open doors to pride. Meekness shuts that door.
### Fourth, we must practice “empty hands” daily.
The song speaks of “empty hands” as the posture of those to whom the kingdom belongs. This must be a daily practice, not a one-time event.
Each day, consciously approach God as a beggar, not a benefactor. You are not doing God a favor by serving Him. You are receiving mercy and grace to serve.
A practical pattern:
This posture keeps you in the flow of the kingdom. “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Grace flows downhill—to the lowest place. Choose the lowest place.
### Proclamation
Say this aloud, deliberately, in the presence of God and in the hearing of the unseen world:
“I proclaim that I am one of the poor in spirit.
I renounce all trust in my own righteousness, wisdom, and strength.
I come to God with humble heart and empty hands.
According to the words of Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is mine now.
I choose godly mourning over sin, and I receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
I submit my strength under the authority of Jesus Christ;
by His grace, I walk in meekness.
I believe that, as I remain poor in spirit and meek,
I will share in Christ’s inheritance
—of the kingdom of heaven now,
and of the earth in the age to come.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it in His Word. Amen.”
### Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the King of the kingdom of heaven.
You have declared that the poor in spirit are blessed,
that those who mourn will be comforted,
and that the meek will inherit the earth.
I come to You now as one who is poor in spirit.
I confess that in myself I have nothing to offer You,
nothing to claim, nothing to boast in.
I acknowledge my spiritual poverty, my need, my emptiness.
Holy Spirit,
bring to my heart true godly sorrow where I have sinned,
where I have trusted in myself,
where I have been proud, hard, or self-sufficient.
Grant me repentance that leads to life, without regret.
Father,
I place my gifts, my strength, my position, and my reputation
under Your authority.
Teach me the meekness of Christ.
Tame what is wild in me.
Restrain what is impulsive in me.
Release only what serves Your purpose and brings You glory.
Lord,
write the Beatitudes into my character.
Make me truly poor in spirit,
truly one who mourns over sin,
truly meek under Your hand.
I receive, by faith, the promise of Jesus:
that the kingdom of heaven is mine now,
that Your comfort will meet my mourning,
and that in due time I will share in the inheritance of the meek.
Establish in me the kingdom of the humble,
that through me others may see and enter Your kingdom.
I ask this in the name of Jesus,
to whom belongs the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.”
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