“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
Do you remember what it was like to be a child? To not have to think about a mortgage or rent payment? You didn’t worry about what to eat for dinner? Do you remember a time when you didn’t have the alarm clock telling you what time to be at work? That was childhood for most people. “Oh to be a kid again”, we say. They don’t worry about the stock market. They don’t care who the president is. They are not concerned about the mound of laundry that has to be done. The car payment isn’t even on their mind! It’s not their car. It’s not their house. It’s not their food. A child basically has nothing of their own. They are totally dependant on the generosity of others. A child is poor. We all come into this world with nothing. That’s right. We depend on the people around us to provide all of our needs…food…clothing…shelter…and even activities. We are unable to make any of those things happen by ourselves. We must fully trust those around us to meet our needs. This childlike trust is the key that opens the gates of Heaven according to Jesus. However, this trust can only come when we realize how little we have and embrace the simplicity of the life of a child…the poverty of a child.
I believe this is at the core of what Jesus is saying to the disciples in both of these verses above. If we are going to experience the Kingdom of God we will need to simplify our lives. It’s not just trusting our Father as a child but also abandoning our obsession with the things of this world. For some of us, we cannot get a clear view of the Kingdom because we have too much in the way. Jesus also said,
“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
The things of this world are blocking our view of what God really wants us to experience. What are you missing because you are so busy making sure all your things are being taken care of? Are you so consumed with your career or your schedule that you can’t enjoy what God has for you right now?
Today, what steps an you take to begin to remove the distractions from your heart? Do you need to simplify your life? Will you come to Jesus today with the trust and poverty of a child?
1 Response to Day 4 – The Poverty of the Cross