Abide with ME
Abiding Emotionally - Part Three
Rich Man, Poor Man
Scripture: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:3
Thought: Back in the mid 1970s, there was a popular miniseries called Rich Man, Poor Man.
The plot involved two brothers who were sons of German immigrants. While starting from the
same circumstances, like many immigrants, they felt they had something to prove and began
their life journey to do just that. However, each man traveled drastically different paths. One
son was an enterprising young man who worked diligently in everything he would do. He kept
out of trouble, lived by the law, and took every opportunity given him to gather success and
money. He became a wealthy man. Even so, his wealth never brought him what he valued the
most, until he became a poor man. The other brother was in trouble all the time. He was angry,
jealous, and troubled. His life’s path took him into the ring as a professional boxer. He had
some success; yet, he never accumulated any money, so he lived hand to mouth. He lived most
of his life as a poor man, but he found what he loved the most when he became a rich man. Can
you piece the riddle together as to how a rich man became poor and a poor man became rich, and
how only then, did they both find what they longed for the most? If not, start with this tidbit of
information: It has nothing to do with money, and it has a lot to do with brokenness, humility,
contentment, and revaluing life.
Jesus gave us insight through His “Beatitudes” as to how the rich must become poor, and the
poor must become rich to gain the greatest treasure the universe can offer. He said that access to
this treasure, which deep down is what all mankind longs for, is found only in becoming poor in
spirit. Do the instructions of Jesus to His followers encourage you as His follower, or do they
discourage you? The answer might very well be found by what you value most. If you are poor
financially, this might be music to your ears for it gives you hope to one day prosper in wealth.
If you are rich financially, it may challenge you as it did the rich young man in Christ’s day, who
when invited by Jesus to join him by becoming a poor man, hung his head and walked away.
Truth is if you think this Beatitude is about becoming rich or poor financially, you are missing
Jesus’ point. Instead, it has to do with our priorities and perspective in life and what is worthy of
giving our life to pursue. It most certainly is not about gaining wealth. So, how do we
understand what it means to be poor in spirit?
Charles G. Finney, who has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism answers the question
this way:
“To have a realizing sense of our spiritual state. In this it is implied that we understand our
own guilt and helplessness, and realize as a practical fact our own utter emptiness by nature of
everything good, and of any tendency to that which is good.”
But why is this realization important? Finney answers this question next:
“Because ....the kingdom of God is within them - flesh and blood has never revealed this to
them. - They have already surmounted the greatest difficulty in the way of their salvation. - he
has now come to be prepared for the application of the remedy for his disease. - in a sense,
such a person has already learned what the remedy is- they learn how blessed it is to trust
Christ- they have learned how to be composed in the midst of all kinds of trials. - they have no
self interest.... and ...
Because to be poor in spirit is to be rich in faith.”
(Taken from his sermon 12/4/1844)
Therefore, to answer the question: “How do the rich become poor, and the poor become rich to
become poor in spirit?” For the rich man, it requires a sense of true humility and need, in spite
of his wealth. For the poor man, it requires a true sense of being rich, yet in need, in spite of his
poverty. Each of these perspectives is difficult, for it goes against the value system that the
world teaches us. But it is the perspective needed for the Holy Spirit to teach us about the
Kingdom of God and how it can live within our life, regardless of our circumstances. For many
who read this devotional, you may be like me in that you are neither rich nor poor financially.
This middle-class position could in turn give us a greater challenge in finding the right
perspective, for we must practice an element of both views. It requires us to realize both our
poverty and our wealth. We can do this only when we realize what true wealth really is and how
we obtain it. Again, it is not about money.
At the end of the story, both brothers in Rich Man, Poor Man found something they had never
been able to grasp, whether seeking to gain financial wealth or escape poverty. Their pursuit to
get wealth or keep it fell short of what they truly wanted the most. You see, these men were both
paupers in feeling loved, and it was true love that they longed for. It was when they found this
love that they both became rich in life, and like I said, “It had nothing to do with money.” It was
a great Hollywood story that ended well. But real life is not a Hollywood story that always ends
well. As good as it feels at times, the love of another person will always be flawed, for the giver
of this love is imperfect and flawed. For that reason, we have to live with a knowledge and
expectation that there is no perfect love from another person, including ourselves. But there
really is perfect love, and when we become poor in spirit, we are on our way to connecting with
it.
There are countless numbers of people who never find what they are longing for deep down,
which is to be loved without condition. Even Hollywood couldn’t script it and make us believe
that another person could love us unconditionally. But that is what Christ offers us. He gives us
His love without conditions attached, and when we truly realize this, we become the richest
people who walk this planet. Therefore, this is the heart of what Christ meant when He said the
poor in spirit will have the kingdom of heaven. What we have in Christ is the King and His
kingdom thrown in with it. What a treasure we are given simply by becoming poor in spirit.
Oh, that we may grasp this treasure by losing ourselves to gain it. It is the deal of a lifetime.
To the King’s glory,
Rocky