Blessed are the poor in spirit
The Word Of The Day is haircut. I visited Irene, then Pat. Both had had their hair cut. Two Doors Up Hazel was having hers cut the next day. I then went to see David and his haircut. Jean’s appointment couldn’t come soon enough! Madeline thought I was the hairdresser. George and Andrew had had ‘short back and sides’. Wendy had gone short and fabulously vibrant pink. Norma was out – at the hairdressers.
We’re at the ‘squeaky bum’ stage when things are starting to re-open.  This week it was hairdressers. Next week, it’s tattoo artists (I can’t wait to see what you all get done!)
We’re relived to be finally coming out of lock-down but nervous about releasing a second wave of infections and deaths. After all, Covid-19 has not gone away and there’s still no vaccine.
It’s been four months since we first went into lock-down. Four months of social distancing, shielding, isolation, anxiety, change.
No wonder many are reporting feeling tired. Recently, I’ve found myself flagging too. Feeling increasingly tired, worn down. Doing the basics has all taken more concentration. It’s easy to drift. Maybe you feel that too.
Two thousand years ago, many were feeling the same. 
Many felt worn down by the System, oppressed by the Empire and the religious elite. If you missed last Sunday Online, catch it at ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk/Watch
Then along came Jesus. He began His public ministry by saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
He announced this, not to the religious elite, not to those who believed they were the holy and the pure.  Instead, He announced it to those in the crowd - the rest of us.
Matthew reported, “Large crowds from Galilee (Jewish area), the Decapolis, (the 10 cities that were predominantly Greek in culture / religion), Jerusalem (the epi-centre of the ultra-religious), Judea and the region across the Jordon (area known for its new developments of migrants, poor, former slaves) followed Jesus.”
The crowd that had tuned-in to Jesus were a right mixed bag of people: sinners and saints, religious and irreligious. And yet they ALL found themselves intrigued by Jesus. He was talking about the poor in spirit.
‘Poor in spirit’ is a negative term: it’s the losers; those at the end of their rope; the spiritual failures; those that have tried their best but repeatedly failed; It’s those, to preserve what little dignity/ self-preservation they have left, no longer try anymore; those that have gone back to old habits; Those that say, I’m done, I gave it a shot. I tried your religion but it didn’t work.
Maybe you know someone who fits that “poor in spirit” description. If it’s you, hang-in, this message is especially for you.
Jesus was NOT giving religious advice on how to become blessed by God. He wasn’t saying, if you want God to bless you, you need to become ‘poor in spirit’. There’s nothing positive, praise worthy about being poor in spirit. Jesus wasn’t giving religious instruction on what you need to do if you want God to bless you. Instead, Jesus was making an announcement. I’ve got Good News. 
Good news. If you feel beaten up by life, worn down by religion, confused by what to believe, and at times are just irreligious, God is on your side. He is SO for you!
Why? Because Jesus declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Some Bible translators struggle with this. The Good News translation gets it particularly wrong. It says, ‘happy’ are the poor I spirt. But “Happy are those who mourn” doesn’t ring true.
It’s more like, God’s way of saying, I’m with you. I’m on your side. Fortunate are the spiritually defeated because God is on your side
Jesus was tearing up the rule book of religion. Religion had told people that, if they wanted to be blessed, if they wanted God to like them, they needed to follow a set of rules. And if it didn’t seem to be working that was probably because they weren’t doing it right – praying hard enough, 
The religious elite used this to manipulate and control the masses. Take the Sabbath – the idea that rest, recreation should be part of the rhythm of healthy life. Yes, work hard, but then take time out for fun, joy, healthy sex… Sabbath was God’s gift to humanity; until the Pharisees turned it into a negative, a rule – you shall NOT… They reduced it down to, you shall not walk more than.. 914 metres. For FitBit users, that’s 1,200 steps. Walk less than 1,200 steps and God accepts you, walk 1,201 steps and God rejects you.
Those dry, sterile, brainless rules were applied to all aspects of life. If the Pharisees were right and this was what God intended, what did that mean God was like?  A Holy Pedant? A Fearful Tyrant? Heaven was then for the religious elite, the goody two shoes, those that conformed, those that lived neat lives. Heaven was not for the multitude sitting on the hillside listening to Jesus. Heaven was not for the rest of us.
Then Jesus declares, Blessed are the poor in spirit for THEIRS is the Kingdom of Heaven.
•	All the people who’ve made a mess of their relationships, God is for you.
•	All those that have abused their bodies, God is on your side
•	All those that have made terrible life choices, God is with you
•	All those who’ve followed every self-help book, tried Couch to 5K and it’s never worked, God stands with you.
•	All those controlled by addictions, God is for you.
•	All those that are not deserving of God’s blessing, that Holy God IS on your side
Heaven has become available to ALL, including those who do not deserve it.
Years later, Paul – who had once been the Supreme Religious Elite – would sum up Jesus’s approach with the term “grace” – God’s undeserved favour. It’s indiscriminate, for ALL.
Religion HATES this. Religion always wants to refer to the small print. Yes BUT… All doesn’t mean all, it means some, those who… Religion is all about how to be RICH in spirit. If something within you wants to say that’s not fair, 
•	they should read their Bible more, 
•	pray more consistently, 
•	show their respect by dressing smarter when they come to church, 
•	behave better
then maybe you feel you are rich in spirit and Jesus’ good news doesn’t apply so much to you.
We are called to be a church for the poor in spirit.  How do we shed our religious Venere and become more like Jesus?
Maybe you’ve been turned off by religion. Maybe that’s why you get Jesus and religious uptight people don’t. Today, God is on your side. Not because of what you have done or how good you are at that religion thing. But because of what Jesus has done, what God is like. He is for you. It’s worth hanging around to hear over the coming weeks the rest of what more Jesus has to say.  
But maybe, after four months of lockdown, you’re feeling drained, worn down, fed-up, poor in spirit. It’s taken its toll on you. Blessed are you, poor in spirit, yours in the Kingdom – God is for YOU too.
Later, in Matthew 11, Jesus spoke with such compassion to those who felt weary 
“Come to me, ALL you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Go to the ‘Bonus Feature’ to hear more about that yoke. It was one of my ‘preach with a view’ talks so you can decide if what you saw was what you got!
Right now, know that that God is for you. Compassionate towards you.  You might judge yourself, be He doesn’t.
The Message put’s Matthew 11 like this:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
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DannyBrierley@ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk