Who are the poor in spirit?

QUESTION: Jesus taught about the "poor in spirit" in one of his
messages found in the book of Matthew. Who are these people? Do they
still exist today?

ANSWER: Jesus began to teach about those whose spirit was poor, near
the beginning of his public ministry. He used this topic as the
foundational teaching on which he would not only explain and reveal
the full intent of the Old Testament's laws but also as the starting
point on how true Christians should think and act in their everyday
lives. His discussion on the subject starts what is commonly called
the Sermon on the Mount, which is arguably his most famous message.

1. But seeing the multitudes, He went up into the mountain; and when
He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2. And He opened His mouth and
taught them, saying, 3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven . . ." (Matthew 5:1 - 3, HBFV Bible throughout)

Surprisingly, only the book of Matthew (chapters 5 to 7) writes about
the details of his message with the book of Luke (chapter 6) recording
only select pieces. The opening sentences of this "sermon" are often
called the Beatitudes or "beautiful attitudes" because they talk about
the attitudes God highly prizes.

So, what exactly was the Lord discussing? One hint in understanding
what Christ was referring to can be found by noticing the word
"spirit" in verse 3 above. In the Holy Bible Faithful Version, and
most other translations such as the KJV, NKJV, NIV and others, the
word does not start with a capital letter. This signifies that the
word is understood to not refer to the Holy Spirit, which is what
makes someone a Christian (Romans 8:9), but to something else.

"Spirit" in this verse is referring to a person's frame of mind or
their attitude. It is how a person thinks about the world around them
and their own personal relationship with the Eternal.  Regarding the
meaning of the whole phrase in question, some commentaries state the
following in their notes on Matthew 5:3.

"To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be
sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own . .
." (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament)

"Poorness of spirit involves (1) Humility, (2) Contentment, (3)
Submission, (4) Gratitude" (The Biblical Illustrator)

"Poverty of spirit is the opposite of pride, self-righteousness, and
self-conceit; the spirit of the publican rather than of the Pharisee .
. ." (A Commentary on the Holy Bible by J.R. Dummelow)

As was mentioned in the last comment above, an excellent contrast
between the self-exalting arrogance God dislikes (especially among
religious people) versus the humble and contrite heart he is looking
for is found in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.

9. And to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and
despised others, He also spoke this parable: 10. "Two men went up into
the temple to pray; the one was a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself in this
manner: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners,
unrighteous, adulterers - or even as this tax collector . . .'

13. "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not even lift up
his eyes to heaven, but beat himself on the chest, saying, 'God, be
merciful to me, a sinner.' 14. I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts
himself shall be humbled; and the one who humbles himself shall be
exalted" (Luke 18:10 - 11, 13 - 14)

Those who have this "poor" attitude realize, in the core of their
being, their utter need for God and their inability to save
themselves. They are keenly aware that they humbly need his help and
mercy every moment of every day. One popular worship song that conveys
this understanding, found in many church hymnals, is called "I Need
Thee Every Hour." It is a beautiful hymn sung with meaning for those
who have become aware of their utter dependency on the Eternal to help
them make it though life. Those who have this attitude are indeed
blessed. Jesus stated they should rejoice and be filled with joy for
great is their reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12)! It is a state of mind
that all Christians should strive to attain.

The man who is poor in spirit is the man
who has realized that things mean nothing,
and that God means everything.
William Barclay (1907 - 1978)