Poverty-Stricken Millionaires (Pack of 5)

The world pities those poor Christians who do not get to have any fun. They don’t drink; they don’t party; they
don’t chase women (or men); they don’t gamble in Vegas or strip down in Florida. They are nice guys, and everybody knows that nice guys finish last.

Jesus likes to turn worldly wisdom on its head. He delights in proving His opposites are better. To Him, the way
up is down. Jesus’ first sermon began with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12), and the Beatitudes begin with humility (poverty of spirit) (5:3).

Jesus lived among proud people. The Jews thought they were better than the Gentiles, boasting of being God’s
chosen people (Matthew 3:7–12). The Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous (Luke 18:9–14).
Greek philosophers were proud of their intellectual insights (1 Corinthians 1:18–23; Acts 17). Romans were
proud of their world-ruling empire. How absurd to champion humility as a virtue to them. Perhaps some who
heard Jesus’ sermon glanced at each other, shrugged their shoulders, smiled knowingly, and left saying that this new Preacher was out of touch.

The spiritual descendants of Jews, Greeks, and Romans are still around. Strong men turn their backs on Christianity because they think it requires them to be doormats. Women influenced by feminism value self-assertion and take a backseat to no one. Yet Jesus says the same thing today as then. Pride, the enemy of humility, is used in three senses in the New Testament—toward self, others, and God. Those poor in spirit have a proper concept of each of these relationships.