SUBJECT:  Matthew 5:3 –Poor in spirit

QUESTION:  What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

ANSWER:

First the verse in question:

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Notice the commentary:

[Blessed]. Happy. A description of a believer's inner condition. When describing a person in God's will, it is virtually equivalent to "saved." Ps 1 gives an OT picture of the blessed man, who evidences his nature by the things he does. The Beatitudes, also, are not primarily promises to the individual but a description of him. They do not show a man how to be saved, but describe the characteristics manifested by one who is born again.

[Poor in spirit]. Opposite of proud in spirit. Those who have recognized their poverty in spiritual things and have allowed Christ to meet their need have become heirs of the kingdom of heaven. 4,5. Mourn (cf. Isa 61:3). A sense of anguish for sin characterizes the blessed man. But genuine repentance will bring comfort to the believer. Since Christ bore the sins of every man, the comfort of full forgiveness is readily available (1 John 1:9). Meek. Mentioned only by Matthew. An obvious allusion to Ps 37:11. The source of this meekness is Christ (Matt 11:28-29), who bestows it when men submit their wills to his. Inherit the earth. The earthly Messianic kingdom. ~from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary

Note:  This commentary says it well.  Those poor in spirit recognize their poverty in spiritual things and are putting their reliance upon Christ.  The poor in spirit are humble and meek and recognize that Jesus is the only way to life eternal in the Kingdom of God.

I found this in another commentary:

To be poor in spirit means that we see our total spiritual poverty before God and our utter dependence upon Him.  Poverty of spirit must be our attitude toward ourselves. We must see that we can do nothing to commend ourselves to God. It must become clear to us that apart from Christ we are spiritually destitute. We may be well educated, but we are spiritually ignorant. We may be financially secure, but we are spiritually bankrupt. We may be the president of a corporation, but without Christ we are on the spiritual unemployment line.

To be poor in spirit is to recognize that without Christ we can not do nothing. It is to recognize that without Christ we are nothing. It is to come before God with empty hands, humble in heart, seeking only to receive from Him. This kind of person is described in Isaiah 66:2: "To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."