Matthew 5:3-4
Several years ago, the movie “Unbroken” was released. Based on the book of the same title, it tells the story of Louis Zamporini. He was an Olympic athlete who, at the start of World War Two, became a bombardier. He survived being shot down, stranded at sea, and eventually as a prisoner of war. It is a fantastic tale of overcoming great odds and forgiveness. During a Billy Graham revival, he got saved, and he went on to become a public speaker and an evangelist (I highly recommend the book or movie, or both). The story focused on his unbroken spirit. Now this might seem contradictory to the focus passages in today’s devotional. The beatitudes, coming from Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” This is not referring to us having a self-loathing or having no backbone, but rather a spirit of humility. Jesus is speaking to how we should consider ourselves. To be poor in spirit is to be the opposite of self-praise. This is a direct contradiction to what the world proclaims, “Look at me.” In verse 4, when Christ says, “Blessed are those that mourn,” He is not saying we are to be in a constant state of sadness, but rather it is to mourn over our sin. Both of these verses are referring to our spiritual condition. The second half of each of these verses are the outcome of being poor in spirit and mourning, in the proper context. “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is in our humility where God uses us most. When we mourn over our sinful nature is when God’s presence and peace can best be experienced. To be broken before God and to set aside the pride of the flesh, that is when we become unbroken by the folly of pride and the temptation of sin. And it is in those moments that our testimony of Christ becomes its most powerful.
Several years ago, the movie “Unbroken” was released. Based on the book of the same title, it tells the story of Louis Zamporini. He was an Olympic athlete who, at the start of World War Two, became a bombardier. He survived being shot down, stranded at sea, and eventually as a prisoner of war. It is a fantastic tale of overcoming great odds and forgiveness. During a Billy Graham revival, he got saved, and he went on to become a public speaker and an evangelist (I highly recommend the book or movie, or both). The story focused on his unbroken spirit. Now this might seem contradictory to the focus passages in today’s devotional. The beatitudes, coming from Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” This is not referring to us having a self-loathing or having no backbone, but rather a spirit of humility. Jesus is speaking to how we should consider ourselves. To be poor in spirit is to be the opposite of self-praise. This is a direct contradiction to what the world proclaims, “Look at me.” In verse 4, when Christ says, “Blessed are those that mourn,” He is not saying we are to be in a constant state of sadness, but rather it is to mourn over our sin. Both of these verses are referring to our spiritual condition. The second half of each of these verses are the outcome of being poor in spirit and mourning, in the proper context. “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is in our humility where God uses us most. When we mourn over our sinful nature is when God’s presence and peace can best be experienced. To be broken before God and to set aside the pride of the flesh, that is when we become unbroken by the folly of pride and the temptation of sin. And it is in those moments that our testimony of Christ becomes its most powerful.
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