Matt.8:3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This teaching called the Beatitudes is followed by a bold declaration by the Lord, “You are the salt of the earth”. Jesus was describing the life of His followers in this teaching, they would stand out from all of the rest of the world. In this teaching on the beatitudes Jesus is describing the supernatural life put on display in His followers. He describes this life with one unmistakeable word, blessed. This is the difference to those in Christ and those who are not. What is this word blessed? The obvious is the supernatural favor that rests upon God’s people but there is more to it than that. This word blessed describes a state of supernatural joy, the joy of the Lord is an integral part of the Christian life. Here is how Barclay describes this.
“That is most important, for it means that the beatitudes are not pious hopes of what shall be; they are not glowing, but vague prophecies of some future bliss; they are congratulations on what is. The blessedness which belongs to Christians is not a blessedness which is postponed to some future world of glory; it is a blessedness which exists here and now. It is not something into which Christians will enter; it is something into which they have entered.
True, it will find its fullness and its consummation in the presence of God; but, for all that, it is a present reality to be enjoyed here and now. The beatitudes in effect say: ‘O the bliss of being a Christian! O the joy of following Christ! O the sheer happiness of knowing Jesus Christ as Master, Savior and Lord!’ The very form of the beatitudes is the statement of the joyous thrill and the radiant gladness of the Christian life. In the light of the beatitudes, a gloom-encompassed Christianity is unthinkable.”
This is why we are called the salt of the earth, the world has an emptiness about it looking for joy in everything this world promises. The Christian has found His joy, this joy is available only in Christ. The one who is poor in spirit may never be famous and may not even be wealthy by this world’s estimation but from God’s perspective this is the blessed one. It’s not our accomplishments, conquests, or possessions that defines our joy, the Lord Himself is our portion and our reward.