Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
Throughout this journey through the beatitudes as they can be related to the Easter story, I’ve followed the general ideas presented by the website Kids of Integrity. This week, though, I cringed at the topic suggestions they presented.
Here’s the thing. I become SUPER uncomfortable when it comes to talking about sin with kids. I know that it is a thing, that it’s something that they need to understand…eventually. Maybe it’s my Methodist upbringing, maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always seen little children as innocents. I never have any desire to tell them how they sin or to point out the terribleness in human nature. In my personal view, little ones should be shown the love and graciousness of God and Jesus, at least until they are older and really start to annoy me as teens.
So when it came to this beatitude, I dreaded it. I knew it was something I was going to have to address, especially as it relates to the Easter story. I knew that it was an important enough idea that Jesus started his Sermon on the Mount with this beatitude. I knew that I was going to have to “lean into the uncomfortable,” as our pastor says.
I was thankful that, as I was doing research on this beatitude and the different interpretations of the specific words, that I came across Billy Graham’s website. He had answered a question regarding this beatitude and whether Jesus really meant for us to have no spirit. Shouldn’t we be filled with the Holy Spirit?
His response suggested that we should seek a different kind of “spiritual poverty.” We should seek humbleness. He suggested replacing the word “poor” in the beatitude with the word “humble.” He stated that when we come to God with our prayers, we must realize our sin and be humble in our hearts. We must realize that we cannot do things on our own, that we need God’s help and Jesus’s cleansing grace.
There is something so incredibly powerful about coming to God and saying, “Dear God, I messed up…” and finishing it. There is something that lifts your heart when you admit your failures or wrongdoings to God. Of course He already knows. Of course He loves you anyways. But you must be humble enough to recognize that you can’t do things alone. You need God’s help to clean up the mess and move forward.
It reminds me of when Little Mister comes to me after he’s done something he knows he wasn’t supposed to and admits it to me. I’m going to love him no matter what. I’m going to help him through whatever poor choice he made. I might help him recognize the consequences of his actions and it may include a hard lesson learned, but I’m his mom and I’m there to help him no matter what.
Discuss with your kids
Many times, when we talk about Jesus on the cross and we see pictures or we see crosses in front of churches, there are three crosses – one for Jesus and one for each of the two men who were crucified with Him. The two men who were crucified with Jesus were convicted criminals and that was the punishment for their crimes.
The first of the two criminals made fun of Jesus. He did not see Jesus as any different from himself, just another criminal. He felt that Jesus was meant to be killed on the cross just as he was dying on a cross.
But the second criminal, he felt differently. He knew that Jesus was different and should not be crucified. He knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong or worthy of being killed. In his last moments on Earth, he asked Jesus for forgiveness for what he had done. He called to Jesus as a humble soul, recognizing his wrongdoings and admitting them to Jesus in front of God.
And what did Jesus do? Did He say, “Gee, too bad. Should’ve thought of that sooner?”
No! He called to the second thief that “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” When Jesus died on the cross, he died for all of our sins, all of our wrongdoings, all of our mistakes and all the times we have gone against God. Because of Jesus and His love for us, as long as we are humble in our abilities and recognize that we cannot do this on our own, our souls will be cleansed and we, too, will be in Heaven with Jesus.
Questions to ask
- What does it mean to be humble? When are times when you can be humble?
- What did the second criminal realize? What did he ask Jesus for? Do you think he was being humble?
- What happens if you do something at home you aren’t supposed to? Do mom and dad get upset? Do you think we still love you even if we are mad? Do you think that God loves us even when we make mistakes?
- Why does God want us to be humble and come to him with our errors?
- What happened to our sin when Jesus died for us?
Activities to remember humility and “poorness” in spirit
There is really only one activity that is appropriate for this beatitude- prayer. Coming to God on a regular basis and seeking his forgiveness. Remember that we are not alone in this world, we do not have to face our worries and strife alone.
It reminds me of part of the liturgy before communion… “Hear the good news! Christ died for us when we were yet sinners…”
Whether it is you or your children, remembering that Jesus sacrificed Himself for us and our sins so that our hearts may be cleansed. Each day we have the opportunity to know the love of Jesus, we just have to go to Him humbly and remember that we are not all powerful and we cannot cleanse ourselves.
Sin is an uncomfortable topic for me when it comes to talking about it with my children. I don’t want them to be afraid. I don’t want them to fear the wrath of God. Little children are innocent and trusting. If we take a little time to explain to them, though, that no matter what mistakes they make, no matter what consequences they have to live with, and no matter what wrongs they may do, God is with them and Jesus died for them. Now that is something to humbly remember and celebrate on Easter and everyday.