The Beatitudes: Poor in Spirit

First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi Evening Service

We’re starting a new series tonight for the next several weeks on the Beatitudes. And you can find the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. And tonight we’ll not only look at the first beatitude about being poor in spirit, but also the second, about a life of mourning and sorrow. You’ll find the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5; you won’t find the word “beatitude” anywhere in the Beatitudes. The word “beatitude” is a Latin term from the Latin translation of this passage and it means “the state of blessedness” or “the state of happiness” - of living a blessed life or a truly happy life.