Home Group Study Questions // January 25th
Sermon on the Mount Session 1: Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
Matthew 5:3 — “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Read Matthew 4:23-5:5
- The Sermon on the Mount is the first of three central teachings of Jesus in the Book of Matthew. What is the context? How does this help us understand the teaching in Chapters 5-6? [Hint: Jesus is teaching us about citizenship in God’s Kingdom]
- What does Jesus mean by ‘blessed’? How does this help us understand our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom? [Hint: Blessed could be translated ‘happy’, ‘thriving’, ‘successful’]
- How is success defined in God’s kingdom?
- Who are the ‘poor in spirit’? What does Jesus mean by ‘poor in spirit’? Who are the ‘poor in spirit’? [Hint: This could include both financially poor and spiritually poor, but the idea here is the powerless person, for they see their need for God.]
- Can you give an example of what ‘spiritual poverty’ looks like? Are we ‘spiritually’ powerless?
- Why does the Kingdom of Heaven belong to the ‘poor in spirit’? What does this tell us about citizenship under God’s rule and reign?
- What does Jesus mean when he says, ‘Blessed are those who mourn’? [Hint: We find blessing in God’s comfort.] How does grief draw us closer to God?
- What is ‘meekness’? Why do the meek inherit the earth? [Hint: meekness is strength under control.] What does the Bible say will happen to the earth when Jesus returns? What does this have to do with the meek inheriting the earth?
- What does Proverbs 3:5-6 instruct us to do about our spiritual poverty, lack of trust in God, and lack of self-control?