Poor in Spirit & Mourning

OBJECTIVE

In this module, students will gain a deep understanding of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes as instructions on how to live a Christian life to gain the Kingdom of Heaven. In each week, we will focus on two Beatitudes and discuss what they are, what they are NOT, the reward, examples, and applications for seventh graders. Week 1 will focus on Poor in Spirit, and those who Mourn. Week 2 will cover Meekness and Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness. Week 3 will focus on Merciful and Pure in Heart, and week 4 will cover Peacemakers and Those who are Persecuted.

INTRODUCTION - 7 Minutes

After our Lord returned from His temptation in the wilderness, He began His ministry. As He taught and performed many miracles, large crowds began to gather and follow Him. When He saw the crowds, He took them up to a mountain and began to preach what we call the "Sermon on the Mount," which begins with the eight Beatitudes.

The word "beatitude" means both happiness and blessing together, not separately. Some recent translations omit half of the meaning. In some English texts, it is translated "blessed" while in others, the meaning is "happy" The correct translation joins the two meanings together. Happiness is the fruit of being blessed. Within being blessed lies happiness.

The Sermon on the Mount can be considered the "Statutes or rules and regulations" of Christianity. They are the highest instructions given to humanity that teach us how Christ wants us to live. They can also be considered the "new Torah" of the new covenant; both were given on a mountain, both given by God, and both given to the multitude.

It is important to understand that the Beatitudes are "attitudes" we CHOOSE to practice and not necessarily tied to a "personality trait." When we choose to live out the Beatitudes, we then receive greater rewards and experience God more and more.

This week's lesson will focus on the first two of the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Read Matthew 5:1-12

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

In this section, we will go through what the beatitude is, is not, the reward, followed by examples. Servants may have the students write each point in a chart for comparison. See Tables 1 & 2 in the Appendix.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What does it mean to be "Poor in Spirit"?

Recognizing that we are dependent upon God for our lives and that all of our blessings and talents come from Him
Being humble- Contrast with Pride - such as the pride of Satan who wanted to be equal with God.
Modest and REPENTANT
Being aware of our sinful nature, and that we need Christ and Christ alone to fight sin and temptation

What is NOT poor in spirit?

Being depressed and hopeless
Feeling worthless
Prideful
Someone who feels that they can do everything on their own
Dependent on material things
Self-righteous

REWARD: Kingdom of Heaven

Christ's followers at the time did not know what the "Kingdom of Heaven" was - they were waiting for an earthly king and kingdom
However, the foundation of Christianity is not this world, but the age to come, where we will live eternally in the Kingdom of Heaven

Examples of Poor in Spirit:

The Holy Virgin Mary
- "For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant..., He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts... He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly" Luke 1:48-52.
King David
- In his Psalms, David speaks frequently of his spiritual poverty and of how he is in need of God. In the Psalms, he continually asks for His help and victory. Look at what he says to God: "I am poor and needy, Make haste to me, O' God, You are my help and my deliverer, O' Lord, do not delay" (Psalm 69).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

What does it mean to be Mournful spiritually?

A healthy attitude of the heart in which we mourn over our sins and the sins of others
Our mourning must be sacred and leads to heavenly joy
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
Godly sorrow is accompanied by an acknowledgment of our own sin or shortcomings, and produces repentance, which helps us advance on the way of salvation and transformation. If we sorrow over this, it will drive us to work on our own salvation and on repenting and guarding our thoughts and actions so that our nature becomes more and more like God's nature. tie this to being Poor in Spirit

What is NOT spiritually Mournful?

Not the same as sorrow for loss of a loved one
Depression and despair in which we forget that Christ is forgiving and merciful
- Look at the difference between St. Peter and Judas after they denied/betrayed Christ. Peter's mourning was a part of his repentance, but Judas' mourning was only despair that led to taking his own life. Peter's repentance led to his joy in being forgiven.
Being judgmental of others
- When we are judgmental, we focus on the sins of others in a negative way and become distracted from feeling sorrowful for our own sins.

REWARD: They will be Comforted

Christ's Comfort = Salvation
Comfort not just for ourselves when we repent but also when others around us repent and return to Christ:
- "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents" Luke 15:7.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

Have the students contrast between our society and the principles in the Beatitudes (help them to understand that living the Beatitudes is a direct contrast to earthly life).

Questions:

What does being Poor in Spirit look like in today's society?
How can we practically be spiritually mournful without being sad/depressed as a person?
Identify saints or biblical figures who lived out these two Beatitudes
Can you think of a person in your life who is poor in spirit or shows spiritual mourning? How can you imitate that person?

CONCLUSION - 5 Minutes

Our culture is all about self-esteem, do-it-yourself, stand up for yourself, believe in yourself. But this isn't the way God wants us to live. We need to remember that we need God to be able to do anything, and that we need His strength.

ACTIVITY - 15 Minutes

See the "Living the Beatitudes" in the attached activities.

For each week, have students write in examples of how they can live out that Beatitude in the third column. Let them know that the following week they will be asked to report back on how they attempted to apply the Beatitudes. The servant can put guidelines for sharing so that it is personal, not repeated, spiritually beneficial for others, and doesn't lead to pride.

RESOURCES

Contemplations on the Sermon on the Mount, by H.H. Pope Shenouda III