Sermon: "Poor in Spirit"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

For those who worship at the altar of professional football, today is Christmas and Easter all rolled into one! In case you have been out of touch, today is Super Bowl Sunday.

While I suspect that there are those among us who had hoped I would not mention that event, the Super Bowl really is a big deal in our society - whether we want it to be or not. And, as I reflect on my own impressions of this societal occasion, two particular characteristics stand out. I want to mention those characteristics … but I want us to consider them also in terms of a big event in Jesus' life - one of his "Super Bowls" - the Sermon on the Mount. A portion of that sermon - the Beattitudes - was read as our Gospel lesson this morning.

The first distinguishing characteristic of the Super Bowl, it seems to me, involves the setting of the event - including all the hoopla surrounding it. Actually, this is quite an occasion, and there is a great deal more involved than only a football game. To appreciate what the Super Bowl means, we have to understand a lot more than the rules of football. In fact, by the time of the actual kickoff later today, the game itself may almost seem anti-climatic. There are all the parties and special events during the weekend and, in fact, all week long. Remember, too, the unbelievable amount of money spent on advertisements and the contest for having the best new commercial each year. That is definitely something I look forward to. And so, my point is that an appreciation of the setting of the Super Bowl is important in understanding the significance of the event.

Then, secondly, what coaches and players seem to emphasize as they discuss the game is the importance of gaining momentum early. That is, we may hear, "Our ground game will try to get control first, in order to open up our passing game." Or, "We want to control the field position from the outset by means of our kicking game." Thus, this initial momentum seems particularly important … and that makes sense. Often the team that seizes that momentum first of all never relinquishes it.

Now, in terms of the Sermon on the Mount - this "Super Bowl" for Jesus - the same two characteristics are extremely important, it seems to me. Therefore, let's consider them in terms of our Gospel reading.

To appreciate the setting of the Sermon on the Mount, we need to consider a bit of history. Remember that soon after Jesus' birth, an angel instructed Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt with their child? Herod's plans involved killing all the young boys in that part of the world, in order to get rid of the one that the wise men had called "king of the Jews." And so, Jesus went with his family to Egypt for several years. Later, though - after Herod's death - the family returned to their homeland. That journey, you see, recalled the earlier travels of the people of God - first, to Egypt and then, years later under Moses' direction, to the Promised Land. Therefore, Jesus' experiences reminded the people of Moses who lived in Egypt and then led the people to their homeland.

Also, in terms of setting, remember that Moses had gone up a mountain to encounter God and to bring instruction from God in the form of the Ten Commandments. Thus, the opening words of our Gospel today are quite significant: "When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain" (to the place of revelation, the point of encounter with God); "and after he sat down" (that is, the posture of instruction), "his disciples came to him" (Matt 5:1). Therefore, you see, the setting is quite significant indeed, for memories of Moses the Lawgiver were evoked.

Then, secondly, what about the momentum of this event, this biblical Super Bowl? At first glance - and to our ears - there may seem to be a problem here. After all, the very first Beattitude does not seem very catchy or exciting: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"(5:3). However, if we look more closely, we can discover that those words do provide an important momentum that carries through the whole list of Beattitudes. You see, the "poor in spirit" are those who know they need God … those who know that they need God. It is only with that awareness that the rest of the Beattitudes possess any authority at all.

Let me tell you briefly about someone who discovered his poverty of spirit. This man was the leader in his field of expertise. He was quite powerful, for others paid careful attention to what he did and said. His power even extended to the point that he could have people arrested if they disagreed with him. However, one day he was traveling to another town when a bright light blinded him and threw him to the ground. Saul of Tarsus - whom we know as St. Paul - was about to learn a new thing - a poverty of spirit. The one who had been so powerful and so much in control of things was beginning to encounter his weakness and his dependence. St. Paul's life changed dramatically after that. And it changed because he came to see that he needed God … that he was poor in spirit.

While our life changes are seldom so dramatic, I think that most of us can identify with St. Paul. We, too, like to be in charge of things. We, too, enjoy being in control, acting as the authority, commanding respect. Yet, in those circumstances, we do not know poverty of spirit, and we are not inclined to admit our dependence - on God or anything else. Occasionally, though, a blinding light will figuratively knock us to the ground. We may watch a loved one die and know that we have absolutely no control over that situation. We ourselves may become sick and find that we are dependent on others. We may find ourselves powerless in confronting some meaningless tragedy. And, in such circumstances as those, we come to know poverty of spirit, for we discover that we need God.

I give thanks for times like those. They are not situations that we seek, and they are seldom pleasant - if ever. However, in those very times, we may affirm with Jesus, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs - for ours - is the kingdom of heaven."

Copyright © 2002 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee