Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be you poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 1. Consider He that is the King of this kingdom of heaven, He was poor Himself; your King was poor. 2. Consider this, Christ's poverty it was to sanctify your poverty. 3. This kingdom of heaven, it is so ordered out for the most part, that the poor in the world are the subjects of this kingdom. 4. The Lord hath so ordered things that the great transactions of this kingdom of heaven — that hath been opened unto you — hath been carried on by those that are mean and poor, not by the great ones of the world. 5. Hence follows, therefore, in the fifth place, that poverty it is no hindrance to the highest degree in this kingdom of heaven. Indeed, poverty it is a hindrance to degrees in the honours of a worldly kingdom. 6. Even those that are outwardly poor, if godly, they have right to all things in this world so far as may be good for them. It is said of Abraham (Romans 4:13) that he was " the heir of the world." 7. In this kingdom are spiritual riches that may countervail to the full, and are infinitely good beyond all outward riches. 8. And then from all these follows, that hence the great temptations that those that are poor people are troubled withal may from the consideration of the blessing of the kingdom be taken away.What are they? 1. As, first, I am afraid that God goes out against me, and doth not bless me in anything that I go about; and so they are afraid, and under great bondage. 2. The second is, I am in a poor condition, and therefore despised. 3. And then a third temptation is, they are useless in the world. Nay, this text will answer this temptation, Thine is the kingdom. (J. Burroughs.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. |
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