Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Matthew 5:3 GW

I have two houseguests as of last night. They had been surviving without heat and electricity in the freezing temperature. I wanted to cook them a nice, hot breakfast this morning. As it turned out, a bowl of cold cereal would have been preferable. Rubbery eggs and ugly waffles, anyone?

Breakfast was a failure. That was easy to see. Sometimes our spiritual failures are less obvious. We humans can be masterful at deceiving ourselves.

Jesus said people who recognize their spiritual helplessness are blessed. They are under no delusions they can be good enough to be in the presence of a holy God. 

The woman caught in adultery knew. The blind beggar knew. The lepers knew. The demon-possessed man from Gerasene knew. All saw their spiritual neediness and turned to Jesus for forgiveness, healing and freedom.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were blind to their sin. They thought they were doing just fine. Jesus told them otherwise. That only made them angry.

Why do we try to deny our sinfulness?

I get angry and want to hold a grudge. James reminds me human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires (James 1:20). 

I worry about my children’s safety or finances. The Bible says, do not fret--it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8).

I have shown favoritism. If you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by [God’s] law as lawbreakers.

That’s only three! I could include disobedience to parents, lying, judging others, greed, manipulation and many more.

Without Jesus forgiveness, I would be in serious trouble. If we are honest, we all would be. Jesus will forgive our sins when we ask him. Then we will be one of the blessed Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5:3.

We will be blessed with forgiveness, a new life and an eternity in God’s presence.

Jesus, open my eyes to my spiritual neediness. Forgive my sins. Show me a better way to live.

Terri