Blessings in Disguise - the Blessing of Running Out of Gas

.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” 

Matthew 5:3

I think it happened after 10 on a Friday night.  We received a phone call from our one of our kids. en..  He and some buddies had decided that day to drive from Milwaukee Wisconsin to Cleveland, Ohio (about an 8 hour drive).  When they got south of Chicago, their car started having trouble.  They got off the highway to check it out.  While they were by the side of the road, a police man came by to warn them that they were in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the Country.  They needed to get back in that car. They needed to drive it down the road to the next truck stop or they were going to have worse problems..  Well they did what they were told.  That’s when the car literally stopped working. They didn’t know what to do.  They didn’t have any money.  They didn’t have any way of getting to Cleveland or back to Milwaukee.  So he decided to call us 1000 miles away in Texas.

That’s what it means to be “the poor in spirit.”  It means to be “spiritually” broken down by the side of life’s highway with no spiritual resources whatsoever.   It means to be spiritually destitute, spiritually blind, no way or ability to reach out to God, nothing to offer God, nothing that you can do to make up for the fact that you are a sinner.  That’s our condition. . Every one of us is one of the “poor in spirit.”  That’s what these ashes mean.   They remind us that because of sin you and I are dust and to dust we shall return.   Now doesn’t it sound very strange for Jesus to see us in this condition and call us blessed?  That’s what He says.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”  How in the world can that be true?  That’s the way it is with all the Beatitudes of Jesus.  They sound like bad things. Yet in Jesus, they are “Blessings in disguise.” 

How does having no spiritual resources become a blessing?  Well it all starts with these ashes.  People ask me, why do we do this?  Well I don’t know about you, but I need this reminder on my forehead.  The hardest thing for me to admit is that I can’t handle something… that I need help… that I am running out of gas.  Linda will tell you that is true literally. She hates when I run the gas gauge down to empty before stopping.  Many of us do that in life – hide things that we are struggling with rather than ask for help… keep going in the wrong direction rather than admit we are wrong… keep pushing forward on our own rather than admit we can’t handle life’s situations… Keep going until we run out of gas… ignoring symptoms rather than going to a doctor… or calling on a pastor or a counselor. I need these ashes because its only when I finally admit that I am empty… only then can God bless me and fill me.  I need God  to confront me with the truth that I am one of the “poor in spirit."  You need this too.  That moment of crying out for help is when our Lord pulls back the disguise and shows us His blessing.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” He promises, “for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”  How can that be since we have nothing to offer God? The answer is simple.  The King has given us for free what we can never afford.  Forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the Holy Spirit, free access by prayer to the throne room of God, an eternal home in the Father’s kingdom – they are all ours as a gift of God.  The King purchased for us a place in His kingdom. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor so that you by His poverty might become rich.”  That’s what was happening when He was born of Mary, when He suffered under Pontius Pilate.. when Jesus was crucified for your sins and when He rose again the third day.  He was purchasing the Kingdom for you and me.  Then in baptism He made us part of His family, co-heirs of His kingdom… all as a completely free gift. 

About half way through my time at Lamb of God, our youth took a mission trip to Mexico.  We were going to build two homes for the poor.  On second night, many of our people started getting sick.  That night we had to take about 35 youth and adults across the border to the emergency room at the hospital.  By morning one half of our group was on one side of the border in the hospital and the rest were still in Mexico.  We didn’t know what to do… or where to turn.  Our youth worker said that out loud at the hospital.  A nurse heard him and said that she know a place that had dorm space for 100.  There are usually church groups there every week, but this week it was empty.   By nightfall we had all our youth out of the hospital and back in the USA resting and recovering in these dorm rooms.  Just when we were empty and had no place to turn, God filled our cups.  Oh and that night our son called.  Well I called my sister.  She and her husband drove the hour and half to get them and bring them home – a blessing in disguise as they got a great meal and an overnight in Chicago.

That’s what Jesus means -  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”  It really is a blessing to wear these ashes, to admit the truth that we are spiritually destitute. For it is then that we are ready for God to fill our lives with His free gifts, with the riches of His kingdom!  Amen.