May 27, 2001
CYBERCOLUMN:
Beggars
___By Berry D. Simpson
___ITimothy McVeigh's last words, in a hand-written note, quoted William Ernest Henly's poem "Invictus." His final words were, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." (Interesting he could make that claim when the 168 people he murdered in Oklahoma City, including 19 children, were hardly masters of their own fate.)
___In contrast, Psalm 51 says, "A broken and contrite heart I will not despise." Two points of view—a murderer who longs to be his own master, and God who loves contrite hearts.
Berry D. Simpson
___Timothy McVeigh is an extreme example, I know, but his opinion that he was master of his fate, that he chose his own path and made his own way, is a very popular way to think nowadays. None of us likes to think we are being directed by someone else; we want to be in control. Regardless of whether we are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, young or old, we balk at any suggestion that our lives are under someone else's control. It's even hard to live under God's control. We prefer to bring to God our gifts and our talents and our sacrifices, on our terms, so we can keep our pride and recognition.
___In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Of the two Greek works for "poor" that Jesus could have used, He used "ptochos" rather than "penas." (Actually, didn't Jesus speak in Aramaic rather than Greek? It was Matthew who chose which Greek word to use, but he lived with Jesus and knew his intent; and besides, Matthew was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So the distinction is legit.)
___The word "ptochos" means more than being poor like college students used to be. (I mean poor like college students were back when I was in college. Nowadays they have microwaves and high-end stereos and wide-screen TVs and large comfortable beds and eat out all the time. Of course, my parents thought I was living large back in my time, too.) No, the word "ptochos" was the same word used to describe another man named Lazarus (Luke 16) who was so poor he longed to eat the crumbs that fell to the floor. He had nothing. He was a beggar.
___The Greek word "penas" refers to someone who is broke but living in a house, with food to eat. Jesus didn't use that word in Matthew 5. He used "ptochos"–homeless, poor, beggar, without hope.
___So, Jesus said we are blessed, we are really happy, when we are beggars in spirit. Real happiness is being a spiritual beggar, having nothing, spiritually homeless. It's counter-intuitive, don't you think? Why would Jesus say such an unusual thing (besides the fact almost everything Jesus said was unusual, and counter-intuitive to human ears)?
___It is because we are happiest, most blessed, when we come to God for everything. When we come with outstretched hands and open arms hungry for what he has to offer. When we come with tears in our eyes because we know we have nothing to offer.
___It isn't an easy posture to maintain. It is easy after receiving so many gifts and talents and blessings from God to come back to him with arms full and say: "Look what I have for you. Look what I brought." Like a proud young child who brings a Father's Day gift purchased with money from dad's wallet, we bring our gifts to God thinking they are ours to give him. Jesus said we are blessed when we realize we have nothing to give him–all we have came straight from his wallet in the first place.
___As a teacher, it is easy for me to take pride in my skills to teach and communicate, or my intellectual abilities to read and analyze and parse words and dig out truths. I love doing all those things, and I am good at them. Having said that, I have to know from reading Matthew 5 that if I want to be blessed I have to be a beggar. It is OK to use what God has given me, but remember that none of it comes from me. All I am is a spiritual beggar giving back what I've received. Not easy to do—my human pride doesn't let go of the credit very easily. But Jesus didn't say it was easy; he said it was blessed.
___Self-sufficient disciples, masters of their own fate, don't ask for help, don't admit failure, don't confess sins, don't' open their hands. And they aren't blessed.
___Berry Simpson, a Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church in Midland, is a petroleum engineer, writer, runner and member of the city council in Midland.
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