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This week, we begin with the first beatitude found in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Just a few weeks ago, many of us were unwrapping Christmas gifts—things we had longed for, talked about, and eagerly anticipated. In those first moments, the excitement is real. We’re thrilled. We’re grateful. But it doesn’t take long before those once-treasured gifts lose their luster. The thing we once “had to have” becomes just another item on our shelf—or worse, something we’re already thinking about replacing. This cycle reveals a deeper truth: stuff, no matter how shiny or satisfying in the moment, was never meant to fulfill us for long.

Jesus understood this. In fact, He begins His most famous sermon—the Sermon on the Mount—with a powerful and countercultural statement: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” At first glance, this seems confusing. Why would poverty of any kind—especially of spirit—be considered a blessing? Isn’t the goal to be rich in spirit, strong, full, and confident?

But Jesus flips our assumptions upside down. To be “poor in spirit” means to recognize our need—our spiritual emptiness apart from God. It’s the realization that we can’t earn or manufacture meaning on our own. We’re not self-sufficient, and that’s not a flaw—it’s the doorway to something greater.

When we admit our spiritual poverty, we create space for God to move in. We become open to His grace, His truth, and His kingdom. And that kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. It isn’t built on possessions, power, or popularity. It’s a kingdom marked by peace, joy, humility, and purpose—things no amount of stuff can ever truly offer.

So as we reflect on this beatitude, let’s ask: What am I clinging to for fulfillment? Am I willing to let go of the illusion of self-sufficiency and admit my need? Because Jesus promises that it’s in that very place of honest humility that we find the kingdom of heaven.