We Are The Poor

"-and the good news is preached to the poor." Matthew 11:5 (NIV)

I've probably read that line several times and I don't think I've ever thought of it as significant before. Jesus said this when he was speaking to some of John the Baptist's disciples. For those of you who care, here it is in context:
"⁴Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." Matthew 11:4-6 (NIV)

You can see the whole poor thing is kinda stuck in the middle and seems dwarfed in significance by the miracles before it. However, today when I read it, I found it to be quite intriguing. Like many of us when I think of preaching to the poor, I think of homeless people and third world countries. Yes, the Gospel is needed there but I don't think that's what Jesus was talking about here; at least not all he was talking about.

The greek word for poor here is Ptochos (don't even ask me to pronounce it) it actually has various meanings. It does mean poor in a monetary sense, but that's not all it means. It also means lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches, helpless, powerless to accomplish an end and destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture. That one little word has many meanings and I think that all of those are encompassed here.

When Jesus says the Gospel will be preached to the poor, he's not just talking about the less affluent of society, He's really talking about the average Joe. He's talking about all those who lack His eternal riches. He's addressing those who are uneducated (as most were in that day). He really encompassing all the people that the Religious elite of that day (aka the Pharisees) were leaving out. In today's terms, He's talking about all the people who don't live inside the 'Christian Bubble' that we sometimes like to create. There are people out there (many in fact) who were not raised in families who go to church. There are many who think Christianity is not relevant for them, they don't understand it, or they don't feel like they would be/aren't accepted by us. These are the people Jesus is talking about. These are the people we should be talking to. Many of us were/are these people.

Lesson?

Jesus didn't come for the smartest, purest, or the most able. Being a follower of Christ is not about being part of the spiritual elite. It's about being yourself and knowing that is good enough for God. He's not looking for theologians. He's not looking for people who have that Christian appearance. He's not looking for perfection. He's looking for you just as you are.