Part 1: "How Can the Sermon on the Mount Strengthen Your Marriage?"

Join us as we start our journey in discovering how the principles of the Sermon on the Mount can help us in our relationship with our spouse.  In Matthew 5:1-3, Jesus went up on a mountain and began to teach his disciples. What is interesting is the first principle that he chooses to talk about. In verse 3 (NASB), he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is not to say that just because you are poor, you have access to heaven. What it is describing is having a position of being receptive and open to all that God would want to give you. This verse perhaps could be viewed in contrast to someone who is haughty in spirit. It contains elements of feeling like we are not self-sufficient but are dependent on God. If we look at the passage of Proverbs 16:18-19 (NASB), it may help us to understand better what this passage is trying to say; the passage says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.” We can see the contrast more evident here. 

Jesus is letting us know that we need to have an open heart and mind before we can really receive anything else that he will share with us. Is it possible that we sometimes have conflicts in our relationships because we are not receptive to each other? We may be tempted to let our hearts become hard (not sensitive) to our spouse or allow ourselves to become deaf to their words. In order to have honest conversations with each other, we need first to have open hearts and minds to receive what our spouse is saying. 

Life Application

This week, think about how open and receptive you are to your spouse. Does time, attitude, people, projects, unforgiveness, faulty beliefs, or something else keep you from having an open heart toward your spouse? Talk with your spouse this week about some of the things you feel personally responsible for that may keep you from being receptive to hearing or responding to them. Ask your spouse to hold you accountable to your plan of action to make changes. 

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT. Do you want your blessing?

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