I call this “The Poor in Spirit.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3, ESV). I want to read another verse too, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12, ESV).

I have been troubled by this verse, about taking the kingdom by force. I have heard many Christians use this verse to proclaim something like we should “violently” take God’s kingdom. They don’t mean take up arms, of course. They mean something like we have to go get it. We go get our healing, and such. Men of God, that I greatly respect, have quoted this verse as something we should do. But the verse talks about the kingdom suffering violence. That doesn’t sound good. Why would I want to be one of the violent ones forcing myself on the kingdom causing it to suffer?

This verse is more mysterious because it talks about a short amount of time. From the days of John the Baptist until now. This is Jesus talking when this violence is happening. What’s happened in the kingdom, besides Jesus doing kingdom-work perfectly within the will of God? This verse is right after the chapter where Jesus sends out the disciples with His authority. They did “kingdom acts” without knowing that relationship with God through abiding in Christ.

They were given direction, but they seemed to be able to do what they chose to do at that time. (They couldn’t always, as they failed at freeing the boy with epilepsy.) Were they taking the kingdom by force? Remember that “they” included the thief Judas. People with wrong hearts were using God’s power at will. Were they taking the kingdom by force? Maybe I’m missing something that others are understanding, but it reminds me of Jacob wrestling God, refusing to let go until he was blessed. He got the blessing, but he limped the rest of his life.

I have heard preachers quote this, telling us to hold on until you get your blessing. But again, it doesn’t seem right to me. If God wants to give it, let Him give it. Why force Him? That doesn’t seem right. Why suffer for the rest of your life to get the thing you want? That doesn’t seem wise.

And then I read, again, the Beatitudes. And I see exactly how we’re to receive the kingdom—it’s not by force. We can receive the kingdom (in fact, told it is ours), if we are poor in the spirit. That seems the opposite spirit of one that takes it by force.

We read in the Bible how it’s the meek that will inherit the land. Being poor in spirit is a posture of humility. It’s realizing we can do nothing. We have nothing. It’s agreeing with scripture that there is no good thing in me, that we come to God and have nothing of worth to offer. We just come humbly to God, seeking mercy and grace, and we receive all the glorious inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.