I AM The Soul's Heartbeat Volume 6: The Beatitudes in the Gospel of St John

The Beatitudes, otherwise known as The Sermon on the Mount, can be used to guide us through our spiritual development. They show the ways in which we can become more consciously aware of all the facets of our being - many of which will remain unconscious unless we work to enliven them. Close scrutiny of the Greek text in the Bible can reveal a meaning that is quite the opposite to the English translation. This book shows many new ways of understanding the Bible. This is not from the position of any particular religious belief system. The first Beatitude is "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." So who are people poor in spirit? Could they be people who can’t decide what to do? People who are at a crossroads in their life? They are empty of ideas about the next steps to take? When such a person is around us we immediately want to fill their void by giving them advice; we think that our advice will enrich them. In this way we think that we are giving to the poor. Yet the person who resists receiving our alms, and calls on their own inner resources to make a decision - without outside help - will be strong and courageous.