envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter

Thank God it's Monday Devo 54 Oct 28

by David Joynt on October 28, 2022


MATTHEW 5:3 | 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

The greatest danger for the passionate advocate, who longs to see a better world aligned with God’s just values, is that the thirst for righteousness becomes self-righteousness.

 

The order of Jesus’ beatitudes is not accidental. Every character trait and spiritual practice we are called to, including justice-seeking and advocacy, rests on the first blessing. Poverty of spirit, or knowing our own need for God’s mercy, forgiveness, and grace is foundational. Confession,  self-critique, and a deep awareness of our own ongoing need for God, brings a sacred humility that prevents our zeal from becoming destructive or disrespectful of other persons.

 

Read the beatitudes and consider how important the first one is to all the others.

 

Tags: beatitudes, need

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

More from Pastor Joynts Devotionals

return to Pastor Joynts Devotionals