The Joy of Being Empty Be Nothing—and Have Everything By Pastor Jim Cymba

[soso]

The Joy of Being Empty

Be Nothing—and Have Everything

By Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

출처 https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/the-joy-of-being-empty/

듣기 https://youtu.be/QudUHq8jH7c?si=K5vlhMkfWtgYCsvo

Do you know [the first sermon () Jesus ever preached]?

How about the first sentence () He ever said publicly, as best we can tell /from the Word of God?

When Jesus started His ministry at the age of thirty, He went up /on a mountain and sat down to teach.

And here is the first sentence () He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3, NIV).

* the poor in spirit are Blessed.의 도치문  

That makes no sense. “Blessed—happy, to be envied, filled with spiritual joy—are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

In other words,

[the only people //who get all () God has for us /to make us the people () He wants us to be and fill us with peace and joy]

are the people //who are poor in spirit.

That is counterintuitive (직관에 반대하는/반직관적인).

In our society, if you’re rich, you have it made.

Jesus reversed this.

There are two words for “poor” in the New Testament.

One describes a person //who must work /every day /to get food for that day.

The other word is ptokos, which means abject poverty.

It describes [a person //who has nothing at all and can’t work either/.

He has to beg.

This is [the word () Jesus used]!

Jesus was saying,

“Blessed are the beggars, the people //who have to receive /from someone else, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

I wish () somebody would have told [me] [this] /when I went /into the ministry,

because this is a deep first principle of spiritual life as a Christian:

If we have nothing, then we have to look /to God for everything,

and God will fulfill [every good desire () He has for us].

If we have something, on the other hand,

then we try [to make our own way in life] /rather than just humbly looking to God and saying “Fill me.”

God provides for [those who are humble and empty].

* PROVIDE FOR ; to cause (something) to be available or to happen in the future.

God has an aversion to the proud—people //who are full of themselves.

They’re independent.

They don’t need God.

The Lord sets [Himself] /like an army general, according to the original language (see James 4:6),

to bring down those //who are proud.

Some people think that [what made Lucifer fall from heaven as a created angelic being and become Satan]

is that his heart was filled /with pride.

Imagine, there was no tempter, and yet he became proud.

He became the tempter.

And he’s always tempting [us] /toward a lot of sins, but basically it’s pride, self-sufficiency.

[This principle of being poor in spirit] is capped off /in one of my favorite passages in the New Testament.

When Jesus replaced John the Baptist /on the religious scene, John’s disciples were naturally hurt.

So they went /to John and said,

“Teacher, that man () you baptized, now He’s baptizing, and everyone’s going to Him.”

But John the Baptist said [something /so good]:

“A man can receive nothing /unless it has been given /to him /from heaven” (see John 3:26–27).

In other words, “Don’t feel bad for me. Jesus couldn’t do anything /unless the Father had given Him the ability to do it.

What am I to do? Fight against God?”

That’s why jealousy is such a spiritual absurdity.

We get mad at someone or jealous of him or her /because God blesses that person more than He does us.

That’s like fighting with God.

But as the old Broadway play says, “Your arms are too short to box with God.”

*  Broadway play 브로드웨이 극장가에서 하는 연극/공연

Paul said [it] /this way: “Why are you boasting?

Why so high and mighty?

What do you have that God didn’t give you?

And if God gave [it] /to you, how could you be proud?

Everything comes /from someone else” (see 1 Corinthians 4:7).

The best example of this is in the parable of the vine and the branches.

Jesus said, “I am the vine.”

The vine is the whole plant. “And you are the branches //that grow out /from the main stalk of the plant.

You have to abide /in Me, or you can do nothing” (see John 15:1–5).

So “blessed are the poor in spirit—the branch //that just abides in the main stalk of the plant.”

Why?

Because the life is not in the branch; it’s in the plant.

The branch has to just stay empty and abide.

Every good thing will simply flow /through us /if we just abide in Jesus.

That’s the joy of being empty.

But get the turnaround on this: (A turnaround is a complete change in opinion, attitude, or method.)

Paul had learned this lesson, so he said,

“In myself I can do nothing. I’m the chief of sinners, the least of all the apostles.

But I can do all things /through Christ //who strengthens me.

Why?

It’s not me” (see 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:15; Philippians 4:13).

If we had to depend /on ourselves, it would be all over.

But if we just abide in Jesus and trust in His strength, His love, His grace,

we can do all things /through Christ //who strengthens us.

“How blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

So be it. (It be so.의 도치문/강조문; 그렇게 될지어다)

* 이런 가난한 설교를 대형 부자교회에서 한다면 십중팔구는 교회사절을 할 거라 교회파산은 당연지사고

긍정적 사고주의자에겐 극약이요 자기 꿈을 좇는 자에게는 꿈을 깨고 쫓는 폭탄선인일 것이니 무시하다

Prayer

Father, thank [You] [that You receive us] /when we are poor in spirit.

Help [us] [no longer to lean on our own strength but to come to You emptied]

/so that Your Spirit may fill [us] [to accomplish all () You are calling [us] [to do].

If this encouraged you, you can receive Pastor Cymbala’s weekly blog post by email here.

For More Encouragement

• Listen to the full message of this blog post by Pastor Jim Cymbala: “Empty Yet Full: Remaining in Christ”
• Be encouraged with other messages from Pastor Cymbala: “Born Again to New Life” and “How New Is Your New?”
• Visit Pastor Cymbala’s Facebook page