a Jewish writer, possibly not very long before our Lord’s time, the writer of the Book of Wisdom, who describes the attitude of the world towards the righteous thus: “But let us lie in wait for the righteous man, Because he is of disservice to us And is contrary to our works, And upbraideth us with sins against the law, And layeth to our charge sins against our discipline. He professeth to have knowledge of God, And nameth himself servant of the Lord. He became to us a reproof of our thoughts. He is grievous unto us even to behold, Because his life is unlike other men’s, And his paths are of strange fashion. We were accounted of him as base metal, And he abstaineth from our ways as from uncleannesses. The latter end of the righteous he calleth happy; And he vaunteth that God is his father. Let us see if his words be true, And let us try what shall befall in the ending of his life. For if the righteous man is God’s son, he will uphold him, And he will deliver him out of the hand of his adversaries. With outrage and torture let us put him to the test, That we may learn his gentleness, And may prove his patience under wrong. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; For he shall be visited according to his words. Thus reasoned they, and they were led astray; For their wickedness blinded them, And they knew not the mysteries of God, Neither hoped they for wages of holiness, Nor did they judge that there is a prize for blameless souls.”[13] * * * * * “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” CHAPTER III THE BEATITUDES IN DETAIL I “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” THE Old Testament is full of descriptions of the spirit of the world, the spirit of selfish wealth with its attendant cruelty: and by contrast to this are descriptions of the oppressed poor who are the friends of God. Our Lord took up all this language upon His own lips when, as St. Luke records, He turned to His disciples and said “Blessed are ye poor ... woe unto you that are rich.” But all the actually poor are not the disciples of Christ. It is possible to combine the selfishness and grasping avarice of “the rich” with the condition of poverty. So our Lord has, as recorded by St. Matthew, gone beneath the surface and based His kingdom, the character of His citizens, not upon actual poverty, but upon detachment. The world says “Get all you can, and keep it.” Christ says, Blessed are those who at least in heart and will have nothing.