"But Jesus never said, 'Blessed are the poor'.  He said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit!'"

People say that to me all the time and all it shows is that they don't know their Bibles as well as they think they do.

"And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20) and in case you missed the point He adds ""But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."

It's provacative, revolutionary, and (at first glance at least) somewhat non-sensical, for poverty is surely not a blessed state of being! 

See if you can make better sense of this passage than I can?