Scripture Matthew 5:1, 2, 5
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, (Not the 5000 – just his disciples – meant for his followers to be distinct from those who follow the ways of the world.) 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 5 Blessed (Happy) are the who meek, for they will inherit the earth.
People who hate Christianity are clueless to its truths.
People who love Christianity are often clueless to its truths. Here is a truth
about Christianity – Followers of Jesus ought to be the meekest people on
earth! WHAT? Once again, Jesus turns the world’s view of life on its head.
The world says: Go for the gusto!
Winning isn’t everything – It’s the only thing! Climb to the top, no matter who
you have to step on to get there!
Jesus says, “Happy are the meek!” And if we look at the contemporary understanding of that word, no wonder people would rather skip right over this beatitude. Who wants to be labeled as “meek”? NO ONE! Why? Because if you google it, the first definition you see is the world’s common misconception about what Jesus was saying:
DICTIONARY
DEFINITIONS MEEK:
Internet dictionary-
adjective: meek; comparative adjective: meeker;
superlative adjective: meekest
quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.
Meriam-Webster gets a little closer = enduring injury with patience and without resentment.
Vocabulary.com really misses the mark when it says = The adjective meek describes a person who is willing to go along with whatever other people want to do, like a meek classmate who won't speak up, even when he or she is treated unfairly.
Webster 1828 MEEK, adjective
1. Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked
or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries.
2. Appropriately, humble, in an evangelical sense; submissive to the divine will; not proud, self-sufficient or refractory; not peevish and apt to complain of divine dispensations. Christ says, 'Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls.' Matthew 11:29. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5.
praus = meek – gentle. The
humble and gentle attitude that expresses itself in a patient submissiveness to
offence, free from malice and desire for revenge.
It is
interesting that the Beatitudes of Jesus, in some way reflect the 10
commandments of God – not parallel content but in style.
The
first of the 10 commandments are individual, about your personal relationship
with God.
The last and larger portion of them are about your relationship with others.
The
first 2 Beatitudes are individual, about your relationship with God.
The 3rd and some others of them are about your relationship with others
Happy are the “poor in spirit” & happy are “those who mourn” are individual experiences with God – Happy are “the meek” can only be carried out in relationship to others.
The
bible is consistent – Jesus said, all
the law and the prophets can be summed up in these two laws: 1) love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 2) Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
SCRIPTURES DESCRIBING WHAT MEEK LOOKS LIKE:
Proverbs
16:32
Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
2 Corinthians 10:1 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you…
Matthew
11:29-30
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew
21:5
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to
you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
UNDERSTANDING
MEEKNESS
Being MEEK is not being WEAK! In
fact, it is the opposite. Meekness is strength under control. Let’s look at a
couple popular superheroes to help us understand.
SPIDERMAN: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
SUPERMAN: the best contemporary metaphor for biblical meekness is Superman – well no – actually it is Clark Kent. Meekness is power restrained. Clark Kent could take out anyone who ever bothers him – but he doesn’t. He knows his strength knows no bounds, but he does not use it to abuse others. Who has power they use to abuse others?
There
are Pastors, Politicians, Police, Celebrities, Employers, Teachers, Coaches,
and many of them Christians, who are not meek but abuse their power to bully
others. The biggest outlet for this in recent years has been social media
because weak people hide behind the internet to spew their hate and
bullying. Think about it, why does
anyone put down or bully another person? In some twisted way, they think it
will somehow raise themselves up. It may work for a moment, but is always
fleeting. But we also can’t blame social media because this lack of meekness has
always existed – I will read a paragraph again form Billy Graham’s book
published in 1955 and see if much has changed: “This reversion to barbarism
now affects whole areas of our social life. Neighbors quarrel with neighbors.
Fighting is a major problem in our schools, and gang wars of the teenagers have
come to present a serious menace in our cities. Fathers and mothers wrangle and
bicker. Homes are disintegrating. High government officials engage in
name-calling and in heated disputes not at all in keeping with the dignity of
their office.”
DAVID
Jesus,
as he so often does is not saying anything new – in this third beatitude is
quoting King David in Psalm 37:11 who said; But the meek will inherit the
land and enjoy great peace.
David
who was a mighty warrior 1 Sam 18:7 As they danced, they sang: "Saul
has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands. He became the
greatest king Israel has ever known. And he said the meek will
inherit the earth and enjoy great peace.
David –
the giant killer, was not naturally meek, God gave David the gift of meekness
and eventually, David developed it; When Jonathan’s son came to David with great
needs because he had a club foot; David not only took in Mephibosheth but had
him eat his meals at the king's table and gave him the land from his grandfather
King Saul who had tried to kill David. Remember too that David had been a
shepherd who knew how to care for his sheep. Shepherds were not naturally meek;
they were strong tough men who could defend their flocks against wild animals
and thieves. Yet, the good shepherds did not use that strength to abuse their
sheep. God gave them the gift of being meek – power, influence, authority…under
control.
MOSES
Moses was
not naturally meek; he killed an Egyptian when he saw him mistreating a Hebrew.
Moses was THE leader of the entire Hebrew people. Moses stood before Pharaoh –
King of Egypt and 10 times demanded he let God’s people go. Yet, Moses also
learned how to lead and care for sheep.
Moses was not naturally meek – he thought he had to handle every
judgment among the Hebrew people till his father-in-law instructed him how to
be meek and let others lead. Moses was not naturally meek – it was a gift from
God that Moses then developed. Numbers
12:3 Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the
face of the earth.
JESUS
Jesus,
more than even Moses exemplified meekness. If Jesus is meek, how can we not
seek to attain to that as well and receive the gift of meekness and work to
develop it?
Jesus
was meek – him who cursed the fig tree, who verbally put the Pharisees in their
place on multiple occasions, who turned over the money changers in the temple,
who shouted at Peter, “Get behind me Satan”, and this same Jesus who was
beating, spat upon, mocked, had thorns crushed into his brow and nails pounded
through his hands and feet and was hung on a cross to die…that same Jesus is
the one described in Philippians 2:
Philippians 2:1-16a If you have any encouragement from
being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with
the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by
being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own
interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even
death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed —
not only in my presence but now much more in my absence — continue to work out
your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will
and to act according to his good purpose.
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that
you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked
and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you
hold out the word of life.
Jesus
is the only one who was meek by nature and shows what being meek really looks
like – it is knowing you have power, but using it responsibly and lovingly and
in a manner of humility and gentleness. And those who do that, says Jesus, will
inherit the earth.
To inherit – to receive as a possession – land/earth. You
do not earn, rather you are given as a gift as one who is meek and therefore
exemplifies that you are a child of God and you will receive this great
inheritance – the earth. Does that mean you own all the land? Surely not
because only one person could inherit it then. What it does mean is that you
inherit all there is to get out of this life. You will enjoy this earthly life
in all its fullness (John 10:10 Jesus said, I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.). It does not mean you have all wealth or are exempt
from earthly troubles. It does mean you have nothing to prove and have no need
to beat others down to build yourself up. It means you are satisfied with life
and enjoy the journey of life with Jesus by your side. It means you do not have to be a victim, do
not have to be hot-headed at circumstances you don’t control, your depression
and anxiety will not define you because you will work to keep that under
control, life’s obstacles will throw you a curveball that you will hit and be
satisfied with a single and not feel like you have to hit a home run every time
which will ease your perfectionistic tendencies. Every one of us has a place
where the meekness as seen in Jesus can
come to us as a gift that we can develop with the help of Christ who has shown
us how to live better with this 3rd beatitude; “Happy are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Even when we do feel weak – God will send His Angel
Armies to defend us as we walk in meekness.
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