Blessed are the Meek

Mt 5:5

We live in a world of turmoil. Everyone is told to get what you can while you can. Marriages are breaking up because of feeble excuses like "It isn't meaningful, it doesn't satisfy or we couldn't get along anymore." The wicked seem to be gaining more control of the world. There is exploitation and injustice running ramparnt in most third world countries. It seems as if power is in the hands of a few. The Beatitude we are studying today tells us that :The meek will inherit the earth." We ask how can that be?

The world thinks that only by violence and brute force can anything be accomplished in today's world. Our verse says the meek will inherit the earth. Some call this foolishness. Other Christians claim these beatitudes are not for today but are for the millennium when Christ will reign on earth. To practice and believe the beatitudes are for this day and age is shear stupidity. These Christians claim that we need to show force and fight. What a clear description of what it means when the Word says, "God's thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways ." God ways "Give up your rights and learn to serve others but the world says,"Stand up for your rights and get what you can for yourself." God's way claims that the meek will inherit the earth.

The term "meek" is another term which is often grossly misunderstood. To help us understand let's begin by looking at Abraham, Moses and Jesus. We will then give a definition; and see how to develop meekness in our lives.

In the Old Testament, we can see the character of men like Abraham and Moses. These men demonstrated a meek spirit.

Abraham took care of his nephew Lot. We read in Genesis 13 that Abraham was a very rich man and Lot also had large flocks, herds and tents. The two were so prosperous that the area they lived could not support both their herds Because of the strife between the herdsmen, Abraham told Lot to choose which way he would like to go with his flocks. Lot chose the luscious green , well-watered Jordan valley, like the garden of the Lord, for his flocks. Abraham settled in the land of Canaan. Then the Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had separated from him. Gen 13:14-17 "The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.'"

This story illustrates our beatitude, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Let's get a clearer picture by looking at Moses. Moses was said to be the meekest man on the face of the earth. Why was this said of him? Moses had been selected for leadership over all Israel. He was the one who went before Pharaoh and liberated the people of God. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses and said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" Moses did not rise up and defend himself. Rather he let God vindicate him Ps 76:8,9 tells us that God "rises up in judgment to save all the meek of the earth." God showed Aaron and Miriam that Moses was truly His chosen servant by sending leprosy upon Miriam and for seven days she was unclean.

Christ demonstrated meekness to us on several occasions. We are told in Philippians to have Christ as our example and to imitate His life Phil 2: 5-7 says, "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." From these verses we understand that Christ gave up His rights, left His glory, demonstrating His meekness and became like a man.

The Jews had a concept that their coming Messiah would be a great military leader who would throw off the chains of the oppressors and set up a free Jewish Kingdom. When Christ came he fulfilled the prophesy in Zechariah 9:" See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Traditionally, a victorious military leader came riding in a conquered city on a spirited horse but Christ came riding on a colt of a donkey. Thus we can learn of His meekness. Christ invited people to come to him and learn. He says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest unto your souls.

In the beatitudes, Christ is not creating new teachings, he is rather emphasizing and drawing from the scriptures of His day, what we now call the Old Testament. There are several references to the meek, and those who will inherit the earth in the Old Testament. Psalms 37:11 clearly ties these two concepts together when the psalmist wrote "The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." We can see that this is not just a new teaching for some future age but a teaching that existed even before the time of Christ and one which the Israelites were to follow.

Meekness is a quality, an attitude, a fruit of the spirit, which needs to be developed in the life of every believer. It is founded on humility and thus this beatitude follows in the sequence of beatitudes which began by saying, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, the humble, before God. Meekness is the attitude of mind and behaviour which allows one to receive with gentleness and meekness whatever may come to him from others as from God. (Barry - Interlinear Greek-English New Testament). It is giving up our rights and depending on God to show His power in our lives. Moses clearly trusted God to work to show His power through him. The natural human reaction is to rise up and defend ourselves at the slightest insult or provocation. Not so with the meek. Psalm 10:17 says that the humble cry out to God and He hears and judges between the meek and the oppressor. God does not hear us when we attempt to take things into our own hands and do things our own way.

We develop meekness in our relationship with all men. As we understand God's kind and merciful dealings with us we can show meekness to others. I Timothy 6:11 tells us to pursue after meekness. Thus it is to be the goal of every Christian to attain a measure of meekness and gentleness.

How and can we develop a life of meekness?

1. Study the life of Christ and copy His example. When He was oppressed and was afflicted, He opened not His mouth in defense. Let us learn from Him what it means to be meek and lowly as we become yoked to Him.

If any of us lack wisdom and do not understand, ask God and He will give you the necessary wisdom to learn how to be meek and gentle.

2 Clear up the past.

Begin by examining your life. When are you harsh with others, defensive, and insist on having your own way? Can you think of times you've violated this quality of meekness? Have you made things right with others when you were harsh, inconsiderate, selfish and/or defensive? If you can't think of times when you were harsh, ask your spouse, children or friends, maybe they can tell you of a few times. They are also great helpers to remind us if we are serious about developing meekness in our life. They can gently remind us when we are harsh or difficult to get along with. Let's be submissive to one another.

3. As you read the scriptures they can be a mirror to help us understand meekness. We cannot attain meekness in our own strength. We must rely on the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of every believer. When we get into situations where we feel our rights are being violated then we need to cry out to God and He will protect and deal justly with the situation.

Let us strive to treat others as God has treated us with loving kindness, gentleness and meekness.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."