God’s Constitution, Pt 4: Meekness
Matthew 5:5 5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Luke 18:9-14 9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
This is a tough one, hard to grasp, and difficult to implement. It is extremely counter-cultural, especially in the 21st Century United States. Modern society teaches that one only succeeds as one forcefully grasps all he or she can often at the expense of others. The phrase ‘inherit the earth’ could be thought to means to receive absolutely everything one would ever need in any situation, which is an attractive thought, but how can one achieve that by being meek? Actually inherit the earth more properly refers to the consummation of the messianic Kingdom, that is, the establishment of Heaven on earth at the end of the age.
Meek sounds like weak to many, so just what does meek mean? Jesus teaches that you know you are blessed if you are “poor in spirit,” if you “mourn” over sin, and if you are “meek,” a disposition that naturally follows the first two. For if you understand and feel your need for God, you will not be bold, brash, and self-assertive. You wouldn’t be a macho man but a meek man, which is not someone who says, “Walk all over me,” but rather “Let me walk a mile or two for you.” Meekness describes someone who is gentle, humble, unassuming, and willing to serve.1
In my younger days, 35 years or so, I was part of an anger management group for a short time. I joined the group voluntarily simply because I didn’t care for the way I interacted with stress, but I soon discovered every other person in the group was there by court order. It was an awkward situation for sure, and I didn’t last long in the group; they voted me out saying I was too ‘touchy-feely’. I would not have called myself weak or meek at all but I was much more willing to talk about my attitudes and feelings. The others were not so willing and were much more a part of the tough guy culture. They often had to be threatened with court action to get them to talk about their feelings.
It is occasionally said that meekness is power under control. Those are nice sounding words but they don’t help much. It’s like defining something you don’t understand with something else you don’t understand. Meekness has more to do with attitude than action and so is expressed in intent and motivation. The Oxford dictionary defines it as unassuming and easily imposed upon and even offers ‘like a lamb led to the slaughter’ as a synonym. People equate it with ‘milquetoast’ism. That’s not at all Jesus’ intended meaning. As Jesus used it meek refers to strength of character, firmness of resolve, and love of one’s brothers. A meek man when faced with difficulty is more likely to ask an opponent, “How can I help you?” rather than demand resolution to a conflict.
But as I discovered in that earlier experience meekness is difficult. One may be aware of his or her poverty of spirit, and one may mourn one’s inability to live as God would want him to, but when a person is faced with challenges from a confrontational world things can become extremely difficult. To be successfully meek a person must be just as extremely well-grounded in Christ:
7“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)
Deep roots spread throughout the earth are like deep-rooted faith in prayer and studying the Word. When the rainstorms and strong winds come through our life, then it’s our deep-rooted faith in Christ that will help us to stand firm and to stay strong. When the storms come into our lives, if we remain rooted in Christ through reading the Bible, spending time in God’s presence, trusting Him, and speaking faith over our circumstances, then we will remain rooted and grounded in Christ and immovable when the storms come into our lives. This is how the meek inherit the earth. It is not so much in the being meek as it is in the sturdiness of character, deep faith in Christ, and constant intimacy with Him. Such things prepare a person for adversity and difficult times.
Blessedness comes to those who are meek precisely because of this deep rootedness in Christ. As we walk with Christ, as we adhere to His will, we find ourselves living with a contentedness of spirit that is pleasing to God and attractive to men. When we carry ourselves calmly, not murmuring or griping in unpleasant circumstance, good things happen and difficult things flow off without stain. Life may not be easier, but it is calmer and that is a good thing in and of itself.
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[1] Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 111.