Blessed are the Meek

Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek:  for they shall inherit the earth.”

Introduction

Just last Thursday, we watched the Miami Heat take home their 2^nd NBA championship in a row under the leadership of Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.  It was definitely an exciting run of games that kept most of us glued to our seats as we observed nail-biting play after play.  I would be the first to admit that I was wrong about selling Lebron short for being such a great player, because it was a spectacle that he put on for all the fans.  But I can be almost certain that the majority of people watching would vote for Tim Duncan as their favorite player in the series.  Why?  Not only is he a formidable center/power forward with an excellent jump shot, but he also has a kind and gentle demeanor that suggests humility and meekness.

In our culture today, meekness is associated with weakness, because it currently implies that one is a timid mouse waiting to be trampled upon by the lions of this world.  For example, at work, I was told that I needed to start being more assertive because if I wasn’t I would just be pushed around by all my colleagues.  They suggested that I start implementing consequences when lab safety rules weren’t being followed, because I was too gentle and nice for people to listen.  They saw this gentleness as weakness that could be pushed over and ignored.  But certainly, they would never say that arrogance is good either, because that would probably just cause them to hate my guts and ignore me out of rebellion.  The world would probably say that there needs to be an effective balance between the two characteristics.  Aristotle probably defined the worldly definition the best as “the mean between stubborn anger and that. negativeness of character which is incapable of even righteous indignation^[1].”  He basically meant that meekness is the middle point between being uncontrollably angry and unable to get mad – the ability to assert oneself or to crumble to in defeat.

What Does Meekness Mean in this Verse?

In our passage today, Jesus Christ had a similar yet different definition of meekness when He said, “Blessed are the meek:  for they shall inherit the earth.”  Meekness in the Biblical sense does not mean weakness at all, for if it did, then Jesus Christ would not be described with the word meek multiple times (2 Corinthians 10:1, Matthew 11:28-30), for He is the Son of God, the Creator of the Universe, the omnipotent Lord of all creation.  He is in no way weak.

William Barclay, a theologian, summed up this verse in three ways based on the three Greek meanings for the word praotes (translated meek).  First, he described it as anger under control – “Blessed is the man who is always angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time.”  This came from the Aristotle definition.  Second, he described it as self under control – “Blessed is the man who has every instinct, every impulse, ever passion under control.  Blessed is the man who is entirely self-controlled.”  This is based on the use for the word to indicate animal domestication.  He further elaborated that a person can only find true self-control, when he submits himself to the authority of God.  Third, he described it as humility – “Blessed is the man who has the humility to know his own ignorance, his own weakness, and his own need.”  After describing each of these meanings in short detail, he summed it all up by stating that the best translation for this third beatitude would be to combine all three of these together.[2]

I mostly agree with Barclay’s commentary on this verse, but in order to understand what Jesus Christ meant by “the meek,” we need to look into His character, for we are called to follow Him.  As we all know Jesus was gentle and loving – letting the little children come to Him, feeding the five thousand, healing the sick, and forgiving sin; but at the same time, Jesus was also adamantly righteous – overturning the tables of the money changers, attacking the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and demanding that His disciples give up all to follow Him.  These actions did not display weakness but power controlled, for even on the cross, He who could call upon legions of angels to rescue Him, continued to hang on that tree in obedience to His Father.  We see a man of unbelievable power, constantly submitting Himself to His Father’s will.  By combining Barclay’s interpretation of Matthew 5:5 and the characteristics we see in Jesus, meekness can simply be described as having the humility to place oneself under God’s control.  This is what we see with Moses in the Old Testament, who was described as meek (Numbers 12:3).  This is what we see with Paul as he served the churches.  This is what we see in our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the Gospels.  To be meek is to willingly humbly place oneself under God’s control.

Blessed Are the Meek – Another Two-Edged Sword

Like the first two beatitudes, this third beatitude also acts as a two-edged sword, speaking and cutting to the heart of not only the disciples of Jesus Christ but also the unbelievers who are considering following Him.

For those who are still on the fence about following Jesus Christ, we need to look at the progression of the Beatitudes from the first one until this one.  He began by opening up with “blessed are the poor in spirit,” letting all who considered becoming a disciple to know that they needed to realize that they had nothing of themselves that was great or amazing or of worth.  Those seeking Him needed to come with a full knowledge that they could do nothing to earn His favor but were coming in full need like famished beggars to a hotel restaurant owner, relying on the grace, love, and kindness of Jesus Christ alone.  Second, He said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” letting them know that they needed to realize that there was sin in their life that needed to be forgiven, sin that not only ruined themselves but their relationship with God.  Their heart needed to be broken knowing these facts and the impossibility for a renewed relationship with God without Him.  Then, we reach our verse, where He said, “Blessed are the meek.”  Knowing what meekness now means in the Biblical sense, we can see easily see that a progression has occurred.  First, Christ asked them to realize that they needed Him.  Second, Christ asked them to mourn for their sins and broken relationship.  Now, Christ asked them to put this knowledge and emotion into action; to go from the pure head knowledge to a submission to Him as Savior and Lord.  It is in this Beatitude that Christ calls them to move from feelings of weakness to humility.  You might have control of your life.  You might have it great, but you need to realize that you are nothing, that sin rules your life, and that you need Jesus.  Now, that you know this, give control of your life to Him.  This is why we say that when you are saved, Jesus becomes your Lord.

The sword did also have an edge towards those who have already chosen to become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This edge actually is just a continuation of the one you experience when you first give your life to Christ as an unbeliever.  From the first time you come to Christ till eternity, He is your Lord.  Too many of us Christians have come to Jesus Christ simply for the salvation, understanding that when we come to Him that He is Lord but we choose not to submit our lives.  We take advantage of His grace, abusing it constantly by continuing to live in our sin, calling Him Lord but living as if He had no say in our hearts.  When Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the meek,” He was also addressing His disciples and reminding them all that they needed to live lives of humility, knowing that though they could take control of their own lives that it was best for them to submit it to Him.  He was calling them to a willing daily dying to themselves and picking up their crosses to serve Him.  Throughout our Christian walk, each day we will have to make the decision whether we will submit to God or not.  It is our choice, but the blessing comes only to those who do.

We will also find that when we submit to Him, this meekness will begin to extend from our spiritual lives into our walk in this outside world.  This characteristic of humble power under control will appear in your relationships with your boss, your friends, your parents, and your elders.  It is not that you grow weak and become a slave to others, but that you relinquish the control to others willingly when it is right in the sight of God.  No matter what ultimately, we as Christians can only use this name when we have God in control of our lives.  We must be humble enough to realize that we need Him daily and that we must give Him control.

For They Shall Inherit the Earth – The Great Reward

The blessing that followed this Beatitude was stated simply, “…For they shall inherit the earth.”  What a surprising reward right?  Especially, if we consider that the world’s way of obtaining things is summed up in the phrase, “To the victor, goes the spoils.”  Recollect all the evil villains you have ever watched on television or movies or read in books, did any of them ever take over the world by humility?  Not one.  Every single one of them went after it by doing something that allowed them to take control of the people.  Even in real life, people don’t stay in power by humility but by working backhanded deals that allow them to keep their position.  Yet Christ sets a different standard for His disciples – be meek, be humble, be God-controlled.  The term inherit indicates that the earth was not going to belong to them in the immediate but in the future.  It did not meant that they would rule and reign it as tyrants but that when Christ makes His second return, ushering in a new heaven and a new earth fully and completely under His reign, we will inherit it and be in it with Him.  He even tells His apostles in Matthew 19:28, “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”^[3]  It is in humbly submitting oneself to God that this inheritance of eternal life in the New Jerusalem is gained.

To sum this beatitude up, we can look at one other word of Christ, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” ^[4] (Matthew 23:11-12)  As James 4:6-7a, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God.”^[5]

Verses Mentioned

• 2 Corinthians 10:1a – “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…”^[6]
• Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”^[7]
• Numbers 12:3 – “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” ^[8]

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^[1] Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Mt 5:5). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

[2] Barclay, William.  The Gospel of Matthew Volume 1.  The Westminster Press (1956), 91-93.

^[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Mt 19:28). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Mt 23:11–12). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Jas 4:6–7). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[6] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (2 Co 10:1). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[7] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Mt 11:28–30). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[8] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Nu 12:3). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

A Great Privilege and Treasure

Psalm 147:19-20 – “He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and rules to Israel.  He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know His rules.  Praise the LORD!”

One of the big fads in the early 2000s was Pokemon cards.  Parents and children would line up in toys stores for hours on end just to get their hands on a few 9-card booster packs that would give them the chance to find one of the high-rarity, hard-to-find cards collectible cards.  The rarest of these cards was called Charizard, which can probably still sell for at least $100 today.  My cousins and I were actually a part of the group of kids that got caught up in this fad; but unfortunately for me, I never managed to get that Charizard.  On the other hand, one of my cousins did end up getting that Charizard in one of his packs, but he was too young at the time to realize that he had just found the Holy Grail in Pokemon cards.  So within the next few weeks, he ended up giving it away for two to the cards that were worth little to nothing in value just because he would get a few more shiny looking cards.  To this day, he would probably agree that this was one of the worst business deals he has made in his life.

You may be surprised to know that in the Bible, we are given multiple accounts of how the people of Israel had also made quite a few rotten deals of their own.  In our passage today, the Psalmist reminded the people of Israel that God had given them a great privilege and gift in giving them knowledge of His Word.  This alone was enough of a reason to praise the LORD, for never before had God allowed a nation to grasp His thoughts and rules.  Israel though was given that gift when they were handed the laws of God by Moses.  But even with that privileged information, instead of obeying God’s rules, the people of Israel constantly rebelled against His law, making it better if they had just not be given the knowledge in the first place.  Just like my cousin, the Israelites traded a beautiful one-of-a-kind treasure for a few “shiny,” temporary toys.  They continually abandoned His Word and served the other gods of the nations around them, thinking that they would prosper by doing so.  What a sad commentary on how they failed to realize and take advantage of this precious gem right in front of them!

Sadly, many Christians today follow the Israelite example.  Instead, of serving and obeying the Lord, who has given them the knowledge of salvation, His rules, His commands, and His character, they snub Him for some knock-offs like money, real estate, or toys.  We trade our time in His Word where we can learn more about Him, for some cheap laughs on television or a few more hours of overtime.  We fail to realize that God has given us a great gift in the Bible.  We don’t realize how privileged we are to have His laws right in front of us, so that we can memorize, read, and learn more about Him any time we want.  I would even dare to say that we are luckier than the Israelites, because we have such easy access to His Word.  In the past, people had to go to the Temple, roll out a big scroll, and read from it to hear God’s Word, but today, we can just search Google for a Bible to find hundreds of ways to read God’s Word.  We are so lucky.  We are so blessed.  Let us stop making these bad deals where we trade off God’s Word for some vain object/activity of this earth.  Let us instead choose to spend time with our Lord and Savior, relishing and meditating on His Word.  It is a great privilege and treasure given to us.   Spend some time treasuring it today.

Not In Vain

Ecclesiastes 1:2 – “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.’”

1 Corinthians 15:56 – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Don’t you hate it when you spend hours upon hours doing something, only to find out that all the time you put in will be going down the drain because none of it will be used?  This situation comes up quite often in scientific research.  A project is started with a young, aspiring student spending countless of hours on the lab bench, only to find out that a few months later his work amounted to nothing significant enough to get published in a scientific journal.  This has actually happened to me quite often in my last three years in research, except I never even got far enough to get finished results.  Instead my experiments would just fail to the point of the project being scrapped, leaving me overcome with a wave of sadness, slight depression, and cynicism.  In the end, all I felt was that all my work was useless.  Fortunately, this trend doesn’t happen with everyone, but, I believe, that many scientists, even the successful ones, still do share my opinion that most research that is performed will eventually become worthless.  Paraphrasing a previous colleague of mine, “I don’t think that in the next ten years most of the things we publish will even matter.  No one will care.”  What a sad commentary, right?  On the brighter side, there will be the few slivers of greatness that outlast centuries (Newton, Einstein, Salk).  But even they in the end will eventually be forgotten.  It doesn’t matter whether you are in science, politics, art, literature, or any other field; no matter who you are or what you do, eventually it all amounts to nothing.  At least, that was the conclusion that Solomon, the wisest person that ever lived, first came to in Ecclesiastes.

Whenever I read the book of Ecclesiastes, I feel quite depressed after meditating on the thoughts shared there, because the constant theme is “All is vanity.”  The book clearly accomplishes its purpose, because it forces a person to reflect on the life he is currently living and examine it to see if he has been spending the short time he has on this earth wisely.  Are you chasing after the things of this earth like money, houses, or gadgets?  Consider that these things will eventually be eaten by moth and rust.  Are you looking to build a name for yourself, so that you will be remembered in the history books?  Consider that ten thousand years from now, people will hardly be able to remember your name just like you can’t name the first man to win the Olympic Games (the first as in the one in Ancient Greece).  Are you looking to do good for others and help them out in any way possible to make your heart feel good?  Consider that happiness fades even if it resulted from a good deed.  No matter what is done, it is all for vanity.  But surprisingly, Solomon doesn’t end the book of Ecclesiastes on the same note; he finishes off by saying, “The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  (12:13-14).  In the end, one thing and only one thing was not in vain, fearing God and keeping His commandments.  What is done for God – that will last.

This thought is reiterated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:56, when he exhorts the Corinthian church, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”  As Paul was finishing his letter to the Corinthians, he encouraged them by reminding them that anything done for the Lord is never in vain.  He understood that as time passed and tangible results lingered in absence, it would be easy for the church to just give up its work.  So instead of just letting this passively happen, Paul made sure to nip discouragement at the bud and to reaffirm them of their labor in the Lord.  Working with and for the Lord is sometimes a difficult thing, especially when results are not immediately seen.  For example, we all know of the frustration we feel for the friend/relative we have already spent years praying for but have yet to see come to Christ.  And most certainly, we have experienced a time in which we served God in some capacity yet have never seen the results of our labor.  William Carey, for instance, ministered to the people of India for several years before he even saw his first convert.  Although the effects of our serving the Lord may tarry, we should never grow weary in doing good “for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9)  Instead of giving up, let us be steadfast in our faith, immovable in our determination, and focused in the work of the Lord, remembering that anything that is done for God will never be in vain.  Unlike everything else you do in this world, when you serve Christ the rewards that are reaped are eternal – ones that moth nor rust nor thieves can destroy or steal.  If you feel like giving up don’t, instead be encouraged knowing that laboring with and for the Lord leaves lasting value.

An Understanding that Most Don’t Have

Luke 24:44-45 – “Then He [Jesus] said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…”

I have recently been watching this show called Grimm on NBC.  It is about a police detective who finds out that he can see things that most people can’t see.  This detective can see that some people are actually not humans but these creatures from fairy tale lore that are hiding in plain sight (in the show they call them wesen [pronounced “vesen”]).  Because of this ability, he is able to solve criminal cases that most people cannot solve, because he has insights that no regular human being has about this “hidden” world.  In the show, only he and other people with that same ability can see these wesen, unless the wesen willingly transforms into its creature-like form for an ordinary human being.  Until that time, an ordinary person would just be left out of the loop never seeing or understanding what was going on in the world around them.  I’m sure we have felt this feeling of being out of the loop many times in our own personal lives, whether it be with inside jokes among friends, with scientific knowledge in the classroom, or with general understanding of a topic that we have never spent the time studying.  Unless, somebody willingly teaches us, we have no way of understanding what is going on.

In our passage today, I believe that the disciples were in a very similar position.  Before Christ’s resurrection, even though, Jesus would repeatedly tell them of his death, burial, and resurrection, the disciples had no understanding of what He actually meant.  Even the ones who had probably known and studied the Scripture intensely were still surprised with all that happened in those eventful three days.  They didn’t understand the multiple prophecies about the Messiah and how they all applied to Christ.  For example, they surely did not grasp that Christ was to die lifted up on a cross, just like the brass serpent was lifted up in the days of Moses.  They probably did not understand all the suffering that the Messiah had to go through as described in Isaiah 53, where He was to be led like a lamb to the slaughter.  They must not have grasped Psalm 16:10, describing how the Holy one would not see corruption, prophesying the resurrection of Christ.  Passage after passage in the Scriptures was probably overlooked due to a lack of understanding from the disciples.  It wasn’t until Christ appeared after the Resurrection to His disciples in this passage, that the disciples finally had their minds opened to understand the Scripture.  They needed Christ to reveal all of this to them, just like a wesen would need to reveal himself to a human, a friend would have to explain an inside joke, or a teacher would have to teach a subject to his class before they could understand.  The only reason the disciples could finally grasp the Scripture was with the Lord’s grace to reveal it to them.  Right after, in the book of Acts, we find these same disciples preaching Christ to the world and having a full knowledge of Scripture.  This all came from Christ providing them this understanding, an understanding fully given when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2).

It is this same understanding that has been granted to each and every disciple of Jesus Christ.  For right when you receive Him as Lord and Savior, you receive that same Holy Spirit, the one who is a Comforter and Reminder of all the Lord’s teachings.  That is why you as a Christian can see the Bible in a different light than your unbelieving friends.  God has opened your eyes.  This knowledge reminds us that we have no excuse for not understanding God’s Word when we read it, because He specifically has provided His Holy Spirit to help us understand it.  In addition, it also reminds us that we cannot judge non-Christians for not grasping our beliefs, because they cannot see what we do until the Lord works in their hearts as well.  It is all a matter of His grace.  This should move us to gratefulness to our Lord Jesus Christ for His willingness to remove the scales from our eyes, as well as, to compassion for our fellow men whom have yet to have these scales removed.  Let us have this knowledge drive us to prayer and praise – prayer for those we know who do not understand as well as for additional understanding in our lives and praise for His wonderful mercy and grace to include us in His “secret.”