Blessed Are The Meek Series

The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to inform God’s disciples of the qualities they are to possess and display to a watching world.

So far we’ve come to see that a blessed Christian is someone who is:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

• We know we have nothing to offer, nothing to boast about, and nothing with which to buy the favour of heaven.

• We live by His grace at all times.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

• We want to have a sensitive heart, to be grieved by the things that grieve the heart of God, to mourn for sin and the effects of sin in people’s lives.

• We cannot say “It’s none of my business.” The moment we become a Christian, God’s concern is our concern.

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

• Most people consider meekness to be weakness.

• In a world dominated by the strong – powerful corporate leaders, men with authority and power - no one wants to be the wimp everyone takes advantage of.

• An atheist philosopher - Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Assert yourself. Care for nothing except for yourself. The only vice is weakness, and the only virtue is strength. Be strong, be a superman. The world is yours if you can get it."

• In fact, if you go up and tell someone that they were meek, I’m not sure it would be received as a compliment.

So what it means to be meek?

• When Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek," He was not advocating a spineless acceptance of life or a doormat mentality.

• He was telling His followers to be submissive to God and willing to put their strength under His control.

Let’s take a look at TWO persons that the Bible mentioned as meek. One is Jesus Himself, and the other Moses.

• Jesus says in Matt 11:29 (KJV) “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.” NIV is gentle and humble in heart.

• Is Jesus timid and soft? No. If we watched the Passion of the Christ, He did come across to us as meek and lowly. Isaiah says (Isa 53:7) “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

• Yet this is not a sign of weakness. In fact, all power and authority has not been lost at any point of time throughout the episode.

• In the Garden, He says “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53).

• In the Court, He tells Pilate “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:11)

You see, to be meek is to have strength that is under control.

• Jesus says in the Garden, “53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

• The meek submits to God. The meek is submissive to the will of God.

Moses is the other person the Bible mentioned as being meek.

• In Num 12:3 "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth."

• His meekness was shown in his acceptance of what God ordained, including endless quarrels with the stubborn people whom he was trying to lead from Egypt to Canaan, including, even the enormous disappointment of himself not getting into the Promised land.

• Despite the grumbling and criticisms, Moses stood in the gap and prayed for the very ones that had been against him.

• Moses was a man with a fierce temper - it was this which had betrayed him during the time in the wilderness. When God said, in effect, "Now look, Moses, in order to teach the whole world how much loss sin can bring, I’m not going to let you enter the land; the people will go in, but you won’t," Moses did not curse God in angry protest; quietly, he accepted God’s decision.

• That’s meekness. Meekness, for a child of God, means accepting without complaints what comes, knowing that it comes from the hand of God who orders all things. What He sends, we accept in faith even if it hurts, knowing that it’s for our and others’ good.

It’s like a wild horse, full of energy but needs to be tamed.