Meek Is Not Weak Series

The Jesus Manifesto: Meek is not Weak

Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37

Chenoa Baptist Church

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

07-22-18

Video: Meekness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uxNyyJz50Y

Rearview Mirror

We are continuing our summer sermon on the Sermon on the Mount. We have been studying the first twelve verses known as the “Beatitudes.”

Let me remind you that the Beatitudes are not a “to-do list,” they are a “to-be” list. Jesus was describing the postures of heart that a disciple/follower of His will exhibit as they live out their faith in a lost and dying world.

Quiz Time:

“Blessed are the p______ in s________, for theirs is the k_______of h_________. (Matthew 5:3)

“Blessed are those who m_________, for they will be c__________. (Matthew 5:4)

The first, and foundational, Beatitude, is being “poor in spirit.” It has the idea of bending low, of absolute and abject destitution. Jesus is describing a person that has nothing and is totally dependent on God. It is the complete absence of pride, self-assurance, and self-reliance. It is a deep humility that leads to authenticity.

Martin Luther’s last words echoed this truth, “We are all beggars, this much is true.”

Once a person understands that they bring nothing to their salvation except the sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, then they see their sin for what it is – cosmic treason against a Holy and Righteous God.

This leads to the second Beatitude – a deep sense of sorrow over our sins. The sorrow isn’t because we have broken a set of rules but because we have broken the Father’s heart.

We don’t excuse, belittle, minimize, or blame our sins on others. We are called to confess and repent of this sin and marvel in the indescribable gift of forgiveness that God gave through the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross, in our place, to pay the penalty for our sin.

He didn’t have to do this. We didn’t deserve it. In fact, we were “objects of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) who deserved to go to hell, but God demonstrated His love for us in this – while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6).

This brings us to the third Beatitude this morning. The first two are negative but this one is a positive virtue. Let’s read this together:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

This may the most misunderstood beatitude. What did Jesus mean by this? How does this virtue play itself out in our lives today?

Prayer

Remember the Context

Let me set the stage again for us. Jesus was just beginning His public ministry. We find Him sitting on a gentle sloping hill by the Sea of Galilee. Surrounding Him are His disciples/followers. Outside that inner circle is the “crowd.”

There were some who whispered that Jesus just might be the Messiah, the long-awaited Deliverer of Israel. In their thinking, this Messiah would rise up, defeat Rome, and restore Israel to its former glory. They waited with baited breath to see what this new teacher had to say. What they heard confused, angered, and disappointed them to say the least. I can just imagine people started to walk away when they heard Jesus say, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” - “Why are we leaving daddy?” Because He’s not who we thought he was, son.”

The kingdom that they were anticipating would be ruled by the strong, the aggressive, and the powerful. Jesus turns their view upside down and paints a picture of a different kind of King and kingdom.

Meekness is Not Weakness

Let’s start by looking at what meekness is not. It is important that we understand that meekness does not mean weakness. It is not cowardice or passivity. It doesn’t mean we are doormats, victims, or spineless, A meek person isn’t marked by a lack of conviction or timidity. This is not a mark of low self-esteem or simply being “nice.”

Jesus was not saying, “Blessed are the wimps.” We are going to learn that Jesus actually called Himself “meek” and the record shows that He was anything but a wimp.

So what does this word mean?

Meekness Defined

In Greek culture, a virtue would be defined by the balanced between two extremes. The word “meek” in classical Greek meant the balance between being timid and fits of rage, between too much anger and no anger at all. This is a person who is angry at the right things in the right way.

Also, Greek physicians would describe medicine that was “just the right dose,” not too strong and not ineffective.

Another way that they looked at this word was like a gentle breeze that blew in from the ocean. Too much wind could be damaging. Too little wind and it’s scorching hot.