Introduction – Play video clip “The most important thing” Is it true that our life is just a dash between two dates; we must then ask the question “What is the most important thing in this life”
To some the most important thing is to gain and to gather – for them life is one big treasure hunt where they pursue the next big treasure or possession.
To others the most important thing is personal fulfillment – Google “100 things to do before you die” and you will discover many lists made by people who seeking personal thrills by doing everything from traveling around the world to “sucker punching their boss” all in the hopes that 1 or the 100 things will give them fulfillment.
Still some people believe the most important thing is to leave a legacy to be remembered by. In other words do something, invent something or become famous or infamous so that no one will forget you.
What is the most important thing in life? I have good news, the most important thing in life is not found in gathering things, in personal fulfillment, or in leaving a legacy. For Christ followers the most important thing in all of life is found in Mark’s gospel; Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.31The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31.
The most important thing in all of life is living God honoring relationships – First with God himself, loving him wholeheartedly with mind body and spirit and second is to love one another as we love ourselves.
For most of us, we can get a handle on that first command – in fact, most us of could say we have heard hundreds of sermons and lessons on the need to love God. We would not be here today, if we did not love God.
The second command that is the one that gets us in trouble – the loving others as we love ourselves. Loving others can be difficult, because at times we are…
Porcupine people – we don’t want to get close to others – but it is only when we get close are we able to say those words – I NEED YOU
Another reason we don’t like to get close is our “As is” tags may show up, from a distance we can hide our brokenness, but up close people see our flaws and our imperfections and so we have to say – I AM SORRY
In the greatest sermon ever preached, Jesus focused on the two greatest commands of scripture. To love God and to love others – it is in these two relationships we find our fulfillment and our purpose. In the beatitudes we have looked at the statements Jesus has made and discovered how these statements relate to our relationships.
We have noticed how each statement has built upon the previous one. As you climb this relationship ladder, you discover all of life is about being bonded to God and bonded to one another.
Step one poor in spirit – the ability to say I need you
Step two, blessed are those who mourn, the broken – those who can say – I am sorry
Once we have a grip on those two statements, we are now ready for the third rung of the relationship ladder; Found in Matthew 5.
(Men) 1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
(Women) 2 and he began to teach them saying:
(Men) 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(women) 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Verse 5, let’s read that verse together
(all) 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
I want you to notice three items about this beatitude this morning
Jesus’ teaching is Revolutionary--remember to whom Jesus was speaking.
Jesus had announced the Kingdom was at hand, in other words, the King had arrived.
The Jews had carnal expectations of earthly power and dominion for their Messiah.
They thought of pomp, former glory and military might.
They must have thought there was some mistake--poor in spirit, mourners, and now we have to be meek?
In the mind of the Jews, meekness suggests lowliness of mind, humility, lack of self-assertion--how are these going to take over the world by being meek?
Once again, God’s ways are not our ways.
Not only was this teaching revolutionary, it also entirely Relevant.
Think about it, Jesus sitting on a mountaintop speaking to a group of people almost 2,000 years ago about a coming kingdom. It all seems so far away--surely his idea of meekness does not apply to me the 21st century!
However, nothing could be more relevant. For the kingdom was not of God as not some place far, far away in a distant land, the kingdom of God is ever expanding. Therefore, when Jesus said one of the points to kingdom living then was meekness it is one of the kingdom points today as well.
Not only is our text revolutionary and relevant, it is Rightly Placed. It is the third beatitude.
No way, it could have been first or second--must be third. This beatitude like the ones before it is a spiritual characteristic of a genuine Christ follower who is growing in grace and knowledge.
A growing believer understands the result of poverty of spirit is mourning or godly sorrow, so poverty of spirit and godly sorrow now leads one to meekness. Now let us look at why this teaching was so revolutionary, relevant and given the right place in our Lord’s teaching.
Jesus is not talking about natural meekness.
Some people seem to be born with a certain kind meekness, a lowliness of mind, or an attitude of non-resistance. They let others walk over them, think it is easier to go along to get along. Jesus is not referring to the world’s idea of meekness.
Jesus way were different from our ways so to help us understand his idea of meekness we need to do a little word study to understand why there was a blessing in meekness.
The word meekness can be translated, mild or soft. Meekness carried the idea of something that was gentle. The term would sometimes be used to describe a soothing medicine or soft breeze. Generally it referred to a young horse whose naturally wild spirits were broken by a trainer so that they could do useful work. (insert pic of bucking bronco)
When referring to the colt, which is broken by the trainer it carries with the idea of power under control. Think about when the colt is broken by the trainer it not any weaker then it was when it was in the corral jumping around. No, it is just under control now so the trainer can use it to accomplish his purpose.
There is another term for meekness when it refers to the human condition – the word is TAPEINOPHROSUNE
It is where we get are word humility - TAPEINOPHROSUNE
The word literally means to press down our rights and our desires for the good of others. Paul gives us an example of TAPEINOPHROSUNE in
Philippians 2:3-5
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility (TAPEINOPHROSUNE) consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
Meekness is TAPEINOPHROSUNE the pressing down of ones desires and rights for the good of others.
Now listen when we put these two ideas together we begin to understand what Jesus meant when he said blessed are the meek.
When Jesus said blessed are the meek, he was not saying blessed are the ones who are the doormats of society. Blessed are the ones who have little conviction. Blessed are the ones who are nice folks. THAT IS NOT IT AT ALL
Jesus was saying blessed are the ones who have…
Their power under control – They are broken so their master can use them
Blessed are the ones who have the ability to press down their rights and their desires for the good of others
The pay off for meekness is the earth as an inheritance.
Scripture teaches, after creating man in his own image, God gave Adam dominion over the whole earth. It was a perfect paradise, God fellowshipping with man and man having dominion over the God’s perfect creation. However, once sin entered the world, man lost his perfect paradise and the result was pain, suffering and eventually death.
Through the atoning death of Jesus, God is in the process of putting things back in order. One day, God will reclaim his dominion, and those who have become his children through faith in his Son, will rule with him. To rule with him then one must be meek now. One must have their power under control, one must be able to TAPEINOPHROSUNE, press down their desires and rights for the sake of others.
It is only in meekness is one able to understand what it means to be a child of God.
The meek person has died to self, and therefore does not worry about loss or insult or abuse from others
The meek person does not defend himself, but trusts in God to set the scales of justice right.
The meek person has an example to follow in the life of Christ –
1 Peter 2:21-23
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Jesus not only taught us to be meek he showed us how to be meek.
What does this have to do with relationships? How does meekness apply to our lives today?
When I am poor in spirit, I realize “I need you”
That leads me to brokenness when I can honestly say to God and to others “I am sorry”
The meek person has his or her spirit under control, the meek have their rights and desires PRESSED DOWN therefore the meek have the ability to say “I RESPECT YOU”
Because I have humility, I am able to appreciate the difference in other people. This beatitude is essential for every one of our relationships.
There is a There are 2 dangers of not being meek.
Failure to be meek focuses on self rather serving others.
The opposite of humility is entitlement – I deserve this. I have paid my dues; I should get my way. Entitlement is about perks and privileges, it is about being on the inside, knowing the secret handshake. In most organizations the higher you go up the ladder off success or the more seniority you have the more privileges and perks are available to you. However, it is not just in the corporate world where we think this is true. Men in our homes we can think because we are the “King of the Castle” everything is about us. I have to be careful here. Cause I can be guilty of barking orders rather than serving my family (get me that remote, turn out that light, take out that garbage). Imagine for a moment what would happen in your family if all of the sudden you practice TAPEINOPHROSUNE, you began to press down your rights your desires and served your family?
Dad’s doing the dishes or cooking the dinner, given their wife a need break
Teens doing chores without being told
Or wives submitting to their husbands as the church submits to Christ.
Imagine TAPEINOPHROSUNE
But it is not just in the home where meekness must be practiced in the church we can have the false idea that because we have been here the longest we should have special privileges. Listen the longer you are in the church the more you should have a desire to serve others – to press down your rights to TAPEINOPHROSUNE
Imagine
Taking a turn in the nursery or children’s ministry, I know you want to be in worship, I know you have served last month, I know you think others should take a turn – but TAPEINOPHROSUNE
Taking time to listen to that person who is high maintenance, who monopolizes the conversation, it is so much easier to be a part of your little circle, you really want to avoid them but press down your rights and TAPEINOPHROSUNE
Sacrificially giving to a ministry where you see no benefit, but through your generosity lives are changed, because you pressed down your rights and your desires so that others will grow closer to Christ.
The second danger of not practicing meekness is to try to be controlling.
When we try to control things, we fail to practice meekness. Remember one of the word pictures for meekness was power under control. It brought to mind the young horse being broken so that it could be useful. Before that horse is broken it has total control. Goes where it wants to go does what it wants to do. But once it is broken – that horse has not lost it’s power it has it’s power under control. When you are in control, it is difficult to practice humility. One of the things I notice that is a detriment to relationships, whether it is in the home or in the church or even among friends is the inability to give up control.
If I give up control of this marriage – she will leave me
If I give up control in this church, they will do things I do not like
If I give up control of this friendship, they may not respect my opinion any longer.
Listen you have to give up to grow up. Every relationship grows when we give up control and begin to trust one another. When we say I respect you we are able to have those deep relationships that honor God and strengthen are walk with Christ.
Jeff Walling says the first 3 beatitudes are about becoming empty for the sake of godly relationships.
To be poor in spirit you must empty yourself and say “I need you”
To mourn you must empty your secrets and say “I am sorry”
To be meek you you must empty your rights and say “I respect you”
Listen – it is only when we are able to empty our self, our secrets and our rights are we able to have the kind of relationships that God had in mind for us in the beginning and still has in mind for us for all of eternity.
PRAYER.
