Living in the Father’s Favor: The Unique Physique of the Meek
Matt. 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth
Intro: As we continue our study of the beatitudes or the blessings, hopefully we will see that the character Jesus calls us to reflects a higher standard than many will understand. This standard is consistent with the character and nature of God. If we desire to live with God’s blessing on our life and to truly seek His kingdom first, we must allow Him to begin to work His character into us- painful though it might be.
-A blessed Christian is someone who is poor in spirit by recognizing their own spiritual bankruptcy and their need for God; who mourns the losses of life, sorrows over sin, and weeps for the world. A Christ-follower is one who is meek; is hungry for the right things; is merciful to others; pursues purity; works to make peace in the midst of conflict; and is persecuted for trying to do what is right.
-Perhaps the best question we can ask of each beatitude is: What does this have to do with God? This is important because we’re called to show the goodness and glory of God to a watching world. When we live out the beatitudes, people can’t help but see that God is at work in our lives because these character qualities are not natural, but supernatural. John Piper writes: “Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount so that his Father would get the glory for the way the disciples lived.” We see the heart of Jesus in Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” These character qualities are not strictly for our benefit or even for our blessing, but so that others may be attracted to our Father and begin to acknowledge Him for who He is.
-I’ve used a somewhat strange title today. The word physique can mean shape or profile. Since we are talking about meekness, we will seek to examine the profile of a meek person. What does it mean to be meek? Most people do not understand it and even fewer practice it. Here is the main truth about meekness I’d like you to remember:
Prop: If we will trade in our own demands and expectations for Christ’s meekness, we will discover a strength that can change this world.
Interrogative: What does a meek physique look like?
TS: I’d like to make a few observations about the strength of meekness and its reward.
I. The Secret Strength of the Meek
A. The Strength of Submission
-The word meek is often understood as being synonymous with the word weak. We tend to think of someone who is unable to stand firm on a position, is easy to persuade to the point of gullibility, and in general is a weak-minded, weak-willed person.
-Apparently, there is a group called "Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls." The acrostic spells "Doormats." The official insignia of the Doormats is a yellow caution light. Their official motto is: "The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s okay with everybody!" Upton Diskson revealed the purposes of the society in a pamphlet called “Cower Power.” I can’t say that I recommend it.
-Meekness is anything but weakness. John Piper states: “Meekness is the power to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing back.” Others have defined it as strength tamed through self-knowledge and submission to God. Nelson’s Bible Dictionary defines meekness: “An attitude of humility toward God and gentleness toward men, springing from a recognition that God is in control.” Meekness is not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance; gentle, humble, considerate, meek (BDAG). The Greek historian Xenophon used the same word Jesus used for “the meek” to describe a horse that it is controllable or saddle broken.
-This Greek word for meek, praus [prah oos], was used to refer to domesticated animals. The word does not refer to a wild, unruly animal, but to a powerful horse or ox that was trained so it could be controlled by man. The word meek as Jesus used it refers to a strong person who is under God’s control. A meek person is one whose strength is controlled by God. God’s control shows up in our thoughts, words, actions, will, and emotions. The meek are those who submit, not to what others want, but to what God wants. One translation says it well: "Blessed are they who choose to obey."
-Submission is more than simply outward conformity, however. Submission is an inward quality that finds expression in humble obedience.
-A.W. Tozer once wrote, “The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto."
-Charles R. Swindoll said this: "In our rough-and-rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft, and virtually spineless. Not so! ... Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity.... Instead of losing, [they experience] the gentle gain. Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead!"
-As we have looked at the first 3 beatitudes, I have struggled a little bit in my preparation, because it kind of sounds like we are repeating ourselves. However, I think that Jesus was trying to emphasize the need for humility. It is not the strong, proud and mighty who will enter His kingdom or be great. It is those who completely surrender themselves to God and receive humility and brokenness as a gift from God. That does not mean that you become spineless or without passion. It just means that your passion is found in pleasing God, rather than in self-fulfillment or self-promotion. Two key ingredients of meekness are to know yourself, and to be able to say “no” to yourself. Submission is part of the secret strength of the meek.
-Scholars tell us that Jesus was probably quoting from Psalm 37 when He blessed the meek. I’d like to look at Psalm 37 to help us further identify the unique physique of the meek.
B. The Strength of the Meek from Psalm 37
1. Meek people don’t worry about what others may do to them. Instead of being afraid of others, or envying what others may have, verses 1-2 challenge us to “not fret because of evil men…like the grass they will soon wither…”
2. Meek people trust God. Verse 3 summarizes the focus of the meek. They “trust in the Lord” and then in relationships with others, they strive to “do good.” Verse 5 describes those who believe that God will work for them: “trust in him and he will do this.” God will work things out for those who trust Him. The meek understand that the past, present and future rests in God. Without being presumptive, meek people know that their past is forgiven, their present is on track, and their future is secure because they trust in Jesus.
3. Meek people delight in God. According to verse 4, those who “delight in the Lord” are those who find their ultimate pleasure in pleasing God. Brennan Manning tells the story of a man named Ed Farrell, who traveled to Ireland to celebrate his uncle’s eightieth birthday. Early one morning as they were walking along the shores of a beautiful lake, they watched the sun come up, and were silent for about 20 minutes. Then his uncle did a very unusual thing. He began to skip along the shore of the lake, smiling like a schoolboy in love. As Ed struggled to catch up, he asked his uncle why he was so happy. The old man responded, with tears running down his face, “You see, the Father is very fond of me. Ah, me Father is so very fond of me” (John Ortberg, Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, p. 41). We can dance with delight because the Father is fond of us!
4. Meek people commit their way to the Lord. The Hebrew word for “commit” means, “to roll” in verse 5: “Commit your way to the LORD.” It has the idea of something so heavy that one cannot lift it to God but it can be rolled to Him. When we commit our ways to the Lord we give Him what we’re concerned about – our relationships, our jobs, our health, our problems, our fears, and our frustrations.
5. Meek people are quiet before God. Verse 7: “Be still before the Lord…” When we’re still, we cease striving as we let go and let God take control.
6. Meek people are able to wait patiently for God to work. We see this in the last half of verse 7: “Wait patiently for him; do not fret when men…carry out their wicked schemes.”
-A meek person is patient, taking the long view of life. The meek know who wins in the end.
-Patience refers to the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty; endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance. Patience is what helps us hang in there when we feel like we are barely hanging on. The patience of meekness is what keeps us from thinking we have to settle the scores here on this earth. Why? Because God knows about every injustice, and we can trust that He will make things right in His time and in His way.
-The meek person waits patiently for God to work without trying to bend the situation to fit their own demands and expectations. Sometimes that is very difficult to do.
7. Meek people avoid anger. Verse 8 says, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” Since they have given everything to the Lord, instead of lashing out, the meek can trust that God will work everything out.
8. Meek people hope in the Lord. We see this in verse 9: “Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” That leads us to the 2nd & final main point.
II. The Rich Reward of the Meek
A. Favor: The favor of God – there is nothing like it in this world. Take all the approval, accolades, and recognition this world has to offer and you don’t even scratch the surface of what it is to know the Father’s favor. Blessed are the meek. Favored by God are the meek.
B. Rest: AW Tozer writes, “Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is his method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. The rest Christ offers is the rest of meekness, the blessed relief which comes when we accept ourselves for what we are and cease to pretend. It will take some courage at first, but the needed grace will come as we learn that we are sharing in this new and easy yoke with the strong Son of God Himself” (The Pursuit of God).
-Meekness really takes the pressure off of us. Not because we’ve given up or quit caring, but because we’ve stopped living a performance-based life of self effort and comparison to others. Meek people begin to understand that they are unique and valuable to their Father because of who He made them to be. It is not about comparisons or posturing or positioning ourselves in the best light. It is about being real with God and with people.
-Maybe this is what God is saying to some of you today: “Just relax and be the wonderful person I created you to be. Don’t worry about appearances and keeping up with the other guy. Come to Me as you are and rest in who I am.” What a treasure God’s rest is!
C. The Earth: The possession of the meek is the “new earth” described by John in Revelation 21. Just as Israel inherited the Promised Land, the meek follower of Jesus will inherit the new heaven and new earth.
-Those who are possessed by Christ who will possess the earth. There was a man who was sitting on a curb crying. When he was asked what was wrong, he said, “I just found out that Rockefeller, the richest man in the world has died.” The person then asked, “Why are you crying? You’re not a relative of his, are you?” To which the man replied, “No! That’s why I’m crying!”
-If you know Christ, you are an heir of everything that He has. You’ll receive some of it now and more of it later. There will be an inheritance for the meek in the future after Christ returns and in the here and now. The word, “inherit” means to “possess.” Right now it seems like evil rules and the meek take a back seat. But Jesus said that one day the meek will win. Believers who live out this beatitude have nothing, yet possess everything. It’s only the meek that will seek the Savior. Are you ready to do that right now?
-The meek will inherit the earth because they are the only ones who can be trusted with power. If you give power to a proud person, it becomes all about them! They will stop at nothing less than world domination. However, the meek genuinely and completely surrender themselves to their Creator – and that is where their strength lies.
Conclusion: Meekness must flow from our relationship with God. John Ortberg wrote a book called, Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them. He makes the point that we’re all a bit off center and pretend to be healthier and holier than we really are. He says that we’re a lot like the porcupine, with over 30,000 quills attached to our bodies. Each quill can be driven deeply into an enemy. As a general rule, porcupines have two methods for handling relationships: withdrawal and attack. They either head for the hills or lock and load. Ortberg says that each of us carries our own little arsenal of quills. Our barbs have names like rejection, condemnation, judgment, resentment, arrogance, selfishness, envy and contempt. A meek person will not only avoid flinging quills at others, when barbs come his way, he will absorb them without lashing back.
-How are you doing in this area? What animal would best describe the way you live out your faith? Porcupine: run away or lash back? Fox: Outsmart or outmaneuver? Bear: Growl at those who get too close? Donkey: Seemingly patient, but mostly just stubborn? I’m not a horseman, but I have ridden enough to know the difference between a submissive horse and one with its own agenda.
-God has gifted us powerfully but is training us to be controlled by Him. The meek are the strong who are under God’s control. Does He have control of your life? Do you include Him in your decisions and plans? Do you trust Him enough to let Him call the shots in your life? If so, you are no doubt reaping the benefits of His favor, and His rest. And one day you will possess that which you could never acquire on your own – the riches of heaven and earth.
[Conclude & Pray]
[Some thoughts borrowed from Brian Bill, SC]
