October 19, 2008
Matthew 5:1-5
The Meek
When we think about people who have made a difference in the world, we tend to think about the rich, the powerful, the resourceful. We think about the people who have all of the advantages and somehow can say what they want, and they get an audience who listens.
When we think about people who are difference makers, when we hear about recipes for success, the first thing to be mentioned is NOT the topic of today’s message. We don’t consider MEEKNESS as one of the top requirements or goals for success.
Think about it, when is the last time you heard someone say, “If you want to succeed in life, you need to be meek.” Or, “If you want to rise to the top and get somewhere in life, you must demonstrate meekness?” Unfortunately, meekness isn’t a valued quality in our day. The world’s philosophy of success says be assertive, no, do more than be assertive, go to the Donald Trump school of success and be aggressive . . . go for the throat! Do whatever’s necessary to come out ahead. That’s the plan for life according to the world, but that isn’t what Jesus said.
This morning we are looking at the 3rd of the 8 Beatitudes Jesus said as he began the Sermon on the Mount. Not only does Jesus want us to adopt certain attitudes, He wants us to make life changes so that we would become more like Him, and improve our character. Remember, Jesus was on mapping out how a disciple should look on the inside. And once you change on the inside, the cool thing is that your outside changes, too. John Piper wrote, “Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount so that his Father would get the glory for the way the disciples lived.”
So, let’s look at what Jesus said,
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
So, what does it mean to be meek? Most people associate meekness with another word which rhymes with it . . . any guesses? WEAKNESS!
Why is that? Most definitions of meek include words like “mild, modest, broken, humble, and another Biblical word would be LONG - SUFFERING. When you think about it, who wants their character to be associated with LONG - SUFFERING, broken, or modest. Someone who is long suffering is often considered a wimp. They suffer and they suffer, then they suffer some more. They don’t have the guts to stand up for themselves, so they are lumped as part of the weak, or meek.
To others, the word meek brings to mind a person who is unable to stand firm on a position, they’re easy to persuade, and are weak minded and weak willed.
Have you ever heard of the "Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls"? When you make an acrostic of the first letters of its name, you have the word "Doormats." The Doormats have an official insignia—a yellow caution light. Their official motto is: "The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s OK with everybody!"
So, what does the word MEEK really mean? I am so glad you asked.
The word for MEEK (praus) was described by Aristotle as the middle ground between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness. Theologian, William Barclay translates this Beatitude this way, “Blessed is the person who is always angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time.”
Think about that definition for a moment. It seems pretty mild and tame, but it isn’t. How many people do you really know who become angry at the right time, and don’t become angry at the wrong time.
Most people think about anger as something that’s inappropriate, but this is not true. Anger is a very real emotion we have received from God, it’s just a matter, and a big matter of how we use the anger within us.
Think about what this says about the word MEEK, because our world needs some righteous anger, appropriate anger can be great and bring about needed results.
• A teacher should be angry when a child is not learning / or when parents don’t care.
• A politician should be angry about our economy, about unemployment.
• A doctor should be angry about illness and disease.
• Christians should be angry about sin; ours and the worlds.
• Not angry at the person, but filled with passion that we want to lead more and more people to Christ.
• Christians should also be angry about homeless and injustices.
This is a healthy type of anger which seeks to make a difference in the world. Not a complaining type of anger which does not care about being part of a solution. Think about every great cause and every great gain . . . they probably would have died if it were not for people who became angry about some situation in life.
On the other hand, misused anger is a destructive power; and again, this is where meekness comes in. The meek person is never angry at the wrong time, they are angry when they should be angry. That is one part of meek.
The word meek also was used to describe an animal which had great power, yet became domesticated, which means the animal was able to control its power. Think about a majestic horse, like a powerful Clydesdale. Clydesdales are one of the largest and strongest horses in the world, it’s a horse with tremendous power, yet they have the ability to control and harness their power.
You see, the secret to being meek is not to be a nothing. The secret is to have power, strength, resources and influence. Yet at the same time not to be influenced by them or made arrogant by their potential. The meek person doesn’t have to claim their rights, because they already know they possess those rights.
In the King James Version of the Bible, 2 men were called meek. In Numbers 12:3, the Bible says, “Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
Moses? Moses and meekness don’t seem to go together. If anything when we think about Moses, we wouldn’t think of him as weak. He had a temper, he became angry, he was not very patient. Yet, Moses was a leader of a group of slaves which he helped band together and led them for a 40 year journey. He went face to face, man to man with the most powerful ruler of the day, the Pharaoh. He argued with pharaoh, he argued with the Israelites and even with God. Moses demonstrated amazing courage, power and strength, yet, the Bible calls him the meekest man on the face of the earth. The definition of meek according to the Bible must be different than our definition.
Then the Bible calls Jesus meek. The KJ version refers to Jesus as MEEK when He us rest in Matthew 11:29; and again when He enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
When you think about Jesus, do you think of meekness? I don’t. Jesus stood up to the constant challenges of His enemies, never backing down to individuals and crowds. He stood up to the Roman authorities, as well as the Jewish leaders. Jesus endured a fixed trial, beatings, and rejection with amazing dignity; and never lost His self-control. He was even able to pray for His enemies while He was on the cross. That does not sound like someone who is pretty weak.
In fact, I would say that Jesus’ meekness scared the religious leaders, especially those who were morally and ethically weak and corrupt, and those who were just plain evil. So, when Jesus talks about humility and meekness, we are learning that He was not talking about being a wimp. If anything, Jesus is telling us that to be meek, takes a great deal of strength and self-control.
So, where do we go with all of this? Someone who is MEEK is really strong, not weak. They are so strong, and most importantly they recognize their power and strength, but they are able to hold and control their strength and power, so that it is used for the right purposes at the right time. They also recognize where the true source of their power comes from . . . God.
When we look around ourselves, there are not many people who fit this description. Too many people like to throw their weight and perceived power around. When that happens they are anything but meek. In fact, they’re demonstrating weakness, not meekness. They are being a bully and bullies are weak people.
Yet, what is confounding in all of this is that the meek, these supposedly weak people . . . inherit the earth. You would think their reward would be heaven, because they’ve endured a lifetime of being squashed. Yet, in all of His wisdom, God grants the earth to the meek.
Ever notice how many friends really aggressive people have? Not many. Aggressive people insist on their own way and are demanding and want to be the center of attention, usually because of their own insecurities. However, the MEEK are able to restrain themselves from being the center of attention, they listen to others, they try to build others up and encourage them . . . because they are already comfortable being who they are. And in the process they inherit friends.
The meek also inherit peace of mind. People who are constantly demanding their way, don’t get much rest and satisfaction in life, even when they win. Have you ever watched two people argue; then watched the reaction of the person who won the argument . . . they usually walk away muttering to themselves. They won, but they are not at peace. On the other hand, the meek are at peace, in fact, in Psalm 37:11, King David wrote, “... the MEEK will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”
The meek also inherit knowledge, for a simple reason, they know they don’t know it all, so they increase in knowledge. A meek person can admit what they don’t know, while someone who is full of themselves can never admit their lack of knowledge and in the process they make themselves look ignorant.
In the end, the meek seem to be the kind of people who are wonderfully confident people. They know who they are, they understand their strengths and power; and don’t flaunt them. At the same time they understand their weaknesses and know how to ask for help when needed. They don’t feel they have to demonstrate their strength or influence of superiority, simply because they have brought their gifts under the control of God’s spirit of love.
As we wrap up, one final thought — — as it relates to God, the MEEK are able to take direction and discipline from God. Those who are MEEK devote their lives to learning how to please God in all that they do. MEEK people do not seek first the world, they seek first the Kingdom of God. Jesus is interested in meekness toward God, being directable by God.
A directable meekness, a leadable meekness, a devoted meekness to God does something which changes who we are . . . it equips us and makes us stronger than we could ever imagine, because we allow God to put His power within us, and His power is always more powerful than our power.
In fact, we don’t need to be aggressive in order to make our relationship with God work. We can’t make it happen. To know God, to live as close as possible to Jesus, to be transformed, changed, altered by the Spirit as your rudder, we must have a teachable spirit. Living the Christian life is not something “I DO”, it is something God works through me and you.
When Mary, the mother of Jesus, spoke to the angel, she simply said, “Let it be according to your word” (Luke 1:38). That is the epitome of meekness. Letting God be God, and knowing we are not.
Jesus did not say,
Blessed are the theologically smart, the spiritual giants, the eloquent prayer warriors . . .
But Jesus said,
Blessed are the MEEK,
Blessed are the self-controlled,
Blessed are the humble, the nobly weak and the faithful.
The only way to become meek is to allow God to work through you. It is our asking God to change us, to strengthen us with His power, His joy, His strength, His love, His view of the world. When that happens,
we enter God’s kingdom and we experience His power and passion!
