The Perfect Standard For Life
Strength Under Control - Part 3 of 8
Reading: Matthew 5v5
I am reminded of the scene in the movie, The Passion of the Christ where Jesus appears in front of Pontius Pilate.
Jesus appears to be the weak one, a poor Jew caught up in the political games of the Romans those days.
He seems to be frail and powerless, a man who seems to be destroyed from the face of the earth.
Then you get Pilate, - he represented the power of the Roman government.
The Roman government was probably the strongest in those days and if you belonged to them, you had it made.
He even tells Jesus he has the power to let Him free.
…and so here we have two people on the opposite ends of strength and gentleness.
We have Jesus, the prisoner, the man who seems to the weakest who was in actual fact a free man.
He was in absolute control, in fact He made the heavens and the earth.
Then on the other side we have Pilate, the Roman governor, - he was a prisoner of his own pride and he could not even control his own soul, and he had no inheritance.
In other words, when Jesus spoke the words of “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”, we must understand that Jesus actually lived these words.
In fact, Jesus liked teaching people the truth if the Kingdom of heaven, by speaking about opposites.
He said, “The last will be first, giving is receiving, dying is living, losing is finding, least if greatest, poor is rich, weakness is strength, serving is ruling”.
…and the beauty of these so-called contradictions are that it always catches our attention.
In other words, maybe it would have been far better to say it like this perhaps, “Blessed are the proud, the intimidating, for they will inherit the earth”.
Yet we have to understand that Jesus is not teaching us about how the fittest will survive, but how the meek will inherit the earth.
“But that sounds like a contraction anyway, doesn’t it?”
I mean, “How in the world will the meek go on and inherit the earth?”
Life does not work that way, am I right?
We are taught about, “The survival of the fittest”, am I right?
Just look at who occupies the executive seats in businesses, - the strong, the self-sufficient,.. the capable, the aggressive, the ambitious”.
The world belongs to the superman’s and the superwoman’s of this world.
The last thing these people want to be known for, is how meek they are.
…and so it seems that Jesus has made a mistake here.
It seems as if Jesus has not kept record of how things in our world actually work.
It seems as if He’s out of touch with our world.
…and yet Jesus knows what He’s talking about, and so we have to investigate it, because it gives us the power for living and dying.
What Does, “Blessed are the Meek”, Mean?
Again, like the previous two weeks I want us to understand this by looking at what it does not mean.
a. First of all, we must understand that the word here “meek”, does not mean “weakness”.
b. It does not mean that you’re supposed to be spineless or timid or willing to have peace at any cost.
In other words, it does not mean that you could be pushed over by a wet noodle.
c. It does not mean you cannot make up your mind, or that you have a lack of confidence.
d. It does not mean that you’re shy or that you have a withdrawn personality.
e. It does not mean that you’re simply a nice person.
Now, in classical Greek the word “meek” was used to describe tame animals.
The original Greek that the Bible was written in also has more or less the same meaning.
…and so meekness involves “self-control”.
In other words, it’s when you are able to balance your anger under stressful times.
It seems to mean, “strength under control”.
So the meek person is strong, but also gentle and mild and in control.
Jesus viciously defended the glory of His Father in heaven, but He also gave Himself up in sacrifice for others.
It’s like the time when Jesus was hanging on the cross, busy dying for our sins.
In 1 Peter 2v23 it says that Jesus, “…never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. (LB).
He could have called down all the angels in the heavens to help Him, because He had all the power to do so, but He did not because He trusted in the power of His Father in heaven to raise Him from the dead.
That’s called power under control.
Watch what happened in Jesus’ life.
We will do well to learn from Him.
When Jesus was spat upon, He answered nothing because He trusted His Father in Heaven.
When He was confronted by Pilate, He kept silent.
When His friends betrayed Him, He said nothing.
When Peter denied Him three times, Jesus restored Him to complete fellowship.
When Judas kissed Him in the garden and betrayed Him, Jesus called him “friend”.
Even on the cross, dying as an innocent man He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’re doing” (Luke 23v24).
In all this, Jesus was meek, yet He was in control.
Now, look at the other side of Jesus.
When it came to matters of faith and the well-being and interests of other people, Jesus was like a lion.
He hauled the Pharisees’ over the coals for their hardness of heart when He healed the man’s shrunken hand on the Sabbath (Matt. 12v9-45).
Jesus was angered when His disciples tried to prevent the little children from coming to Him.
Jesus made a whip and drove the moneychangers from the Temple.
He called Peter “satan” after Peter tried to discourage Him from going to die on the cross.
This was the gentle Jesus, meek and mild.
Now, if we bring these two different aspects of Jesus’ life together we have a amazing picture of a man who is meek and has a gentle spirit, Why?, because He trusts God for the outcome!
All at the same time He extends His love to other people rather than retaliating against those who do evil against Himself.
He stands up in defense of other people or of the truth, but He never lifts finger or says a harsh word when he Himself is attacked and discriminated against.
…and so Jesus makes it quite clear in this Beatitude that such a gentle spirit has God’s approval on it.
Therefore, if you and I don’t have such a meek spirit, it shows us how corrupt our spiritual status’ actually are.
In other words, Jesus says, if your life continually shows the following characteristics, then Jesus warns you, you are not approved of God.
(I know we cannot live a sinless life, I know we do these things now and then, but if these things characterize your life day in and day out, then you’re not approved of God).
a. Harshness: If you treat other people in a mean way all the time, be aware!
b. Selfishness: If you always make sure you get yours first, if me, myself and I are the number-one persons in your life, if you care little about how your actions effect other people, be aware!
c. Unforgiving: If you are known as a person never to cross, if you always get what you want, however you want without taking other people into consideration, be aware!
d. Uncontrolled Temper: If you always ramp and rave, if anger and a bad temper fills your life, if your life is a series of temper tantrums and temper explosions, be aware!
Some people’s moods can be like the weather – partly cloudy or partly sunny, depending on the people they see.
…and to this God says in Proverbs 16v32, “It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to have self-control than to control an army.” (LB).
If you say, as I so often hear, “Well Guy, this is just the way I am, so you’d better get used to it”, - if you are not repentant over these things, you’re probably not a Christian!
You might even say, “There is nothing wrong with losing my temper.
I blow up, and then it’s over”.
Well, so does a shotgun, but look at the damage that’s left behind.
Jesus words don’t demand perfection, however, if you don’t at least have an imperfectly presence of meekness or gentleness in your life, you may very well not have the smile of God on your life this morning.
Emotion out of control always destroys and it has no place in the Kingdom of God.
What Is Our Reward For Being Meek?
The reward is, “...for they will inherit the earth”.
The word “inherit” refers to the receiving of one’s allotted portion, - one’s inheritance.
That kind of answers the question of so many people, “Why do the wicked and godless people seem to prosper and the godly seem to suffer?”
“Ever asked that question?”
But God says, trade your tension for trust in Me.
God says, one day the wicked person’s judgment will come just as the righteous person’s blessing will come.
Our responsibility is to trust God and obey His will now.
Yes, the future is uncertain, but you and I are called to life in faith and hope based on this, that the “meek will inherit the earth”.
I think what God says is that we must not fret because of evil but rather trust, because “the meek will inherit the earth”.
I think what Jesus wants to communicate here is this: Trade your tension for trust in Him.
We live in a society today that always want to call on their rights.
They always want to justify their own ways.
Yet,…Jesus never called on His own rights to defend Himself.
He traded His tension for trust in God, that God the Father would avenge when He wanted to avenge and in the way He wanted to avenge.
In other words, meekness does not use it’s power for it’s own defense!
…and so God offers us a meek Kingdom.
John MacArthur says, “The meek person accepts joyfully the seizing of his property, knowing that he has infinitely better and more permanent possessions awaiting him in heaven. The meek person has died to self, and he therefore does not worry about injury to himself, or about loss, insult, or abuse. The meek person does not defend himself, first of all because that is His Lord’s command and example, and second, because he knows that he does not deserve defending”.
Martin Lloyd-Jones also said, “We are to leave everything – ourselves, our rights, our cause, our whole future – in the hands of God, and especially so if we feel we are suffering unjustly”.
…and this is what God has to say about that in Psalm 37v1-4, “Never envy the wicked! Soon they fade away like grass and disappear. Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety. Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart’s desires.” (LB).
Job 5v11 says,...that God, “sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety”.
David said in Psalm 25v9, “He [the LORD] leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way”.
I think it’s like this mechanic and heart surgeon having a conversation.
Both were bragging about their professions.
The mechanic said to the surgeon, “I say the work we mechanics do is just as complicated as yours”.
The surgeon wisely replied, “Maybe so, but let me see you work on an engine while it’s still running”.
You see, for some people it’s as if the first sound they heard at birth, was the starting gun for the rat race of life.
This Beatitude is a promise to those of you this morning whose engines are still running, -running with the pounding pace of a society that worries about the future, that worries about it’s rights.
To them Jesus is saying, “Blessed [approved of God] are those people who gently trust their Lord and Saviour”.
Now, there is something we must take notice of here.
God’s people is not a physical nation, because they are gathered from all the nations of the world.
The earth they will inherit is not a physical piece of ground, it is heaven itself.
However, there is also a hint of a present inheritance here and now.
In other words, there is s sense in which those people who set their minds on riches never possess anything.
In other words, it is the meek who own the earth now, for when their life is free from “just having a little bit more”, that’s when they own it all.
The meek are the only ones who inherit the earth.
…and once again just like the previous two Beatitudes, the little word “they” being used here in this verse is quite emphatic of whom it speaks of.
It means, “They and they alone shall inherit the earth, no-one else”.
Why Is Meekness So Important?
a. Meekness Is Necessary Because It Is Required For Salvation.
The Bible clearly states here, only the meek will inherit the earth, Why?, because only the meek belong to The King who will rule the future kingdom of the earth.
Listen to what Psalm 149v4 says, “For the Lord takes delight in His people; he crowns the humble with salvation” (NIV).
b. Meekness Is Necessary Because We Are Commanded To Be Meek.
Zephaniah 2v3 says, “Beg him to save you, all who are humble—all who have tried to obey.” (LB).
James commands you and me as believers in Christ (James 1v21), “So get rid of all that is wrong in your life, both inside and outside, and humbly be glad for the wonderful message we have received, for it is able to save our souls as it takes hold of our hearts.” (LB).
In other words, if you do not have a humble or meek spirit you won’t be able to listen rightly to God’s Word, much less understand and receive it.
c. Meekness Is Necessary To Witness Effectively.
Peter says in 1 Peter3v15, “Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way.” (LB).
Peter warns us here not to argue with those people who are lost.
He warns us not to use the Bible as a club to beat them down.
God asks us to be witnesses, not prosecuting attorneys!
Therefore, spiritual arrogance has no place in the Kingdom of God.
d. Meekness Gives Glory To God In How We Treat Other People In The Church.
Meekness is shown in our attitude toward other believers in Christ.
In other words, as we show meekness to other people, so God is glorified.
Warren Wiersbe tells of the story he remembers when he was only a boy.
He said he remembers hearing a man say, “Well, there’s a church business meeting this week and I’m going to be there loaded for bear”.
The next Sunday a number of people were missing from the church services and he discovered, the “hunter” had shot off his mouth and there had been a church split.
…and so listen to what God says in Romans 15v5-7, “May God who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward the other. And then all of us can praise the Lord together with one voice, giving glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified.” (LB).
How Do You Become Meek?
I would like to share with you three ways of becoming meek.
a. Meekness Is A Gift Of The Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5v22-23 says, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws.” (LB).
In other words, it is only given to us by the grace of God, and the fullness of God’s grace only comes upon our lives when we give Him control of our whole lives.
b. Give Up Without A Fight.
You’ve probably seen news broadcasts of hostage situations.
Most of the time there is a peaceful end to these situations.
Then the reporter often says of an apprehended culprit, “He gave up without a struggle”.
Now, spiritual meekness means giving up to God without a struggle.
Jesus said in Matthew 11v29-30, “Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.” (LB).
Here Jesus promises to teach you humility and gentleness if you yoke yourself to Him.
Often a young ox will be yoked with an older, more experienced ox, so that the older ox might train the younger one how to do things right.
…and so by carrying the same yoke, the untrained ox would learn the proper pace and how to go in the direction the master wants it to go.
In the same way, you and I can learn how to be meek and humble if we surrender our lives to Him for direction in life.
c. Take Note Of The Progression Of The First Three Beatitudes.
The initial step starts with having a poverty of spirit.
It’s when we realise we have nothing that would commend us to God and that we need God in our lives.
The second Beatitude takes you into mourning over your sinfulness which takes you into a spirit of meekness.
In other words, meekness grows out of the two previous Beatitudes.
“So how do I know when I am truly meek?”
Well, I think there is a test we can apply to our lives to see whether we’re really meek or not.
The test is not to see if I can say I am poor in spirit, but what I actually do when someone else calls me silly names and criticizes me.
…because we can say all that we think we are, but the proof lies in how I actually react when I am attacked by someone.
Conclusion.
We need to become more than just superficial Christians.
Don’t ever think you have a spirit of meekness just because you have good manners and proper social skills.
God is not impressed.
I think it’s a tragedy that not more Christians show meekness in their attitude.
You see, too often we are too concerned about our own rights, rather than building up our brother and sister in Christ.
Even in the corporate world we are more successful at organizing rallies and pressure groups than extending the Kingdom of God.
You and I cannot afford not to have this happen to us, not having a spirit of meekness in us.
Other people need to see it’s strength as you and I are willing to put our lives on the line for other people, and to stand up for the truth when necessary.
People need to see a spirit of meekness and gentleness in us, not a spirit of retaliation.
There is no need for you and me to impress others, boast about ourselves or even defend ourselves, because God the Father has all that under control.
“What about you this morning?”
“Has God exposed you?”
“Do you have a spirit of meekness in you?”
If not, then come to Jesus this morning.
“Will you do that?”
