Up to this point have learned that the first two Beatitudes of Jesus teach us that we must recognize our utter helplessness and spiritual poverty without God and be brought to a place of sorrow over our sin. The first Beatitude leads directly into the second, and they both naturally lead into the next Beatitude.
The word “meek” is not a word commonly used nowadays. This word is translated “humble” in many newer Bible translations because we all know the word humble and it carries with it essentially the same meaning as “meek”. Recognizing our need for God and being sorrowful over the sin in our life leads us to be humble. When we realize that we are a messed up, sin-filled, human being in need of a Savior it changes our understanding of ourself. Really, a person cannot be humble or meek until they see themself as a sinner.
Humility is having the right attitude about oneself. When we recognize we need God and are sick in sin we recognize there is nothing special about us. The meek person knows there is nothing worth boasting about in themselves. The meek person sees their helplessness without God and the twisted sin that is found in their heart. Paul said in Scripture that there is nothing worth boasting about in this life, except the cross of Jesus Christ:
Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world
And we can’t pretend that the cross happened because we are special or worth saving. God didn’t choose to send His Son to die for us because any one of us is special. If anything, it’s clear in Scripture that we are all messed up, broken people. God sent His Son to die on the cross for us because He loved us, not because of anything special in us. God’s love is unconditional. We need help and God wants to help us.
The meek person does not demand anything from the world because the meek person knows the world does not owe him or her anything! The meek person is not entitled! They know salvation is a gift they didn’t deserve. They know the world doesn’t have to give any good that it can offer. The world doesn’t owe us anything. God doesn’t owe us anything, but He still loved us enough to send His son.
The thing about human beings is we are very sensitive about ourself. We don’t like when people point out our flaws. We don’t like when someone calls us out. But the truly Christian person knows we need to be corrected sometimes. The truly Christian person knows we need to be called out on occasion.
Being meek does not mean we have bad self-esteem. It does not mean we feel sorry for or pity ourself. It simply means we recognize ourself for who we really are and all our flaws.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less” – C.S. Lewis
The Christian person knows their flaws and failures and therefore finds amazement in the fact that God still loves them. David expresses this sentiment in the Psalms when he says:
Psalms 8:4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
So, what does Jesus mean when He says the meek will “inherit the earth?” To inherit means to receive something rightfully. Those that are true Christians have the promise that they will inherit a home in heaven one day. And even further than that, there will be a new heavens and new earth, and this will be where the people of God dwell.
The world prefers loud. The world prefers boasting. The world claps when a person “roasts” another person or wins the heated argument or gets petty revenge. But the Christian is not supposed to be this way. The truly Christian person is meek.
