BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
Matthew 5:5
Once again we have a beatitude that is completely contrary to the thinking of the modern world. It is oppossed to everything which the natural man thinks. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." World conquest, possession of the universe-given to the meek, of all people. The world thinks in terms of strength and power, of ability, self-assurance and aggressiveness.
Yet Jesus said "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." In addition, other Biblical writers spoke of meekness.
Paul admonishes us to: "....speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility (meekness) to all men." Titus 3:2.
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness (meekness), considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Galatians 6:1
"In humility (meekness) correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they many know the trugh, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." II Timothy 2:25-26.
James wrote, that we were to "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." James 1:21
The word "Meek" has been translated, "gentle" "humble" "lowly." Now to the modern person, that means weak. Yet to understand meekness in that way is to miss the point of this beatitude. Consider with me in the first place:
I. WHAT MEEKNESS IS NOT
Meek does not mean weak, wimpy. To understand what meekness means, lets look at the opposite of meekness. Meekness is not a natural quality. It does not mean "indolence." There are people who appear to be meek in a natural sense, but they are not meek at all. They are indolent. The opposite of meekness is SELF-ASSERTIVE, AMBITIOUS, PUSHY, HAUGHTY, COCKY, EGOTISTICAL, VAIN, CONCEITED.
We could find many examples of this in the Bible, and even among people that we all know. However, lets look at a character found in III John by the name of Diotrephes. (III John 9-11) Several characteristics stand out about this man who caused such problems in the church.
1. He was self-assertive. That is, he was a man who loved to be first. He wanted to be in control. He wanted to have his way.
2. He refused to recognize authority. John wrote that Diotrophes "does not receive us." He was unsubmissive to God and to others in the church.
3. He was a malicious gossip who was ready to destroy others to build himself up and be in control. He caused serious disharmony in the church.
It is sad but there have been many over the centuries who have the attitude of Diotrephes. They would certainly have trouble with the third beatitude. Diotrephes caused such trouble in the church that the Beloved Apostle had to deal with him.
II. WHAT IS MEEKNESS
Actually, meekness is compatable with great strength. It is compatable with great authority and power. Only two people in the Bible are actually described as meek. Both had great authority and power.
In Numbers 12:3 we read, "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." Yet he manifested great courage and leadership. He was the greatest man of the Old Testament. He certainly wasn’t weak.
Jesus was the greatest man of the New Testament and is still the greatest. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus was meek but he wasn’t weak. I don’t know who first painted the picture of Jesus that made him look like a blue eyed blond sissy. He was meek and humble. He was gentle, loving and kind. Yet he had tremendous courage to confront the false teaching of the pharisees and Sadducees. He had the courage to drive out of the temple those who were desecrating it by their trade. He had the courage to endure the cross and despise its shame even when he had the authority to call heaven to his rescue..
True meekness has to do with inward discipline and not outter weakness. To understand who the "Meek" are it will be helpful to discover how the word was used in the greek. There are two uses that will help us grasp the significance of "meek."
A. The word translated "Meek" was used to describe anger under control.
Sometimes we think that a meek person never gets angry. That is not the case for the Bible says, "Be angry and sin not." Even Jesus got angry. The meek person has discovered a balance between never showing anger, and excessive anger, between too little anger and too much anger.
It is never right to be angry for any insult or injury done to ourselves. We must never give way to resentment.
It is often right to be angry at injuries done to others. Selfish anger is a sin. Selfless anger is often needed. The verse then could be translated "Blessed is the man who is always angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time."
B. The word translated "meek" was used to describe strength under control.
The word "praus or praotes" was used to describe a beast that had been tamed. A horse which was once wild but which had become obedient to the bit and to the bridle.
ILL: Have any of you ever broken a horse? A horse is a beautiful animal as well as a strong animal. He is also a useful animal, but in order for him to be useful he must be broken. Yet when he is broken he is just as strong as before. His strength becomes under control. He is strong but gentle. He is a picture of strength under control. He had to become submissive to the bridle and bit as well as to his master.
That is a picture of what God has to do in us. We are wild creatures who want to sow our wild oats. God wants to bless us and use us, but before he can use us we have to become submissive to him. However, many of us resist and must be broken.
The meek person toward God is that temper of spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. The meek person no longer fights against God but submits to Him.
That sounds good but it isn’t natural. It is not our nature to submit. To understand this more fully lets illustrate it, first from the Bible and then from life today.
1. Paul and Peter:
Paul was a self righteous pharisee. A Hebrew of Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamine, zealous, proud and arrogant. God had a plan for his life, but before He could use him he had to break him. Paul persecuted Christians. He even held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. He resisted. He kept "kicking against the goads" until that day he came down to earth, literally. He saw a light brighter that the noonday sun, that blinded him. He met Jesus in a rather dramatic way and his life was never the same again. Listen to his words in Philippians 3:3-14)
Peter had boasted that he would never deny the Lord Jesus. Even if everyone else denied him, he would be willing to die for him. Yet he denied three times that he ever knew Jesus. Then he heard the call of the morning bird, looked at Jesus and went out and wept bitterly. A few short weeks later he stood and preached the first Christian sermon and 3000 souls were saved.
2. A modern day illustration:
A young preacher boy was about to graduate from seminary when he received an invitation to become an assistant pastor of a church. However the young preacher had his own personal ambitions, so he boasted that he would NEVER be an assistant pastor of anybody’s church. He wanted to be pastor of a large and growing church.
So instead of becoming an assistant pastor when he graduated, he became the pastor of a promising church in a growing community. He would serve that church for a few years, and build up the attendance. Then a super church would find out about him and call him to be their pastor. Soon, he dreamed, he would preach to hundreds and maybe even thousands. He had dreams, but the problem was he was self-confident, cocky, and arrogant. Under his ministry, the church led the association in baptisms the first year he was there. Now that really enflated his ego.
Then God looked down on his preacher boy and saw the conceit, the arrogance, the self-centeredness, the self-reliance of his heart. Now God loved that preacher boy and wanted to use him, but He knew that preacher was just too sure of himself. God has always found it difficult to use peacocks in the ministry. So God brought him down a few notches.
For a time the young preacher resisted God’s discipline, so God caused him to be forced to resign his church with no place to go. God brought him to the place he had nothing. No job, no income, the complete loss of his self esteem.
The night he resigned, a young and broken 28 year old preacher walked out into a moonlit night and looked up into heaven "O God, what am I going to do. O God I need you, please help me." That was all God wanted. That night the young preacher quit resisting and submitted to God’s bit and bridle. Five weeks later he became an assistant pastor. God brought him down so He could lift him up. God emptied him so He could fill him. I am that preacher boy.
Let me say to you, that God may have do do some breaking in your life so you will be submissive to him. The process can be rather painful. But if God begins his breaking process in your life, don’t resist. You will only prolong the process.
CLOSING THOUGHT: Humble yourself before God so He will not have to humble you..
