THE MERITS OF MEEKNESS
MATTHEW 5:5
INTRODUCTION:
Maybe there is no other beatitude, spoken by Jesus, that is more confusing than the one we study today. “Blessed are the meek...” Why is it confusing? Because we don’t think of meekness as a desired attribute in our character. How many of you have ever put "meek" on your resume? No-one. We’ve all heard it.. "He’s meek as a ____? Mouse.” One wife asked her husband, "Well, are you a man or a mouse?" When he hesitated she said, "Come on, come on, squeak up!" Being Superman is cool but who wants to be“meek Clark Kent? And that’s the picture most of us get when we hear the word meek... we think of a whipped puppy, a milk toast personality. Yet Jesus says, "Blessed (Happy many times over) are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Being meek was important to Him. So, let’s see, if by a closer study of the Bible we can clear up the confusion.
I. THE DEFINITION:
First of all, let’s define Jesus’ word here. We’ll start as we have each week by looking at what "meek" does not mean. Meekness is NOT weakness. Have you heard of the "Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls"? When you make an acrostic of its first letters you get "Doormats." The Doormats have an official insignia- a yellow caution light. Their official motto is: "The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s okay with everybody! This actual society was founded by Upton Dickson, who wrote a pamphlet entitled Cower Power. Jesus is not talking about some weak, never stand up for themselves, coward here.
Nor does meekness mean powerlessness. Father Joseph Murphy tells the story of some nuns who were attending a baseball game. Behind them sat some anti-Catholics. One said very loudly, "Let’s go to Texas; I hear there aren’t many Catholics there." His companion replied, "Or Oklahoma; there are fewer Catholics there." The first retorted rudely, "Let’s go to Alaska; there are almost no Catholics there!" Finally one of the nuns turned and said, "Gentlemen, you could go to Hell, for there are assuredly no Catholics there." Being meek does not mean we must accept all insults or injustice without ever speaking up. It doesn’t mean weak, cowardly or powerless. So what does it mean?
The word Jesus uses for meek here is the Gk. word "praus." That word described a wild animal which has been brought under control, able to respond to the master’s reins. It is, for instance, used of a horse which has become obedient to the rider; of a sheep-dog who has been trained by kindness to obey every word of command. There are only two people in Scripture that have this attribute describe them. One of them was Moses and the other is Jesus. Neither of them would be classified as weak, cowardly, or powerless! Both of them are described that way because of the fact that they allowed God to control them. The best definition of meekness is strength under control. George Matheson was right in praying, "Make me Your captive Lord, control me, and then I shall be free." My father has always said something that applies here and is very true.. "We are mastered not by what we master, but by what masters us.” The key word here is submissiveness or moldability. A meek person is one who is controlled by God. Now, Jesus is not saying, never be angry, never be ambitious, never be assertive.. But He is saying, "display those emotions in a right fashion... under my control." When you are meek, Jesus’ way, you are mastered by God, under the control of Jesus Christ. Jesus is saying, "Happy, many times over, is the person who is submissive to My Spirit rather than controlled by their own flesh."
II. THE APPLICATION:
So, how does this apply to our lives? Well, first and foremost it has application to our inner most being. Remember, the beatitudes are not a list of proverbs or a collection of independent sayings, but rather are a step-by-step description of how God builds the heart. First, we are humble enough to recognize our need.. we admit our need for a Savior, we are poor in spirit. Next, we repent of our self-sufficient ways, we mourn.. we know we are wrong and ask for forgiveness. No excuses. No justification. Just tears. The first two steps are admittance of inadequacy and repentance of pride. Then this step is the one of renewal: Realizing our weakness leads us to The true source of strength- God. Renewal comes when we quit calling the shots and submit to the control of Jesus Christ- that’s when we are meek. The first two pass us through the fire of purification; the third places us in the hands of the Master, to be molded, used as His tool. So spiritually it means that we have recognized our need, repented of our sin and are going to live our lives by Jesus’ design and under His control. It is the act of making Jesus, Lord. It is saying, “Jesus, you are the director of my life, I put myself under your control.”
Robert Schuller in his book, The Be-Happy Attitudes, has an acronym for MEEK that I think is helpful in understanding how this applies to our daily living. He says the M stands for "Mighty." Now, Jesus doesn’t say "Blessed are the mighty." But Schuller is referring to the mightiness that comes from a Christ controlled spirit. Think about it.. who is mightier? The man who gives into rage and becomes physically or verbally abusive? Or the man who remains calm, assured of his inner strength? What take more might? To lose it emotionally or be in control? Schuller writes, "The meek are mighty when they turn their problems into projects, their sorrow into servants, their difficulties into dividends, their obstacles into opportunities, their tragedies into triumphs, and their stumbling blocks into stepping stones. The meek look upon an interruption as an interesting interlude. They harvest fruit from frustration. They convert enemies into friends. They look at adversities as adventures.” That’s mighty!
The first "E" stands for Emotionally stable. These are those who through discipline have developed divine poise. They hold their negative impulses in check. They ride their wild horses. They demonstrate Godly discipline. Schuller says, "These are the meek: people who avoid and resist distractions and temptations which would excite and stimulate, but which would drain their financial, moral and physical resources." The meek are people who are persistent and patient, they are more interested in substance than they are in style. They’re more concerned about character building then they are about a popularity rating.”
The second "E" stands for Educatable. The meek don’t suffer from the "know it all" attitude. They have teachable spirits. We’ll talk more about that.. But these are the people who allow for growth in their life. “Blessed are they who are never to old to learn.”
The "K" stands for Kind-hearted. You see, without kindness the mighty are ruthless. Without kindness the emotionally stable are cool and aloof. Without kindness the teachable become arrogant in their learning. Without kindness we have only puffed up people, they taunt, they think it’s all about M-E!
Video Clip - Coach Carter - mpeg 2:04
Coach Carter s right. When is working hard not enough? When is winning not enough? When it’s all abut ME! And it’s not just athletes... so often, for many in our culture, is all about “look at me.” But invariably the M-E-E attitude is an Un-Happy attitude. The M-E-E-K attitude is the Be-Happy attitude.
Let’s get even more practical with this application. Here’s 3 ways that Christ’s spirit of meekness can control your life. Three things that happen to all of us & how we handle these experiences have a lot to say about our present state of happiness. Here are three characteristics of the meek, of people who are controlled by Jesus.
(1)When someone disappoints you.. Be gentle not judgmental. Rom. 14:1: "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."(NIV) Be gentle not judgmental. Jesus is saying here, "Happiness comes when you can accept people even when they haven’t measured up to your expectations of them." They don’t have to reach up to your standards to be loved by you. That is so hard, but so necessary. The big question is: How do you react when someone disappoints you? Do you snub them? Do you treat them with disdain? In order to accept and love others do they have to meet your standard of perfection? Gal. 6:1- "My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way."(TEV) How do you respond when someone messes up their life? Do you have a secret sense of satisfaction when people blow it? Meekness is when people disappoint you, you are gentle, not judgmental. You know, the one thing that angered Jesus most, more than anything else, was self-righteous, religious people who were always judging others. A Christ controlled person is one who is gentle, even with those who disappoint you.
(2)When someone disagrees with you.. Be tender without surrender. You know, the fact is, you can’t satisfy everybody. Have you learned that? Just about the time you satisfy "A", "B" is upset. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. We all have different opinions.. and how you react when people disagree with your position or dislike what you like, or criticize you, goes a long way in testing your meekness. Meekness is not compromising your convictions.. If you compromised all the time you wouldn’t be meek you’d be spineless, indecisive. Meekness in not always giving in.. General George Patton once said, "Never fight a battle when winning doesn’t make a difference." In other words don’t get into an argument over something where the result doesn’t matter anyway. Like sitting with your wife and she says something happened on July 4th- you say the 5th- "4th - 5th..." and there’s a big argument over something that happened 10 years ago! A meek person knows when to take a stand and when to let it go. Prov. 15:1- "A gentle answer quiets anger but a harsh word stirs it up."(NIV) James 3:16-17- "Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle,(gentle in that passage is from the same root word that is used for meek) sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.”(CEV) Jesus is saying that a person who has an argumentative spirit has an ego problem. They are walking by the flesh not controlled by the spirit. Meekness enables you to disagree agreeably. Rick Warren says, "Meekness is being able to walk hand in hand without seeing eye to eye." Listen, if two people agree on everything, one of them isn’t necessary. So, you’re going to be disagreed with. Are you meek enough to handle it in a Christ-like fashion?
So, we need to learn to be gentle without being judgmental. We need to be tender without surrender and... here’s a tough one. (3) When someone corrects you.. Be teachable not unreachable. Prov. 13:18- "Anyone who listens to correction is respected."(TEV) God tells us to listen! Jesus said over and over - "he who has ears, let him hear..?" He is saying be teachable not unreachable. Do you know who the wisest people are in the world? Those who are most eager and willing to learn. Will Rogers used to say, "I never met a man I didn’t _______?" (like) Well, a meek person can say, "I never met a person I couldn’t learn from." We can all learn from each other because we all have different experiences. Have you learned to learn from your kids? My kids have taught me a lot. Do you realize that you can learn from your in-laws? Do you realize you can learn from your enemies? Your biggest critics? They often help you out the most. Oh, they may mean to hurt you but God can use that criticism to help you .. if you are meek. I think this quote is wise- "I’d rather change my mind and succeed than have my own way and fail." Some of us need to change our minds, because we are failing in life.. we need the mind of Jesus, because that brings true happiness. So be controlled by Jesus - be gentle not judgmental, tender without surrender and be teachable not unreachable. Then you will be meek and "Blessed are the meek for they shall.." what?
III. THE SATISFACTION:
"Inherit the earth.." Now, inherit here does not mean what we usually think. Jesus is not promising us that when we are meek we will inherit or be bequeathed great earthly possessions. Don’t say, "I’m meek, where’s my BMWer?" -OR- “I’m meek, where’s my windfall?" This beatitude is a direct quote of Psa 37:11. So, we must go to the O.T. to interpret it’s correct meaning. The word "inherit" in the Bible usually means "to enter into possession of something which has been promised by God." In fact, if you read Psa. 37:11 you find that it says, "the meek will inherit the land.."(NIV) The promise for the Israelite nation in the Old Testament was two-fold. (1) God promised that as a nation they would enter into the physical land of promise- Israel. (2) More importantly, it meant inheriting the promise of a coming Messiah or Savior. God was saying to the Hebrews: "the meek, those who humbly trust Me, those who obediently accept My will, they will enter into the land that I have prepared, and those who spend their lives waiting upon God who will be ready for the Son of God when He comes."
Now, with the coming of Christ, this beatitude acquires a new width and a new greatness. For the one who submits to Jesus Christ, it means far more than the possession of any territory upon earth; for us it does not mean that we have to wait for some coming Savior. It means we inherit His promise of abundant life here and now. And what has Jesus promised for us here and now?
(1) Genuine peace. Jesus said, "I’m leaving you peace. I’m giving you my peace. I don’t give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don’t be troubled." (Jn 14:47 GW) The person who is Christ controlled has a peace that the world cannot give nor ever take away, for they know no hardship that can yank them from God’s love. Paul wrote in Romans 8:35 & 37- "Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?- 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." (NLT) You see, that’s a peace that the world cannot shake. What’s the worst thing the world can do to us? Kill us! Ha! That just does us the greatest favor- puts us in heaven, in the very presence of Christ. And that gives us...
(2) Genuine confidence. You see, we think that being confident in ourselves is absolutely imperative. Confidence in our might is American.. you must be in control. But Jesus says, true happiness belongs to the people not with I’m-in-control but with spirit control, His Spirit. You say, "But Tim, does God want me to have no self-esteem?" No, but He wants you’re esteem, your confidence, to come from the right source HIM! You see, true confidence is not guaranteed without Christ. Because without Christ you have no promise of forgiveness, grace, peace, or joy. But with Christ you are promised all those things and thus you can live confidently. Remember what we said last week? When God looks at you, He doesn’t see you, He sees the One that surrounds you. Your sins are filtered through, hidden in, and screened out, by the sacrifice of Jesus. That means that failure is not a concern for you. You are secure.
Imagine that you are a figure skater in competition. You are in 1st place with one more round to go. If you perform well, the trophy is yours. You are nervous, anxious, insecure, frightened. Then, only minutes before your performance, your trainer rushes to you with thrilling news; "You’ve already won! The judges have tabulated the scores, and the person in second place cannot catch you. You are too far ahead, even if you fall on your face!" Upon hearing that news, how will you skate? Cautiously? Timidly? Afraid to make a mistake? Of course not! You’d skate courageously? Confidently! The spiritual point is clear.. Heb. 10:19-21 - "Therefore, since we have this confidence, to enter into the most holy place by the blood of Jesus.. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith."(NIV) Beloved, earthly fears are no fears at all. All the mystery has been revealed, the truth will win, our final destination is secure. And you know what? When the big question of eternity is settled, the little questions of this life fall into perspective.
(3) Genuine power. Meekness means mastery of anger and passion. The person who is meek is the one who has the power to display their emotions at the right time and in the right place. In the final analysis the person who inherits the real power of living is not the one who is controlled by self but controlled by Christ. I like the way Paul says it in 2 Timothy 1:7- "God’s spirit does not make us timid; instead his spirit fills us with power, love, and self-discipline."(NIV) Did you catch that? (Repeat) Power, love and self-discipline. You see meekness is power, controlled by love. Meekness, being controlled by Christ’s love means the world is yours.
Victor Franco, a famous psychiatrist, was put in the Auschwitz concentration camp during WW II. He saw his children killed, his wife sent to the gas chamber and had all his possessions taken from him. And yet through it all he kept his spirits up and helped others. One day it was his turn to be called to be sent to the gas room. They stripped him of his clothes, even took his wedding ring and yet he remained smiling. Finally one of the guards shouted.. "What are you smiling at?" Victor Franco said, "You can take away my possessions, you can kill my children, my wife and you can even kill me.. but you can never take away my freedom to chose how I react to my circumstances." That’s genuine power, that’s meekness.. strength under control.
But the best example of meekness was Jesus Christ Himself. First, Jesus gave up all the privilege of heaven, God becoming man. Philippians 2:7-8 tells us: “When the time came, Jesus set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! 8 Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges.”(MSG) He didn’t have to come, but He gave up his place in order to take our punishment. And while he was here he wasn’t treated like God, often the opposite. They tried to control Him emotionally- He was insulted, ridiculed, arrested, spit upon, stripped, despised. Philippians 2:8b- says, “Instead, (of claiming special privileges) he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death - and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.”(MSG) He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He could of called 10,000 angels, yet He never struck back! Foolish? No, He inherited the earth. There is not a land where He is not loved. And God gave him the ultimate honor. “Because of that obedience (letting God have control) God lifted high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever...” (Phil. 2:9 Msg) And God has said that one day, "...that all created beings, in heaven and on earth - even those long ago dead and buried - will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all...” (Phil 2:10-11 Msg) Jesus was gentle, loving, kind, forgiving- even to those that killed Him. Crazy? Not really... He could face death with a sense of purpose and God with a clear conscience! "Father, forgive them," He said, and then with triumph He cried, "It is finished." And today His is the most well known and dearly loved name in the whole world.
If you will be meek, letting Him have control, then when you come to the end of your life you will have respect behind you, love around you and hope ahead of you. Who could ask for more? That’s what Jesus had.. Because...
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
{Scripture taken from Holy Bible, versions as noted}
