Ready To Be Meek

READY TO BE MEEK

PSALM 37:1-11

WE HAVE ENTERED INTO A STUDY ON THE BEATITUDES, AND TODAY WE ARE CONSIDERING JESUS’ TEACHING ON THE MEEK. THE BEATITUDES ARE A SERIES OF ATTITUDES THAT EACH BELIEVER SHOULD HAVE IN THEIR LIVES. ONE TENDS TO FEED ON THE OTHER, SO IF THE LINE IS BROKEN, THEN ATTITUDES THAT SHOULD BE IN OUR LIVES JUST WON’T BE THERE.

THE BEATITUDES ARE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD AND TAKEN OUT OF CONTEST ALTHOUGH THE THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO INTRODUCE IS EXTREMELY VALID. THE FIRST THREE BEATITUDES THAT JESUS STATES RELATE TO OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION. WHEN BROUGHT FACE TO FACE WITH OUR SINFULLNESS, WE SHOULD BE POOR IN SPIRIT, AND MOURN OUR SINFUL CONDITION AND THE DREADFUL COST THAT JESUS HAD TO PAY AS A RESULT.

I REMEMBER PLAYING WITH A BALL IN THE HOUSE WHEN I WAS A CHILD. MOM HAD TOLD ME NOT TO, BECAUSE I MIGHT BREAK SOMETHING, BUT IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE AND I NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO.

MOM WAS ASLEEP ON THE COUCH AND I WAS PLAYING IN ANOTHER ROOM SO SHE COULDN’T HEAR. I BROKE A VASE MY GRAND-MOTHER HAD GIVEN TO MY MOTHER. SHE HEARD THE CRASH, ASKED WHAT HAPPENED, AND NOW I HAD TO TELL HER WHAT I DID.

I WENT INTO THE ROOM WITH MY HEAD HELD LOW, SPOKE IN A QUIET VOICE, TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE. I KNEW I HAD DONE WRONG AND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO PUNISH ME, AND SHE DID. APPEARING MEEK SOMETIMES GETS YOU OUT OF TROUBLE, SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T.

TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT HIS TEACHING ON THE MEEK, AND IT TAKES THE LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED EVEN FURTHER. WHAT JESUS WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO BOAST ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SALVATION. THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE:

GALATIANS 6:14: MAY I NEVER BOAST EXCEPT IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH WHICH THE WORLD HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED TO ME, AND I TO THE WORLD.

WHEN WE BOAST IN THE CROSS WE TESTIFY TO THE POWER OF CHRIST. WE TESTIFY TO HIS LOVE FOR US, AND THE GIFT OF SALVATION HE DIED TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE. WHEN FACED WITH THE AWESOMENESS OF JESUS’ LOVE FOR US, WE SHOULD APPROACH HIM IN ALL HUMILITY, REALIZING THAT WITHOUT HIM I WOULD BE NOTHING.

POINT ONE: MISCONCEPTION OF THE MEEK?

THERE IS A WORLDLY MISCONCEPTION THAT HAS INVADED CHURCH CIRCLES AS WELL THAT MEEK IS EQUATED WITH A WEAK MINDED OR WEAK WILLED INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE. CONSIDER TWO MEN THAT THE BIBLE PORTRAYS AS MEEK, MOSES AND JESUS. THESE ARE TWO OF THE STRONGEST AND MOST COURAGEOUS MEN KNOWN TO HISTORY AND WE SERTAINLY WOULDN’T CALL THEM MEEK, BUT THEY LIST MEEKNESS AS ONE OF THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE “DEPENDANT ORDER OF REALLY MEEK AND TIMID SOULS”. THIS IS ONE GROUP YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE PART OF. WHEN YOU MAKE AN ACROSTIC OF THE FIRST LETTERS OF IT’S NAME YOU GET “DOORMATS”. THEIR OFFICIAL INSIGNIA, A YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT. THEIR OFFICIAL MOTTO IS “THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH, IF THAT’S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU.”

POINT TWO: WHO ARE THE MEEK?

WHAT THEN DOES IT MEAN TO BE MEEK? THE OPPOSITE OF MEEK IS NOT STRONG, BUT RATHER OUT OF CONTROL. WE SHALL SEE THAT THE PERSON WHO IS TRULY MEEK HAS REALIZED HIS OR HER SPIRITUAL POSITION, AND HAS GAINED THE HUMILITY TO REALIZE THAT WE NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IN OUR LIVES.

THE GREEK WORD FOR “MEEK” IS “PROATES” AND IT MEANS “ANGER UNDER CONTROL.” THE PERSON WHO IS A TRULY MEEK PERSON HAS THEIR ANGER UNDER CONTROL. IT IS WHY PAUL LISTS IT AS ONE OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

GALATIANS 5:22-23:

BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FORBEARANCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, 23 GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL. AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW.

GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL ARE THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF MEEKNESS IN A PERSON’S LIFE. IT IS NOT A NATURAL QUALITY, BUT A GOD-GIVEN GIFT THAT IF EXERCISED ALLOWS US NOT ONLY TO CONTROL OUR ACTIONS, BUT ALSO OUR TONGUES.

MEEKNESS DOES NOT MEAN THAT A PERSON DOES NOT GET ANGRY. SELFLESS ANGER IS DIRECTED AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE HURTING OTHERS. IN HUMILITY WE DO NOT REACT WHEN ANGER IS HURLED AT US, BUT WE ALSO ARE NOT TO PUT OURSELVES IN DANGER PHYSICALLY.

MEEKNESS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE HELPLESS, BUT THAT WE CHOOSE TO CONTROL THE STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE. THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS THE SINNER THEY ARE, AND ARE AMAZED NOT THAT GOD COULD LOVE SOMEONE ELSE, BUT THAT HE COULD LOVE A SINNER LIKE ME.

DR. MARTIN LLOYD JONES WRITES:

“MEEKNESS IS ESSENTIALLY A TRUE VIEW OF ONESELF, EXPRESSING ITSELF IN ATTITUDE AND CONDUCT WITH RESPECT TO OTHERS….ONE WHO IS TRULY MEEK, IS AMAZED THAT GOD AND MAN THINK OF HIM AS WELL AS THEY DO.”