Sermon On Meekness

The German theologian, Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer, an Alsatian polymath, once remarked: “I still remain convinced that truth, love, peaceableness, meekness, and kindness are the violence which can master all other violence. The world will be theirs as soon as ever a sufficient number of people with purity of heart, with strength, and with perseverance think and live out the thoughts of love and truth, of meekness and peaceableness. Revelations 3:21 reminds us: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

Most of us are probably aware of the Beatitudes, which are recounted in Matthew chapter 5. At first glance, these appear to primarily offer consolation to those in sufferance. They cover many aspects of life and different circumstances. However, warnings are also given to encourage us to lead a righteous life and still conform to the commandments of God. The Beatitudes do not replace the commandments, they simply enhance them. They form part of the Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus to the multitude, from where He was seated on the Mount of Beatitudes, which is believed to be a hill in Northern Israel. According to Wikipedia, the location for the Mount is on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and the archaeological site of Gennesaret.

Meekness is defined as an amalgam of righteousness, inner humility, and patience. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 states: "The servant of the Lord must be gentle, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." Although some would disagree vehemently, it can be considered as an asset in humankind. It can show strength of character and certainly disregards timidity. It includes self-control and gives due credit and recognition for the achievements of others. It defies a sense of superiority.

A story is told of a female soldier who ascended through the ranks in her regiment, over several years, and eventually attained the exalted position of Brigadier in the British Army. She was a devout Christian who attempted to live by the commandments and wishes of God. Even though she considered herself to be a meek person, she had the unique talent of commanding her many hundreds of men and women, in such a way, that the conclusion achieved was total loyalty and commitment from everyone serving in the Brigade. This feat afforded her great respect by all for her endeavors. Although she had achieved an incredible result, she never let the success go to her head. One might assume that being of a meek nature, considered by some to include obvious shortcomings, that it was unlikely that she would progress far up the ladder of command. However, this was not so in her particular case. Her special qualities had been recognized and rewarded by those in authority. She was a very realistic and down-to-earth person who was able to command respect from all just by her presence. She believed that people in life were equal in the sight of God, even though they had their own identity and individual place on earth. She firmly believed that mankind was only on this earth for a specific period of time and, as such, should be allowed the freedom to choose his or her own lifestyle within the constraints imposed by army rules and regulations. This achieved great admiration from others. Her bosses agreed that she was an ideal person to lead and encourage others by her unique management skills and ideally suited to hold a high-ranking position.

Throughout her childhood, she had been raised to appreciate the difference between right and wrong and was taught to fear God as mankind should. She had regularly attended church and joined in many organized activities. She was also given much love and understanding by her parents, in the hope that she would pass these on to others in later life. She was taught that she should always know her place and not consider herself superior to others. In fact, she should respect all and sundry, no matter who they were. Romans 12:3 states: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

She was considered an equitable person, who was always quietly spoken and never raised her voice, even if she had to seldomly reprimand a subordinate. She was not only highly valued as both an individual and a leader of the team, but personnel often approached her if they had prevalent issues and wished to speak to someone in authority to share their problems or predicaments to obtain advice. She always made time to listen and advise her fellow comrades-in-arms, no matter how busy her workload was.