The Meek Series

Intro

Our text today is Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”i This is the third beatitude that introduces Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. In this series, we have already considered the first two: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are those who mourn.” These Beatitudes are important because they reveal the pathway to a life that is blessed in God. The world is full of curses. The way of the world provokes the judgment of God. But those who operate according to the Beatitudes enjoy God’s favor and blessing. There are eternal benefits of this way of life in heaven. But there are abundant benefits in this life as well: “For they shall inherit the earth.” We will explore the meaning of that promise in its partial fulfillment now and complete fulfillment in the life to come.

We are studying these Beatitudes with an eye toward revival. The outpouring of the Spirit at Asbury University has stirred the church at large to seek revival in their own sphere. Some are having all-night prayer meetings, seeking God’s blessing. Various colleges are reporting an outbreak of revival. It’s hard to sort out how many of those are actually experiencing revival and how many are simply pursing it in prayer. Both reports are good news. I celebrate all those who are seeking God at this time. Prayer and fasting can be an important part of that pursuit.

In this series we are examining the attitudes of heart that invite revival. You can pray all night and go on extended fasts, which are good things to do, but if the heart is not surrendered to the ways of God, the breakthrough will probably not come. When you study revivals, you find that they generally fall on those who are “poor in spirit.” The Pharisees of Jesus’s day prayed often, and they fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). Revival was all around them, but they did not experience it. Revival comes to those with “a contrite and humble spirit.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” “Blessed are those who mourn.” Blessed are the meek.” Our key verse for this series is Isaiah 57:15. There we see the connection between heart attitude and revival. “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Today we want to consider three questions concerning the third beatitude.

(1) What does it mean to be meek?

(2) What is the reward of meekness?

(3) How do we cultivate this attitude in our own hearts?

Are you a meek person? To answer that question, we must begin with an understanding of what Jesus had in mind when he used the word “meek.”

I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE MEEK?

The Greek word translated meek is praus. It indicates a mild, considerate, unassuming, gentle disposition. It is a state of being “strong but accommodating.”ii Unfortunately, the English word “meek” does not always convey that concept. The first definition in Webster’s dictionary is pretty accurate: “enduring injury with patience and without resentment.” That is a helpful definition. At least it is consistent with what Jesus meant in our text. But Webster’s second definition misses the mark altogether: “deficient in spirit and courage.”iii To be biblically meek the opposite is true. To be meek according to scriptural revelation is to be strong in spirit and courage, not deficient.

Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is a manifestation of spiritual strength in God. “But the fruit of the Spirit [Gal. 5] is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness...” (KJV). The Greek word there is not exactly the same, but it has the same root. The NIV translates it gentleness. The Holy Spirit produces this quality of meekness as we yield to him.

Seeing this quality manifested in people’s lives, helps us understand it better. How do the meek behave, especially under pressure?

Numbers 12:3 tells us Moses was the meekest man alive at that time.iv That statement is made in the context of Miriam and Aaron’s attack on him. They were criticizing him for being married to an Ethiopian. Their rebellion against his God-given authority is captured in verse 2: “So they said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?’” It is a vicious attack from people he loved and trusted. It’s a lot easier to handle an attack from an expected source than from close companions like this. A typical response would be to lash back at them or at least offer a defense. But what did Moses do? He prayed for them, particularly Miriam who was probably leading Aaron. God defended the meekest man on earth by striking Miriam with leprosy. There was nothing in Moses that gloated in that. Instead, he passionately prayed for Miriam’s healing. That’s what meekness looked like in Moses. He did not rise up in his own defense. He did not say, “How dare you challenge me after all I’ve done for you?” Instead of defending himself, he defends his attackers through intercession.