Joyful Are The Meek
Notes
Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!
Scripture Reference: Matthew 5.5
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Context
Context
We are now looking at the third of the beatitudes. We started by seeing that Joy comes to those who come to Christ spiritually bankrupt (vs. 3). We were then able to see how that as we lean into that relationship with God, we begin to mourn over those things that do not bring glory to God, namely sin. Sin in our lives, as well as in the lives of those around us, absolutely breaks our hearts (vs. 4).
Today, we are going to see the next level of this relationship with God. After coming to God bankrupt and broken, we take on the character of meekness.
Content
Content
First, let’s unpack what this word means.
Meek - Greek: Praus - means to be mild, in a sense humble, or gentle.
Meekness is a lot like humbleness, which we covered in some detail as we looked at the first beatitude, but it carries with it a deeper application. Humbleness is part of being meek, but meekness goes beyond simply not wanting, or needing recognition for something, being seen and heard by others, or other things like that.
Meekness is not weakness. Some people say that being meek means to be quiet, or to be shy. Matter of fact, if you look up the word in a standard dictionary, that is what you find. Dictionary.com says that meek means to be overly submissive or compliant; it also says that meek means to be humbly patient or quiet in nature, as under provocation from others. The British Dictionary literally says that to be meek means to be spineless or spiritless.
That may very well be what the word meek has come to mean today, but that is not what this word here means.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Jesus here says that He is meek. Do you think Jesus was weak, spineless, or spiritless? Do you think Jesus was overly submissive or compliant? No.....I don’t think so.
Whatever meek is, it must be something that characterizes Jesus, because He called Himself meek.
Meekness is not weakness; it is power in reserve. This word carries forth the meaning of having the ability to belittle others, but choosing not to.
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) The Meaning of Meekness
The essential difference between being poor in spirit and being meek, or gentle, may be that poverty in spirit focuses on our sinfulness, whereas meekness focuses on God’s holiness. The basic attitude of humility underlies both virtues. When we look honestly at ourselves, we are made humble by seeing how sinful and unworthy we are; when we look at God, we are made humble by seeing how righteous and worthy He is.
We again can see logical sequence and progression in the Beatitudes. Poverty of spirit (the first) is negative, and results in mourning (the second). Meekness (the third) is positive, and results in seeking righteousness (the fourth). Being poor in spirit causes us to turn away from ourselves in mourning, and meekness causes us to turn toward God in seeking His righteousness.
Jesus is the ultimate example of this trait.
The Bible tells us that God is omniscient, meaning that He knows all.
20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Despite the fact that Jesus left heaven and came to earth, taking on a form and lifestyle much less than He was worthy of, He still shows this omniscience while here.
24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen
He knew the thoughts of His audience. How many times did Jesus respond to the thoughts of the religious leaders? They didn’t even say anything, but it says Jesus knew their thoughts and spoke concerning them.
When He met the woman at the well, He knew that she had been married five times previously and that she was now living with a man who she was not married to.
He knew when Lazarus had died, even though He was over 25 miles away from him.
It tells us that He even knew Nathanael before ever meeting him.
If Jesus wanted, He could have easily belittled all of those who come to Him with questions. He could have lorded His knowledge and understanding over them and made them feel inferior, less than, or inadequate. He didn’t do that. Matter of fact, Jesus encouraged those who did not know things to seek them out, to hunt for the answers.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
This is meekness. It is having the ability to belittle others and choosing not to.
The Bible tells us that God is Omnipotent, which means He is all powerful.
2 “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
As God incarnate, Jesus Christ is also omnipotent.
He healed multiple people from all types of infirmities.
Mark 6 - fed 5,000 with just a few loaves of bread.
Mark 4 - calmed a storm simply by commanding it to be still.
John 11 - raised Lazarus back to life after being dead for four days.
Jesus even states that He has the power to lay down His own life and then take it back again.
18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
Having this power, Jesus could have easily made things easier on Himself. He didn’t need a boat, He walked on water. He didn’t need to work as a carpenter, He could make a fish spit out money.
Having this power, Jesus could have also lorded Himself over everyone else for their lack of power.
He could have easily overthrown the religious leaders in His power, but He chose no to do so that the Word of God could be fulfilled.
He could have easily made His disciples feel inferior through His power, but instead, He shared that power with them so that they too might go and perform miracles, cast out demons, and bring healing to those who were in need.
Again, this is meekness.
Meekness is so important because like the other character traits we have seen so far, it comes from being tapped into the presence of God. “Joyful are the meek”!!!
Having a meek spirit brings joy because it fulfills Scripture.
Walking in His steps.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
We are called to do life as Jesus did life. Having a meek spirit is part of fulfilling this command and brings joy as we handle things the way He would have handled things.
Teaching and Training
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
God has called us to disciple others with the gifts and talents He has blessed us with. This means that we help them to learn, but we must also at some point step back and let them do it themselves, even though we may think we know a better way, or have a better plan.
Being used by God to be blessing in others peoples lives.
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul was moved greatly by his love for these people. You can see in these verses how much of a blessing it was for him to able to be a part of their lives. It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of what was going in them. His heart literally longed for them. He loved them, he kept them in constant prayer, and he hoped for their continual growth in Christ.
Meekness brings joy to the believer as they exercise it in their lives.
As we said earlier, meekness is a result of being tapped into the presence of God. When I come to Christ spiritually bankrupt and broken over my sin, I see Him for who He is. If I am bankrupt, I have nothing to offer. If I am broken, I have to nothing to glory of.
And yet, though I come to Jesus in a completely destitute state, with nothing to give but myself, He looks on me with compassion, and mercy, wraps me up tight with welcoming arms, and assures me that everything is going to be okay.
This newfound awareness helps me to come down from the throne of my life. It sees Christ as the only one worthy of praise, which frees me from the constant desire to have others praise me. I no longer need the recognition of others to make me happy, satisfy me, or to make me feel complete. Knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me is enough. Knowing that He is the author and finisher of my faith is enough.
It starts with seeing how big He is. Seeing Jesus Christ for who He is, is one of the most important revelations anyone in life can have. It sets the tone for every other aspect of my life. Once I see Him in all of His glory, how can I ever think that I deserve any recognition at all? How can I ever think that I am the one who is deserving of praise? He alone deserves that.
He alone stepped out of heaven and took on human flesh.
Because He lived a human life, He alone can truly understand me. He walked in my shoes, experienced all of the same hardships, trials, and difficulties that I face, but yet He also is the God of creation. No one else can know me like Jesus. No one else can love me like Jesus. No one else can understand my weaknesses like Jesus. No one else can understand my pain like Jesus. No one else can comfort me like Jesus.
As God incarnate, He alone could be the sacrifice for all mankind.
Because He is the perfect sacrifice, He alone could give His life for the ransom of all mankind.
Because He shed His precious life’s blood, He alone can forgive me of my sins and make me whole.
Because He was willing to give everything for us, He alone is given the right to set at the right hand of the Father.
As He sits at the right hand of the Father, He alone has the ability to mediate to God the innermost feelings of my heart, because He alone knows me intimately and understands me.
Because of all that He has done, He alone is given a name that is above every name.
To Him alone will every knee bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
To Him alone did the Father attribute all authority in heaven and on earth.
And because of all of this, in Revelation 5, it is Christ alone who is worthy to open the seals of the scroll.
So when I come into the presence of God, and I see Jesus high and lifted up, it fills my heart with joy and gladness. Seeing Christ magnified fills my cup to overflowing.
I see Jesus on the throne and I am joyful, because He alone deserves to be there. He alone deserves the right to be in control of my life. No one else can sit where He sits. No one else is worthy of the honor and position that He has. I am thankful it is Him.
When I see Jesus in His rightful place, I gladly submit myself to Him. Not only does coming into His presence give me a chance to see Him as He is, but also to better understand myself for who I am.
To the world:
I am disposable.
I am worthless.
I am just a name or a number.
I am just someone to be used.
I am only useful as long as I have something to offer.
I am only useful as long as I am beneficial to them.
I am just a means to an end.
To Christ:
I am worth stepping out of heaven, laying aside the robes of glory, and taking on human flesh.
I am worth succumbing to the limitations of flesh and living as a man.
I am worth being ridiculed for things He did not do.
I am worth facing lies, deceit, and false propaganda.
I am worth being mocked, spat upon, and slapped in the face.
I am worth threats, hatred, and unfair judgment.
I am worth going through a rigged trial without proper representation and a paid-off jury.
I am worth being beaten within an inch of life for things He did not do, being nailed to a tree with spikes in His hands and His feet, and being mocked while hanging there.
I am worth enough that He would have His Heavenly Father turn from Him as He took upon Himself my sin and my shame as He bore the crown of thorns and became the King of Sin.
I am worth His giving His tears, and His blood, every ounce of it on Calvary’s cross.
I am worth everything to Him.
The result of this meekness in one’s life brings about the prescribed promise, “For they shall inherit the earth.”
This verse is almost a direct quote from Psalm 37.11
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
This promise of inheritance is twofold. The word in the Greek used here for the word “Inherit”, refers to one receiving their alloted portion, or their rightful inheritance.
As children of God, we receive the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. This is a promise received here and now. We are able to live in peace because God has promised that in His own faithfulness, He will never leave nor forsake us.
We can operate in peace because we know that regardless what happens, we are secure in Him. If we die, we will go be with him. If we live, we will remain under His care and guidance. Either way, we are perfectly secure in Him.
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
It also refers to the inheritance we will one day receive in the new heaven and the new earth. We will rule and reign with Him in that Kingdom as He has promised.
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Commitment
Commitment
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
These first 3 beatitudes are all tied to gether. As we survey our sinfulness before a Holy, Righteous God, we also survey His glory in perfection and majesty.
If you have never experienced Jesus Christ in all of His glory, high and lifted up, exalted to the throne of heaven, then I ask you today to come. Come and experience something like never before. Come and experience something that will change your life forever.
Come see Jesus, the exalted One and give Him the praise and glory that is worthy of.
