Gentleness
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Something -
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Gentleness, is also translated meekness. But what is meekness? Is it the same as weakness? Is it the same as being introverted, shy or timid? By no means.
One of my favorite hip hop artists, KB, said in in ____, “you think being meek is weak, try being meek for a week” being meek is exceedingly challenging, but why?
To better understand what it is, and why it’s so challenging, let’s turn to the words of Jesus in Matthew 5.
Matthew 5:5
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Meek - Strength under control.
Two ditches
Strength with no restraint/ no control. - Abuse of power
Control but no strength - Passivity
Strength no control
47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
2. Absence of strength - moments later, Peter
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
In the midst of these two examples we get an example of true gentleness - true meekness, but in order to see it we have to look at Jesus.
52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
Twelve legions of angels would be 72,000. That is a lot of angels. That is about as many people who shop at Costco on a Saturday afternoon. In all seriousness, US Bank Stadium has about 66,000 seats. So imagine every seat filled and another five to six thousand angels on the field. That was the amount of angels on the ready at Jesus request.
Meekness = strength under control.
Meekness isn’t the absence of power or authority. In order to be truly meek you have to have power, knowledge, authority, resources to use but you know how to use them in a way that helps not harms. In way that protects and defends the defenseless and not yourself.
Application
A meek person is not defensive. - needs no defense
A meek person defends the helpless
How can you use your knowledge, power and authority to help others in your life?
Questions
Questions
1. Prior to tonight, how would you have described meekness? Did this challenge, change or confirm your view of meekness?
2. What makes it so challenging to be truly meek in our relationships?
3. Do you notice a tendency within yourself to be more strength without control (impulsive), or control without strength (passive)?
4. What does it look like, practically be meek this week?
