Matthew 5:5 - Magnifying Meekness

Introduction

I have a picture in my mind. Imagine with me a father (or mother) coaching a group of 7-year-olds learning T-ball. The coach aligns all the players in their proper positions, places the ball on the T then swings with all his might to send the ball over the fence. He grabs another ball, places is on the T, and again sends it over the fence. Only this time he says to the players, “Wow! Did you see that? That was a homerun like none other. No other homerun has ever been done as beautifully as that one.. That is the greatest homerun in the history of homeruns.”

What do you think is running through the other parents’ minds about now? How is the coach being viewed by the players? Are any of the players any better at T-ball than they were before the demonstration?

While many speeches begin with “Webster’s defines this word as...” When we are considering words outside of English we frequently refer to something called a lexicon.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. πραΰς

to not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance,

Meekness is not only a challenge for the rich, the famous and the powerful. Consider various reactions to the poverty we studied in Beatitude #1. Have you ever met an under resourced individual with a sense of entitlement?

If you’ve been to Chicago in the last 50 years, you know there is a battle over who has the best deep dish pizza. This debate is almost as heated as best BBQ in KC, Best Country Fried Steak in Kansas, the best Fried Chicken in SE Kansas, or [out of respect for my Aunt who is present today]—Does Texas post oak or KC-style sauce make the best BBQ? While I believe Lou Malnati’s has the best overall dining experience because of their deep dish chocolate chip cookie a la mode, I still hold that Giordano’s has the best pie recipe due to their sauce. On one of my trips to Giordano’s I was leaving when approached by a man who appeared to be homeless who asked for a few dollars. I told him I would not give him any cash, but he was welcome to my leftover pizza. He responded indignantly, “Did I ask you for any pizza?

He was definitely a man “overly impressed by a sense of self-importance”. Other wrong (according to Jesus) reactions to poverty include: Entitlement, Bitterness, or Hopelessness.

People at both ends of the social scale can struggle with Meekness. The problem also appears in sports from the local field to the world stage. What was the advice of coach Lombardi? “When you make it to the endzone, act like you’ve been there before.”

TRANSITION: In both our need and our accomplishments, Jesus calls for an attitude of Meekness.

Meekness Defined

Parallel to Poor

Isaiah 11:4 ESV:2016

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Isaiah 29:19 ESV:2016

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

Not Circumstance based

I’ve seen people brag on the most mundane task (Look honey, I actually put my socks in the hamper). and I’ve seen people downplay truly amazing feats (Michael Jordan hitting the 3-pointer at the end of game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals). Anybody who has ever had food poisoning can appreciate the extremity of playing 44 minutes, scoring 38 points with a high fever and dehydration.

Meekness is more about attitude, than accomplishment, more about perspective, than poverty.

About a month ago our President took an excursion to North Dakota to dedicate the Theodore Roosevelt Center. Perhaps the most famous saying of the man connected to Medora is “walk softly but carry a big stick.” Roosevelt’s “Big Stick Diplomacy” is a great picture of meekness in practice.

TRANSITION: Meekness is not weakness! Meekness is strength under control. The best word picture I have of meekness is an iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove.

Meekness Exemplified

Moses (Numbers 12:3)

Moses stands as a primary Old Testament example, described as “very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” (Num 12:3)

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Meekness

In meekness Moses, while maintaining strength of leadership, was ready to accept personal injury without resentment or recrimination (

Jesus (Matthew 11:29)

Jesus emerges as the supreme model of meekness—never seeking praise for himself or damaging the faith of weaker believers, yet never hesitating to denounce cruelty, pride, injustice, and hypocrisy.2 Jesus invites others to learn from him, describing himself as “gentle and lowly in heart.” (Matt 11:29) His meekness reached its fullest expression when he stood before his unjust accusers without retort or self-justification.

Unashamed Workmen (2 Timothy 2:24-25)

Beyond these named figures, the New Testament describes meekness as a quality that should characterize Christian disciples and leaders. The Lord’s servant must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and patient in enduring evil, correcting opponents “with gentleness.” (2 Tim 2:24–25) Rather than listing specific individuals, these passages establish meekness as an aspirational virtue for all believers—a characteristic of Christ’s kingdom that followers must exercise as the indwelling Spirit transforms them into Christ’s likeness.

Meekness Rewarded

Receive God’s attention

Psalm 10:17 ESV:2016

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Receive God’s abundance

Psalm 37:11 ESV:2016

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Jim Elliot

While Elliot was only 1 of the five missionaries martyred by the Auca of Ecuador in that January of 1956, discovery of his body downstream indicated that he was first to be killed.

a 1989 biography written by his widow described a few anecdotes about Elliot before his sacrificial death.

Elliot quoted the Bible to the president of the student body as an explanation for his refusal to attend a school party. Elliot risked expulsion from the public-speaking club by refusing to give a political speech, believing that Christians were not to involve themselves in politics. A pacifist, he rejected the idea of using force to eliminate slavery in Africa, and he was prepared to stand as a conscientious objector had he been drafted to serve in World War II.

Note that quoting scripture, refusing politics, or conscientious objection are not black and white commands in Scripture, they are just examples of how one individual chose to demonstrate meekness, rather than power or self-pity.

Besides the circumstances of his death, Jim is perhaps best remembered for a quote he wrote in his journal in 1949, 7 years before his martyrdom.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose

Jim had learned the value that Jesus was teaching. A little bit of meekness now is worth the exchange for great reward later.

To Jesus’ listeners ownership of land was HUGE. It was one of the 3 promises of the Abrahamic covenant that God said would carry on in perpetuity. As Jesus was teaching, the Roman Empire occupied the Holy land that they had been promised. Naturally we would think that for me to acquire my portion of the land requires asserting my power.

Jesus is teaching that my resources, my strength, and my courage are not the ingredients for the blessed life that I really want.

Conclusion

In the first beatitude we learned that we don’t have the power to acquire what we want. In the 2nd beatitude we learned that God is our Avenger against the evil that impacts me and harms my countrymen. In today’s beatitude we find that my acquisition of God’s blessing rests wholly upon my submission to His plan and His timing, not my own.

Our response song speaks directly to the contrast between the vanity and pride of asserting my will, compared to the grace and mercy that are available when we stop striving and submit to God’s perfect plan.

As our country approaches mid-term elections, two ideas seem to be pitted against each other. I hear the word capitalism to describe individual effort and ownership. The antithesis to personal ownership seems to be a weird situation where the government is going to give me access to things I want apart from my hard work.

But what if possessing your portion of the land is not an issue of either power acquisition or governmental allocation. What if possessing your portion of the eternal new heaven and new earth is a matter of holding your current situation with an open palm and seeking God (not government) to fill it in His perfect timing.

I guarantee based upon Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:5, that God takes notice of the poor and contrite and bestows blessings greater than your wildest imagination.

Not my will, but THINE be done!

Response Song #524........”At Calvary”

Benediction

Colossians 3:16–17 ESV:2016

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.