Sermon Tone Analysis

Beatitudes: Blessed and Broken --- Happy Are The Meek

Matthew 5:1-12 & Psalm 37:1-11

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5

Psalm 37:1-11

1. Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, 2. for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.

3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.

4. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

6.

He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

7. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.

8. Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.

Do not fret--it leads only to evil.

9.

For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10.

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.11.

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

Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes

1.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

12. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This morning we are going to look at the third of the eight Beatitudes.

Jesus gives this wonderful sermon on the Beatitudes but does not take time to explain His teaching.

What I find fascinating is that Jesus quotes verse eleven of Psalm 37 in the Beatitudes when He says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Some thousand years before Jesus stands and gives His “Sermon on the Mount,” King David pens the words to Psalm 37. King David probably wrote this Psalm later in his life; looking back over his life and reflecting on the ways of the wicked and the ways of the righteous.

This is one of those acrostic Psalms, with each of its stanzas of double verses begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

It was a teaching Psalm.

This Psalm is a wonderful exposition of the third Beatitude.

The whole Psalm unfolds the character of the meek and trusting person.

King David said, “But the meek shall inherit the land, and enjoy great peace.”

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

This morning I would like for us to reflect on the meaning of meekness, the manifestation of meekness, and the ministry of meekness.

THE MEANING OF MEEKNESS

The Greek word for “meek” is “praos,” which basically means “mild, soft or gentle.”

Meekness does not mean weakness.

Meekness means power under control.

Meekness is not cowardice.

It is not a lack of conviction, not mere human niceness.

Meekness is courage, it is conviction.

This courage and conviction comes from trusting in God, not from trusting in ourselves.

The spirit of meekness comes from Jesus.

Paul writes in Philippians these powerful words:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

(Philippians 2:3-11)

Do you hear the meaning of meekness?

Can you put this picture in your mind when you hear the word?

Paul said, “don’t be conceited or selfish --- consider others better than yourselves.”

Jesus did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped but humbled Himself and took on the form of a slave.

Jesus humbled himself so much that He became obedient even unto death.”

This is a powerful word-picture for meek!

How do you respond when people treat you like a servant or a slave?

The Scriptures teach us that we are to be slaves of Christ and servants of all, but it’s easy to resent being treated that way.

Listen to some of these statistics.

Nearly 1 million high school seniors were asked: How would you rate your overall leadership abilities?

V 70 percent said they were above average.

V 25 percent said they were in the top 1 percent.

V 60 percent said they were in the top 10 percent.

When asked: How well do you get along with others?

0 in 829,000 responded, “below average.”

Lest you think only teenagers are so confused about this issue, college faculty were asked: How would you rate your competency in comparison to an average colleague?

84 percent answered: “Better.”[i]

It is truly fascinating that Jesus, who is the only one that truly could answer that he’s the greatest, instead took the form of a servant.

Point #1: Meekness is not weakness!

Meekness is power under control Meekness is courage, it is conviction.

This courage and conviction comes from trusting in God, not from trusting in ourselves.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

THE MANIESTATION OF MEEKNESS

The Bible is full of wonderful stories of meekness.

Just think for a moment of some of the meek people of the Bible.

There is Abraham in the story told in Genesis 13 when he allows Lot to choose whatever land he wanted.

Abraham gave up the right to have the best land, the most productive land, the best view in the country, the best seat in the house--for the sake of harmony between households.

Abraham had the right and the power to do as he pleased, but in meekness he gladly waived his rights and set aside his power.

How about the story of Joseph when he is sold into slavery by his own brothers, put in prison by Pharaoh’s wife and eventually comes to the place of being second in command of Pharaoh’s land?

Joseph’s brothers visit Egypt because there is a famine in the land and they need food.

Whom do they ask for help?

They don’t know it but it’s Joseph!

When Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt asking for grain for their starving families, Joseph could have easily refused and put them into a more severe form of slavery than what they had put Joseph in.

Yet Joseph carried forgiveness and love for them.

This is a powerful scene for us to put into our memory.

When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, “he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it.”

(Genesis 45:2) Joseph tells them, “Do not be afraid!

Am I in the place of God?

Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.”

(Genesis 50:19-20) In meekness Joseph understood that it was God who was in control and it would be God who would be the judge.

Joseph forgives and helps --- meekness-- power under control!

Do you know who the meekest man in the bible was? “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”

(Numbers 12:3) Moses is the one who killed the Egyptian, stood before Pharaoh, and got angry at the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for 40 years.

Remember Moses breaking the stone tablets that God have given him when he saw the golden calf being worshiped?

In the book of Numbers, chapter 12, we are told that Moses is the meekest man who ever lived.