Blessed are the Meek
“Happy Are the Meek”
(Matthew 5:5)
Introduction
Meekness.........From the world’s point of view, Meekness is the first step toward failure. Unless you toot your own horn, wave your own flag, and promote your own goals, you will never get anywhere in today’s competitive world.
Today we stress pride, self-sufficiency, image, looking good.
The strong ones are those that make it in their own strength, wisdom, might, and resources.
Society says, Victory and the spoils belong to the strong. Go get it! Be Macho!!
Look our for #1; Win through intimidation; Capitalize on the blunders of others.
If you are going to survive- beat out others, fight tooth and nail without sympathy toward others.
Meekness is not a natural quality!! However we are all meant to be like this!!
God didn’t say you can be like this if you want to. He desires this way of living for every believer. And you won’t be truly happy until you live in this manner.
(Mat 5:5 NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
I. “Blessed are the Meek”
A. What it doesn’t mean
Meekness is not weakness.
Meekness is gentleness and a mildness but it is never weakness.
Meekness is not cowardliness or wishy-washy lack of conviction.
Not a kind of milk toast personality.
Example of the father in the program “Rug Rats”
B. Meaning of Meek
Greek Word = “Prautes” = Gentleness, humility, considerate, meekness
This Greek Word was common to people of Jesus’ day:
1. Word used to describe soothing “Medicine”
A patient who is wrestling with a fever is given medication by his doctor to quiet him down and relieve the burning so that he can sleep.
Maybe like rubbing some kind of cream on a sunburn.
Worst sunburn I received was in Hong Kong when in-laws and brother in law came to see us. Afterwards we were so cold because we were so burned. The worst part almost was the tops of my feet.
2. Word used to describe a “gentle breeze”
Have you ever been exhausted on a hot day and then felt a cooling breeze blow on your body? It is refreshing.
3. Word used to describe a “colt that has been broken”
Every Colt has to be broken or it cannot fulfill its function on the farm. Some one has to break the colt so its power can be channeled into constructive work.
All three illustrations: Medicine, Wind, and a Colt have something in common-----POWER!!
However, this Power is Under Control!!!!
Medicine = Power to calm nerves, kill germs, strengthen organs and promote healing. However an overdose can kill.
Wind = Summer breeze is delightful but out of control - a hurricane destroys.
In 1965 Hurricane Betsy did more than a billion dollars worth of damage- that is power.
In Hong Kong we had several Typhoons. The winds were very powerful and damaging.
Broken Colt = Can give both work and pleasure to his master but a horse out of control is dangerous. Watch a cowboy on a bucking bronco.
Conclusion:
Meekness is Power under Control
Meekness says, “IN Myself, nothing is possible. But in God everything is possible.” Meekness says, “For Me, I offer no defense. For God, I’ll give my life.”
Meekness is giving God the rightful place of leadership so that God, not the individual, is seen.
Meekness is the opposite of pride, for pride is the arrogant reliance on self alone rather than on God.
Meekness is closely related to humility.
One commentator said, “Meekness doesn’t show itself when we are wrong, but when we are right. Meekness is not the shamefaced boy who is caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Meekness is no embarrassment when I am caught doing something wrong. Meekness is power under control. It reveals itself when I am right and when I have the power to hurt someone who is wrong.”
II. Examples of Meekness
Abraham
Gen 12 - God made a covenant with Abraham
Gen 13:7 ff Conflict with the herds of Lot and Abraham
Joseph
Treated badly but saw it as from the hand of God to protect the household of Israel. He had the power to lord it over his brothers but kept it under control.
Gen 45:5
David
In 1 Samuel 26 Saul chased David
Notice vs. 8 ff and especially vs. 12
Moses
Numbers 12:3 - “Meekest man on the face of the earth”
The one who faced Pharaoh?
He defended the Lord God and his holiness - Mount Sinai
Moses had no confidence in himself, He could not defend himself before God, but he would defend God before anybody.
When his brother and sister challenged his leadership - he didn’t defend himself or remind him of his position - God took care of the situation.
Christ
In 1 Peter 2:21 Christ was abused, reviled, wronged, slandered, and mocked. Yet he did not revile or get even, even though he had the power to do so.
However, when they desecrated His Father’s temple - He made a whip and chased them out of the temple.
He silenced the storms, set demons on the run, had power over disease and death.
Christ’s humility, patience, and total submission of His own will to the will of the Father exemplifies meekness. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil 2:8)
(Mat 11:28,29 NIV) (28) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
III. Tests to See If we are Developing Meekness
1. Attitude toward God’s Word (James 1:21)
“receive with meekness the imparted Word”
We accept it, do not argue with it, and honor it as the Word of God. We don’t twist it to conform to our thinking.
I am afraid that some of us at times get very callused toward the Word. We hear something preached and we refuse to obey it.
Preach about peace and we go right out and cause disharmony.
Preach about forgiveness and we hold a grudge against someone.
Preach about witnessing and we ignore those around us.
James wrote to a group of Christians who were at war with each other. One reason for division was a stubborn attitude toward God’s Word.
Instead of receiving God’s Word with meekness like planting seed in soft soil they were arguing and becoming angry. Meek Christians submit to the Word of God and receive it gladly into a prepared heart.
Bad Example - 1 Sam 15 Saul was instructed to slay the enemy but he didn’t follow God’s command. When confronted with his sin he blamed the people.
Good example - David when approached by Nathan - 2 Samuel 12:5 - Humbly received the Word of God.
Example of chapel services in College - critical of speakers, evaluating instead of prepared beforehand.
When you plant flowers, you work up the soil until it is loose and ready to receive the seed or flower.
James 3:13 - A wise person who puts God’s Word into practice will humble himself before God and seek to glorify God in what he does and says.
2. Attitude toward a brother who sins.
Do I receive the news happily and start to spread it?
Am I pleased he has sinned because his fall makes my walk look better?
Gal 6:1 When a Christian brother has fallen into sin, I have the power to hurt him; but meekness is power under control. I also have the power to help him - “Restore such a one”.
Remember - none of us are immune from sin. Sin infects us all.
Fallen Christians need us to lovingly help them - restoring them!!
3. Attitude toward division in the church.
Eph 4:1-3
A meek person strives for unity.
The Christian who exercises meekness is not interested in taking sides; he is interested in being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4. Attitude toward those people who disagree with us.
2 Timothy 2:24,25
“in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves..”
It is possible to win an argument and lose friends...and souls.
It is the mark of a meek and mature person when we realize that good people disagree and that God can bless people with whom we disagree.
5. Attitude toward unsaved
1 Peter 3:15
We are not to use the Word to beat up people who are unsaved. We are not to use high pressure salesmanship in our zeal to win people. Sometimes we can be so belligerent in bringing out our point of view and expect someone who is not a Christian to feel the same way. They need God to transform their heart before they will change.
Patiently, meekly lead people to the truth.
1 Peter 3:4 - Women who wear the disposition of meekness are going to more effectively bring their husbands to Christ.
IV. Reward for those who are Meek = “They shall inherit the earth”
It doesn’t mean that meek people will be prosperous in this world’s goods. Jesus was meek and possessed little of this world’s goods.
It doesn’t mean that meek people will escape the difficulties of life. Moses was meek and yet he faced one difficulty after another.
One writer said, “To inherit the earth” means to reign as king over yourself and your circumstances through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Another writer said, “The meek already inherit the earth in this life, in the following way. A man who is truly meek is a man who is always satisfied, he is a man who is already content. Goldsmith expresses it well when He says: “Having nothing and yet having all.
The apostle Paul has put it still better, when he says, “as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”
All things are yours if you are meek and truly Christian; you have already inherited the earth.
It also has a future reference as well. 1Cor 6 “do you not know that the saints shall judge the world?” You are going to judge the world, you are going to judge angels. You will then have inherited the earth.
Conclusion
“God wants men and women great enough, to be small enough, to be used”!!
(Psa 25:9 NIV) He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
(Psa 147:6 NIV) The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
(Gal 5:23 NIV) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Mat 5:5 NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.