Happy are the Meek

Happy Are the Meek

Matthew 5:5            Code: 2200

INTRODUCTION

A. The Surprise

In Matthew 5:5 Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." That was a shocking surprise to His Jewish audience, just as the first two Beatitudes were. Jesus called for a standard of living that was foreign to those who heard Him. They knew how to be spiritually proud and self-sufficient, and were good at following an external form of religion. They thought they could survive spiritually through their own strength, wisdom, and resources. They expected that when the Messiah arrived He would say, "I am here to commend you for your wonderful spirituality. God is very pleased with you. I am here to usher you into the kingdom." But the Lord's first recorded sermon did not confirm such expectations.

B. The Progression of Thought

Meekness is different from being broken or poor in spirit, though the Greek root word is the same. Brokenness of spirit is negative in that it focuses on man's sinfulness and results in mourning. Meekness is positive in that it focuses on God's holiness and man's response to that holiness. They are two sides of the same idea. We are to be poor in spirit because we are sinners and meek because God is so holy in comparison to us.

There's a clear progression of thought in the Beatitudes: first one senses his own sinfulness (Matt. 5:3), which results in mourning (v. 4). Then he focuses on God's holiness, which makes him meek (v. 5). That in turn produces a hunger for righteousness (v. 6).

Our world is still having trouble with Matthew 5:5. People associate happiness with success, power, confidence, and conquest. Jesus' kingdom is for those who are meek.

C. The Standard We Are Called To

1. Seen in the New Testament

a) Ephesians 4:1-2--Paul said, "I ... beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation to which ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness."

b) Titus 3:2--We're "to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men."

c) Colossians 3:12--"Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, [and] meekness."

2. Seen in the Old Testament

a) Psalm 22:26--"The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live forever." Everlasting life belongs to the meek--not the proud.

b) Psalm 25:9--"The meek will He guide in justice; and the meek will he teach his way." God identifies with the meek.

c) Psalm 147:6--"The Lord lifteth up the meek."

d) Isaiah 29:19--"The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."

Salvation, guidance, blessing, and joy are for the meek. Christ said that His kingdom would be occupied by people characterized by meekness.

LESSON

I. WHAT IS MEEKNESS?

Since the only people who are truly happy are those who are meek, we had better understand what meekness is. Meekness is commonly defined as a deficiency in spirit and courage. But that's not a biblical definition of meekness. Jesus wasn't saying, "Blessed are the cowardly."

A. The Ingredients of Meekness

1. Gentleness

The Greek word translated "meek" in Matthew 5:5 comes from the root word praos, which means "mild," "gentle," and "soft." A meek person is gentle, tenderhearted, patient, and submissive. The Greeks used the word to describe a soothing medicine, a gentle breeze, or a domesticated colt.

2. Being like Jesus

In 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul speaks of "the meekness and gentleness of Christ." Matthew 21:5, speaking of Jesus, says, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass." Jesus rode into Jerusalem on low-class transportation. He was known for His meekness.

3. Power under control

Meekness is a by-product of humbling one's self before God. It is the taming of a lion--not the killing of it.

a) Ephesians 4:26--"Be ye angry, and sin not." The only legitimate form of anger is righteous anger. That means anger must be under control and expressed for the right reasons at the right time. We are never to be angry because of personal offense.

b) Proverbs 25:28--"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." That kind of person is out of control and needs to learn to contain himself.

c) Proverbs 16:32--"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city."

True meekness is power under control. We can see that in light of the different ways the Greek praos was used. Medicine taken in the proper dosage can be helpful, but an overdose may kill; a domesticated horse is useful but an undomesticated one is destructive; and a gentle breeze cools and soothes, but a hurricane kills.

4. A spirit not given to vengeance

A meek individual can joyfully accept the plundering of his possessions because he knows he has "in heaven a better and enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34). Because he has died to self he doesn't worry about injury and he bears no grudges. A humble shepherd boy in The Pilgrim's Progress said it well: "He that is down needs fear no fall" (John Bunyan [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967], p. 219). The meek person is not concerned about defending himself because he knows he doesn't deserve anything. He doesn't run around trying to get his due.

B. An Illustration of Meekness

First Peter 2:21-22 says, "Hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." Christ never did anything wrong. All the accusations against Him in the trials prior to His crucifixion were false. He was punished, abused, and mocked without justification. Verse 23 says, "When he was reviled, [He] reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."

Jesus never defended Himself. But when His Father's Temple was desecrated He twice made a whip and beat those who had defiled it (John 2:13-16; Matt. 21:12-13). He condemned the hypocritical religious leaders of Israel and fearlessly proclaimed divine judgment unrepentant sinners, yet the Bible says that He was meek. Meekness is not impotence but power under control.

After you've acknowledged your sin and mourned over it you see God's holiness and are willing to die to defend His holy name. Many who heard Jesus were not meek. They spent much of their time defending their own holiness and hypocrisy. They lashed out at anyone who offended them. Their power was out of control.

II. HOW DOES MEEKNESS MANIFEST ITSELF?

A. Five Positive Examples

1. Abraham

While Abraham was living in Ur of the Chaldees, God made a covenant with him, saying, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation" (Gen. 12:1-2). When Abraham left Ur he took his nephew Lot with him. Genesis 13:7 says, "There was a strife between the herdsmen of [Abraham's] cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle." In the dispute Abraham could have pulled rank and chosen the best land for himself--he was the one with the covenant while Lot was essentially tagging along with him. However, Abraham said to Lot, "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left" (vv. 8-9).

Abraham didn't want to argue with Lot so he let him take whatever land he wanted--and Lot took the best. Now that's an illustration of meekness. Abraham didn't enforce his position of power and privilege because He knew that God was in control and would work things out. We need to display the same kind of meekness in our own lives. When we understand we are nothing more than sinners, we will "give preference to one another in honor" (Rom. 12:10, NASB) as Abraham did.

2. Joseph

Joseph's brothers hated him because he was their father's favorite child (Gen. 37:3-4). They sold him into slavery and he was taken to Egypt. Years later a famine forced Joseph's brothers to travel to Egypt to buy grain. By that time Joseph had risen to the rank of prime minister. He was second only to Pharaoh in authority. He was in charge of the grain supplies and his brothers, not recognizing him, asked to buy grain. Joseph, instead of being bitter, looked at his brothers with love and gave them what they needed. He noticed that his youngest brother Benjamin wasn't there and longed to see him. He was a mighty man but he was also meek: he kept his power under control.

3. David

a) His meekness towards Saul

First Samuel 24-26 detail how King Saul chased David in order to kill him. Saul hated him because he knew God had anointed David to be the next king over Israel. The fact that Saul's son Jonathan loved David made matters worse. On one occasion during the chase David had the opportunity to kill Saul while he was asleep (1 Sam. 26:7-12). On another occasion he could have killed Saul while hidden in a cave (1 Sam. 24:3-7). But even though David was the anointed king he didn't kill Saul. He would not act on his own behalf--only God's.

b) His meekness towards Shimei

Second Samuel 16 tells how David and his son Absalom warred against each other. Absalom chased his father out of Jerusalem. While David was in the wilderness one of Saul's relatives, Shimei, came up to David and started cursing him. In effect he told David that he was getting his just desserts. Abishai, who was with David, said, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord, the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head" (v. 9). But David told him to leave Shimei alone--he wouldn't act in his own defense. His attitude was one of subservience, trust, and submission towards God's will.

God works only with those who are subject to Him, not with those who do their own thing. In Matthew 5:5 Christ was saying His kingdom will be occupied with people who are submissive.

4. Moses

Numbers 12:3 tells us "the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth."

Yet he was the man who killed an Egyptian to protect an Israelite slave. On behalf of God he told Pharaoh, "Let my people go" (Ex. 5:1). When Moses came down to the camp of Israel after receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he saw them worshiping a golden calf and participating in an orgy. "Moses' anger burned, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it" (Ex. 32:19-20).

Now that doesn't sound like a meek man according to our society's standards. But the reason Moses was so angry was that the Israelites had violated one of God's commandments: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3). He was defending God. When God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex. 3:7-10) Moses tried to decline. He thought himself inadequate and uneloquent. He would not defend himself before God, but he would defend the Lord before anyone. That's what meekness is all about.

5. Paul

In Philippians 3:3 Paul says, "[We] have no confidence in the flesh" but in Philippians 4:13 he says, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me." Paul was a meek man because he put no confidence in himself but had great confidence in Christ.

B. A Negative Example: Uzziah

Second Chronicles 26 tells about King Uzziah, a great king and military leader of Judah. We are told "he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Meunim. And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah; and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly" (vv. 6-8).

His army was huge: "the whole number of the heads of the father's houses of the mighty men of valor were two thousand and six hundred. And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and slings to cast stones. And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong" (vv. 12-15). God gave Uzziah victory in his military conquests.

Verse 16 records the beginning of Uzziah's downfall: "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; for he transgressed against the Lord, his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense." Only the priests were allowed to burn incense but Uzziah apparently believed he was so great that he could usurp the function of a priest. That angered God, who struck Uzziah with leprosy. So "Uzziah, the king, was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, being a leper" (v. 21). A proud man inevitably disobeys God. A meek obeys Him.

III. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF MEEKNESS?

A. Receiving Blessing from God

Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek" (Matt. 5:5). If you are meek you will be happy. Christ wasn't talking about the world's flippant, circumstantial happiness, but about a true and lasting joy.

B. Inheriting the Earth

The meek will inherit the earth. Long before God promised Israel the land of Palestine He gave man the earth. God told Adam and Eve to "be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Gen. 1:28). According to Matthew 5:5 when you become a believer you enter the kingdom and receive the original inheritance of dominion over the earth that was given to Adam and Eve.

Ultimately believers will possess the earth. They are the meek who will reign on the earth with the Lord Jesus Christ in the coming kingdom (Rev. 20:6).

1. In the future

a) The inheritance of Israel

Today Israel possesses only part of the land that God promised Abraham, which extends east all the way to the Euphrates River (Gen. 15:18-21). So there is a sense in which God's original promise is unfulfilled. Isaiah 57:13 and 60:21 say a day is coming when the Messiah will give Israel all its land. The Jewish people in Christ's time thought the kingdom belonged to the strong, proud, and defiant. But Jesus said the earth will belong to the meek. The meek, part of which will include redeemed Israel (Rom. 11:1-31) won't take the earth for themselves--Christ will give it to them.

b) The inheritance of Christians

An emphatic pronoun in the Greek text makes Matthew 5:5 read, "Blessed are the meek, for only they will inherit the earth." Proud people won't inherit the earth. Jesus said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3).

The Greek word translated "inherit" (kleronomeo) means "to receive an allotted portion." The earth is the allotted portion of the meek.

(1) Psalm 37:9-11--"Evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth.... The meek shall inherit the earth." To the righteous who wondered at the prosperity of the wicked the psalmist said, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers.... Trust in the Lord, and do good.... Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him" (vv. 1-5).

(2) 1 Corinthians 3:21-23--"Let no man glory in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

(3) 1 Corinthians 6:2-3--"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?... Know ye not that we shall judge angels?"

(4) Psalm 149:4--"The Lord taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with salvation."

A day is coming when Christians will partake with Israel in the Kingdom. The Lord will take the earth away from the wicked and give it to us.

2. In the present

There is a sense in which the Kingdom is already ours now--it's as though its in escrow. The fact that I will one day possess the earth gives me a sense of possessing it right now. The nineteenth- century hymnwriter Wade Robinson spoke of that reality in his hymn, "I Am His and He Is Mine":

Heav'n above is softer blue, The earth around is sweeter green; Something lives in ev'ry hue Christless eyes have never seen! Birds with gladder songs o'er flow, Flow'rs with deeper beauties shine, Since I know, as now I know, I am His, and He is mine.

George MacDonald wrote, "We cannot see the world as God means it [in the future], save in proportion as our souls are meek. In meekness only are we its inheritors. Meekness alone makes the spiritual retina pure to receive God's things as they are, mingling with them neither imperfection nor impurity of its own" (Life Essential: The Hope of the Gospel [Wheaton, Ill.: Harold Shaw Pub., 1974], pp. 45-46). Because we are in the kingdom we see the world in a way different from non-believers. The earth is ours now and forever.

IV. WHY IS MEEKNESS NECESSARY?

A. It Is Necessary for Salvation

Only the meek will be saved. Psalm 149:4 says the Lord "will beautify the meek with salvation." A person who doesn't come to God with a broken spirit, mourning over his sin, and recognizing God's holiness cannot be saved.

B. It Is Commanded

Zephaniah 2:3 commands us to "seek meekness."

C. It Is Necessary for Receiving God's Word

James 1:21 says, "Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." A person who doesn't have a humble spirit can't receive God's Word.

D. It Is Necessary for Effective Witnessing

You can't witness effectively if you are filled with pride. First Peter 3:15 says, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."

E. It Gives Glory to God

First Peter 3 says not to adorn yourself externally if you want to glorify God. Rather, adorn yourself with "a meek and quiet spirit" (v. 4).

V. HOW CAN I KNOW IF I AM MEEK?

A. You will get angry only when God is dishonored

B. You will respond humbly and obediently to God's Word

C. You will make peace

Those who are meek forgive, restore others, and make peace. Ephesians 4:2-3 says we are to be characterized by "lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Only meek people make peace and preserve unity.

D. You will receive criticism well

Do you love those who offer you criticism? If you are meek you will.

E. You will be gentle in instructing others

Second Timothy 2:24-25 says, "The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose him."

Conclusion

Meekness is power under control. It shows itself when you seek to defend God, not yourself. It results in blessing and in inheriting the earth. It characterizes every true believer because it accompanies salvation, is commanded by God, is needed for receiving and communicating His Word, and glorifies Him. Examine yourself to see whether you are truly meek.

Focusing on the Facts

1. What did Jesus' Jewish audience expect the Messiah to say to them when He came? What happened instead?

2. Explain the distinction between brokenness of spirit and meekness.

3. What kind of people is Jesus' Kingdom for?

4. How does the New Testament describe those who are meek?

5. What does the Old Testament say about those who are meek?

6. What does the Greek root word for "meek" mean? How did the Greeks use that word ?

7. Illustrate meekness as power under control.

8. Why don't meek people worry about injury or bear grudges (Heb. 10:34)?

9. How do we know Jesus was meek?

10. How did Abraham exemplify meekness? What does a meek person do (Rom. 12:10)?

11. Why didn't David kill Saul? Why did he tell Abishai to leave Shimei alone?

12. What does Numbers 12:3 tell us about Moses? How does he illustrate what meekness is all about?

13. Why can we conclude that the apostle Paul was a meek man (Phil. 3:3; 4:13)?

14. What are the results of meekness?

15. What promise is made to Israel in Isaiah 57:13 and 60:21?

16. What does the Greek word translated "inherit" mean (Matt. 5:5)? Using Scripture, explain how we know that the meek will inherit the earth.

17. Why is meekness necessary? Support your answer with Scripture.

18. How can you know if you are meek?

Pondering the Principles

1. What is the practical cost of taking offense only when God Himself is attacked? J.C. Ryle wrote that a Christian "must be content to be thought ill of by man if he pleases God. He must count it no strange thing to be mocked, ridiculed, slandered, persecuted and even hated. He must not be surprised to find his opinions and practices in religion despised and held up to scorn. He must submit to be thought by many a fool, an enthusiast and a fanatic, to have his words perverted and his actions misrepresented. In fact, he must not marvel if some call him mad" (Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots [Welwyn, England: Evangelical Press, 1979], p. 69). To follow Christ will cost many dearly, but will result in eternal blessing. Are you willing to pay the cost?

2. So far our examination of the Beatitudes may make Christianity seem to be a dismal prospect. Christians are to be poor in spirit, mourn over sin, and be meek. A person might ask himself, What hope is there in those things? But each of those attitudes demonstrates the new nature of the believer. J.W. Alexander said, "No sooner does the believer's eye fairly open upon the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, than he rejects all other modes of pardon and peace. Thus the beggar abandons his rags, when gifted with white raiment. Thus the shipwrecked mariner forsakes his parting raft, to be received upon some rescuing vessel. All the past, with its imperfections and its cares, is forever thrown into the shade, while the believer exults in the work of his Redeemer" (God Is Love [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1985], pp. 276-77). Strive to focus on the Person of Jesus Christ, and it will be less hard to be meek in a proud world.

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LESSON 4

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Happy Are the Harnessed

Matthew 5:5

This chapter explores Christ’s teaching about the meek and how meekness is actually a strength.

OUTLINE

While our culture seems to value overt displays of strength, Christ encourages us to manifest our meekness. Strength is not found in defeating others, but in harnessing one’s power.

I. The Meaning of Meekness in the Old Testament

II. The Meaning of Meekness in the New Testament

OVERVIEW

According to Jesus, everything we’ve been taught about getting ahead in this world is wrong. The world says, “Believe in yourself.” Jesus says, “Believe in me.” The world says, “Strive to be number one.” Jesus says, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” The world says, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Jesus says, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” The world says, “Don’t get mad; get even.” Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” The world says, “Assert yourself.” Jesus says, “Deny yourself.” The world teaches us how to get ahead. Jesus teaches us how to give ourselves away. The world claims that the one with the most toys wins. Jesus says that you can gain the whole world, but if you lose your soul, you have nothing.

We are never more at odds with the world than when we try to understand the Beatitudes. Jesus keeps offering us paradoxes, claiming those who mourn will be happy, and the humble will be exalted. But when he comes to meekness, we recoil. Most of us aren’t all that interested in meekness. It seems weak and soft. As Don McCullough has said, “Coaches don’t rally teams with meekness, executives don’t send sales people into the field with it, and politicians don’t promise to lead by it.” We’re turned off by the thought of becoming a milktoast in a world that demands toughness.

There are Christians who seem to accept that understanding of meekness. They picture a passive, dependent personality—the Christian as a doormat. Perhaps they think it is somehow holy to be inferior. One modern critic of the Bible even said, “Live by it if you want, and it will come true for you. If you are meek in life, you will inherit the earth—six feet of it.”

The Meaning of Meekness in the Old Testament

The great historian William Barclay noted that to modern ears, meekness seems to denote a weak, flabby, spineless creature, “lacking all virility, submissive and subservient to a fault, unable to stand up for himself or for anyone else.” But that is far from the true meaning of the word. Jesus’ statement “Blessed are the meek” comes from Psalm 37, which offers a context for understanding the concept of meekness.

“But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth … But the meek shall inherit the earth … For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth … Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and he shall exalt you to inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9, 11, 22, 34). Twice the psalmist connects the idea of waiting with the inheritance of the land. That helps us get close to the true meaning of meekness in the Bible. In Hebrew thought, the man who is meek is the one who obediently accepts God’s guidance and is therefore dear to the Lord. His life is strengthened and beautified by the gifts God gives him. Barclay said that meekness in the Old Testament is the “intentional reliance upon God to accomplish His will and His work in His way.”

Meekness is not weakness; it is dependence upon God. To “inherit the earth” means to be successful, so the Bible says that those who are meek will find success. Those who come to the place where they are reliant on God and committed to His way no matter what will discover true success. This attitude toward life is the only way to be happy, the only method for living above the difficulties and despairs of life. That’s why David began the first few verses of Psalm 37 with the words “trust in the Lord,” “delight in the Lord,” “commit your way to the Lord,” and “rest in the Lord.” If you do those things, you won’t worry. You’ll trust in God’s guidance. You’ll be delighted in His way. Meekness is coming to the place where you are willing to give everything up to God and say, “This isn’t my problem, Lord. I’m relying on you.” Like putty in God’s hands, you will allow yourself to be molded and shaped by Him. As you yield to His purpose, you will find success in life. Meekness is submission to the will of God, trusting in Him fully, even when life doesn’t seem to make sense.

Job illustrates this sort of attitude toward God. In one day Job lost everything he had, but he meekly accepted it. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,” Job says in Job 1:21. He had lost his family, his farm, and all his wealth. But he stood before God in the midst of that disaster and said, “It’s all in God’s hands. Blessed be His name.” In Job 13:15 he even says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” That’s meekness: standing in the midst of disaster and knowing that God hasn’t forgotten you or made a mistake. Paul was like that. A proud, arrogant Pharisee, when confronted by the Lord he meekly said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” Mary was also like that. Imagine this young, unmarried girl confronted with the fact that she was pregnant even though she had not been with a man. Instead of worrying about the social cost, she said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). It’s as though Mary were saying, “I’m in your hands, God. Do whatever you want with me.”

When the Lord Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, the weight of the world’s sin coming down upon Him, He realized the pain He would have to endure by going to the Cross. In His humanity, Jesus struggled with the price He would have to pay. But as He prayed, He said, “Not as I will, but as you will.” That’s meekness. You may be in a difficult situation where you say, “Lord, I’ve done everything I know how to do to make things work, and it isn’t working.” You’re fretting and upset. That’s the time the meek person says, “God, I don’t know what to do. I’m giving it up to you. I’m trusting in you.” That’s the meekness that Christ says will bring success.

The Meaning of Meekness in the New Testament

Meekness came to mean something else in Christ’s day. Rather than referring to the control of God, it came to be seen as the control of oneself. The two are not diametrically opposed, for the person who is controlled by God will be in control of himself, filled with the Spirit and exercising self-control. The literal rendering of the word meekness in the New Testament is “power under control.”

Paul lists meekness as one of the fruits of the Spirit, so when one is like Jesus Christ he will be meek. Jesus even referred to Himself as meek in Matthew 11:28–29. He had all power, but He kept it under control. Having power and insisting on using it all the time to maintain control is weakness. Having power and keeping it under control is meekness. The meek man doesn’t get angry at people who are in the right, nor does he fail to get angry at those in the wrong. His power is under control. He acts gently even though he has the power to act with stern severity. Never is a man so strong as when he knows he has the potential to exert power, yet chooses not to do so. He walks in measured steps, the Holy Spirit acting as a governor on his life. He is meek, the opposite of weak.

I have sometimes heard Jesus described as weak, which is amazing when you consider His fearlessness and power. He got angry with the Pharisees for objecting to His healing a withered hand on the Sabbath. He let everyone know how He felt about child abusers, telling them they ought to have great rocks tied around their necks and be thrown into the sea. He strongly rebuked Peter for getting in the way of God’s plan. Jesus wasn’t weak. He took a firm stand for the right.

In the temple courts of His day, the priests set up a form of extortion. In those days, a Jew couldn’t come to worship without a sacrifice, and the sacrifice had to be blessed by a priest. So the priests simply refused to bless any animals the people brought in themselves, insisting they buy sacrificial animals from the priests’ own market. They began charging exorbitant prices, lining their own pockets with the extorted money of the people. So one day Jesus walked into their market with a whip and cleaned the place out. I can just see the money falling onto the floor, the birds and animals running loose, and the priests scrambling to get out of the way. Christ wasn’t weak—He simply kept His power under control. He never seemed to get mad at those who hurt Him, but only at the injustices suffered by others. He is described in Scripture as a sheep headed toward slaughter, never getting angry at the insults and injuries He received. When they placed a crown of thorns on His head, He didn’t cry out at the injustice. He accepted the things that came His way, even though they weren’t fair, but lashed out in righteous anger at those things which hurt others. His anger was under control, displayed at the right time, in the right spirit, for the right reasons.

I think one of the things wrong with our modern culture is that we’ve lost the concept of righteous anger. We don’t get mad at children being aborted or our society heading down the sewer. Jesus had a passion for those being led away from the truth. Meekness is not weakness. Weakness yields to one’s nature, while meekness takes control over one’s nature. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city,” Solomon said in Proverbs 16:32. A person in control of himself has deep strength in his spirit. He gets angry at the right things, but suffers many injustices. Much of life is made up of hard things and a meek person can survive them without complaint. Thomas Brown once said that meekness is “taking injuries like we take pills—not chewing them, but swallowing them whole.” Life isn’t always fair, and sometimes we’ll be mistreated, but the meek person swallows the injustice. He has power under control and will experience the success of God because of it.

APPLICATION

1. How would you define power?

Why is power so valued in our culture?

How have you seen people wield power over others?

2. What is your first reaction to Christ’s call to meekness?

How do you define meekness?

Why does Christ consider it important to the Christian life?

3. What does Psalm 37:1–6 tell us to do?

How does that demonstrate meekness?

What promises are we given in that passage?

4. What further commands are we given in verses 7–11?

What will the result of our actions be?

5. What do verses 16–26 recommend we do in the face of evil?

What principles for living the Christian life can you find in verses 27–40?

What promise does the Lord offer us in that passage as a hope to hold on to?

6. Is meekness weakness? Why or why not?

How can a meek person remain strong?

What would you have to do to put your power under control?

DID YOU KNOW?

The Beatitudes are a form of Hebrew poetry, characterized by a literary device known as parallelism. One phrase is balanced against another phrase. You’ll note that each of the Beatitudes offers an original phrase which includes a character quality: “Blessed are the meek,” or “Blessed are the merciful … ” That phrase is then paralleled by a promise such as, “For they shall inherit the earth.” This balancing of thought reflects a careful crafting of words. Jesus knew what He wanted to say and probably said these same words more than once.

Jeremiah, D. (1996). How to be happy according to jesus: Study guide (pp. 45–54). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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logosres:thru-bib;ref=Bible.Mt5.5;off=0;ctx=forted_(see_ch._7).$0A~Blessed_are_the_meek

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth [Matt. 5:5].

We find this in Psalm 37:11. The meek are not inheriting the earth in this day in which we live—I’m sure you recognize that. So apparently the Sermon on the Mount is not in effect today. However, when Christ is reigning, the meek will inherit the earth.

How do you become meek? Our Lord was meek and lowly, and He will inherit all things; we are the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. We are told that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, temperance, and meekness. Only the Spirit of God can break you and make you meek. If you could produce meekness by your own effort, you would be proud of yourself, wouldn’t you? And out goes your meekness! Meekness is not produced by self-effort but by Spirit effort. Only the Holy Spirit can produce meekness in the heart of a yielded Christian. The Christian who has learned the secret of producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit can turn here to the Beatitudes and read, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth,” and see that the rewards of meekness are still in the future. Paul asked the Corinthian believers, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? …” (1 Cor. 6:2).

The Beatitudes present goals which the child of God wants to realize in his own life, but he can’t do it on his own. You may have heard of the preacher who had a message entitled “Meekness and How I Attained It.” He said that he hadn’t delivered his message yet, but as soon as he got an audience big enough, he was going to give it! Well, I have a notion that he had long since lost his meekness. Meekness can only be a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Then in verse six we are told:

McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 4, p. 30). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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logosres:awp-beat;ref=Page.p_23;off=2

The Third Beatitude

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

(Matthew 5:5)

THERE have been considerable differences of opinion as to the precise significance of the word meek. Some regard its meaning as patience, a spirit of resignation; some as unselfishness, a spirit of self-abnegation; others as gentleness, a spirit of non-retaliation, bearing afflictions quietly. Doubtless, there is a measure of truth in each of these definitions. Yet it appears to the writer that they hardly go deep enough, for they fail to take note of the order of this third Beatitude. Personally, we would define meekness as humility. “Blessed are the meek,” that is, the humble, the lowly. Let us see if other passages bear this out.

The first time the word meek occurs in Scripture is in Numbers 12:3. Here the Spirit of God has pointed out a contrast from that which is recorded in the previous verses. There we read of Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses: “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?” Such language betrayed the pride and haughtiness of their hearts, their self-seeking and craving for honor. As the antithesis of this we read, “Now the man Moses was very meek.” This must mean that he was actuated by a spirit the very opposite of the spirit of his brother and sister.

Moses was humble, lowly, and self-renouncing. This is recorded for our admiration and instruction in Hebrews 11:24–26. Moses turned his back on worldly honors and earthly riches, deliberately choosing the life of a pilgrim rather than that of a courtier. He chose the wilderness in preference to the palace. The humbleness of Moses is seen again when Jehovah first appeared to him in Midian and commissioned him to lead His people out of Egypt. “Who am I,” he said, “that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11). What lowliness these words breathe! Yes, Moses was very meek.

Other Scripture texts bear out, and seem to necessitate, the definition suggested above. “The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way” (Ps. 25:9). What can this mean but that the humble and lowly-hearted are the ones whom God promises to counsel and instruct? “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass” (Matthew 21:5). Here is meekness or lowliness incarnate. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). Is it not plain that this means that a spirit of humility is required in him who would be used of God in restoring an erring brother? We are to learn of Christ, who was “meek and lowly in heart.” The latter term explains the former. Note that they are linked together again in Ephesians 4:2, where the order is “lowliness and meekness.” Here the order is deliberately reversed from that in Matthew 11:29. This shows us that they are synonymous terms.

Having thus sought to establish that meekness, in the Scriptures, signified humility and lowliness, let us now note how this is further borne out by the context and then endeavor to determine the manner in which such meekness finds expression. It must be steadily kept in mind that in these Beatitudes our Lord is describing the orderly development of God’s work of grace as it is experientially realized in the soul. First, there is poverty of spirit: a sense of my insufficiency and nothingness. Next, there is mourning over my lost condition and sorrowing over the awfulness of my sins against God. Following this, in order of spiritual experience, is humbleness of soul.

The one in whom the Spirit of God has worked, producing a sense of nothingness and of need, is now brought into the dust before God. Speaking as one whom God used in the ministry of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul said, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4, 5). The weapons that the apostles used were the searching, condemning, humbling truths of Scripture. These, as applied effectually by the Spirit, were mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, that is, the powerful prejudices and self-righteous defenses within which sinful men took refuge. The results are the same today: proud imaginations or reasonings—the enmity of the carnal mind and the opposition of the newly regenerate mind concerning salvation is now brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

By nature every sinner is Pharisaical, desiring to be justified by the works of the Law. By nature we all inherit from our first parents the tendency to manufacture for ourselves a covering to hide our shame. By nature every member of the human race walks in the way of Cain, who sought to find acceptance with God on the ground of an offering produced by his own labors. In a word, we desire to gain a standing before God on the basis of personal merits; we wish to purchase salvation by our good deeds; we are anxious to win heaven by our own doings. God’s way of salvation is too humbling to suit the carnal mind, for it removes all ground for boasting. It is therefore unacceptable to the proud heart of the unregenerate.

Man wants to have a hand in his salvation. To be told that God will receive nought from him, that salvation is solely a matter of Divine mercy, that eternal life is only for those who come empty-handed to receive it solely as a matter of charity, is offensive to the self-righteous religionist. But not so to the one who is poor in spirit and who mourns over his vile and wretched state. The very word mercy is music to his ears. Eternal life as God’s free gift suits his poverty-stricken condition. Grace—the sovereign favor of God to the hell-deserving—is just what he feels he must have! Such a one no longer has any thought of justifying himself in his own eyes; all his haughty objections against God’s benevolence are now silenced. He is glad to own himself a beggar and bow in the dust before God. Once, like Naaman, he rebelled against the humbling terms announced by God’s servant; but now, like Naaman at the end, he is glad to dismount from his chariot of pride and take his place in the dust before the Lord.

It was when Naaman bowed before the humbling word of God’s servant that he was healed of his leprosy. In the same way, when the sinner owns his worthlessness, Divine favor is shown to him. Such a one receives the Divine benediction: “Blessed are the meek.” Speaking anticipatively through Isaiah, the Savior said, “The Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek” (Isa. 61:1). And again it is written, “For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation” (Ps. 149:4).

While humility of soul in bowing to God’s way of salvation is the primary application of the third Beatitude, it must not be limited to that. Meekness is also an intrinsic aspect of the “fruit of the Spirit” that is wrought in and produced through the Christian (Gal. 5:22, 23). It is that quality of spirit that is found in one who has been schooled to mildness by discipline and suffering and brought into sweet resignation to the will of God. When in exercise, it is that grace in the believer that causes him to bear patiently insults and injuries, that makes him ready to be instructed and admonished by the least eminent of saints, that leads him to esteem others more highly than himself (Phil. 2:3), and that teaches him to ascribe all that is good in himself to the sovereign grace of God.

On the other hand, true meekness is not weakness. A striking proof of this is furnished in Acts 16:35–37. The apostles had been wrongfully beaten and cast into prison. On the next day the magistrates gave orders for their release, but Paul said to their agents, “Let them come themselves and fetch us out.” God-given meekness can stand up for God-given rights. When one of the officers smote our Lord, He answered, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou Me?” (John 18:23).

The spirit of meekness was perfectly exemplified only by the Lord Jesus Christ, who was “meek and lowly in heart.” In His people this blessed spirit fluctuates, oftentimes beclouded by risings up of the flesh. Of Moses it is said, “They provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips” (Ps. 106:33). Ezekiel says of himself: “I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me” (Ezek. 3:14). Of Jonah, after his miraculous deliverance, we read: “It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry (Jonah 4:1). Even the humble Barnabas parted from Paul in a bitter temper (Acts 15:37–39). What warnings are these! How much we need to learn of Christ!”

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Our Lord was alluding to, and applying, Psalm 37:11. The promise seems to have both a literal and spiritual meaning: “The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” The meek are those who have the greatest enjoyment of the good things of the present life. Delivered from a greedy and grasping spirit, they are content with such things as they have. “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked” (Ps. 37:16). Contentment of mind is one of the fruits of meekness of spirit. The proud and restless do not “inherit the earth,” though they may own many acres of it. The humble Christian has far more enjoyment in a cottage than the wicked has in a palace. “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith” (Prov. 15:16).

“The meek shall inherit the earth.” As we have said, this third Beatitude is an allusion to Psalm 37:11. Most probably the Lord Jesus was using Old Testament language to express New Covenant truth. The flesh and blood of John 6:50–58 and the water of John 3:5 have, to the regenerate, a spiritual meaning; so here with the word earth or land. Both in Hebrew and in Creek, the principal terms rendered by our English words earth and land may be translated either literally or spiritually, depending upon the context.

His words, literally understood, are, “they shall inherit the land,” i.e., Canaan, “the land of promise.” He speaks of the blessings of the new economy in the language of Old Testament prophecy. Israel according to the flesh (the external people of God under the former economy) were a figure of Israel according to the spirit (the spiritual people of God under the new economy); and Canaan, the [earthly] inheritance of the former, is the type of that aggregate of heavenly and spiritual blessings which form the inheritance of the latter. To “inherit the land” is to enjoy the peculiar blessings of the people of God under the new economy; it is to become heirs of the world, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ [Rom. 8:17]. It is to be “blessed, … with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ” [Eph. 1:3], to enjoy that true peace and rest of which Israel’s in Canaan was a figure.

(Dr. John Brown)

No doubt there is also reference to the fact that the meek shall ultimately inherit the “new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13).

Pink, A. W. (2005). The Beatitudes and the Lord’s prayer (pp. 23–30). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

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logosres:macartsbnasb;ref=Bible.Mt5.5;off=0;ctx=n_(cf._Is_40:1,_2).$0A~5:5_the_gentle._Gent

5:5 the gentle. Gentleness or meekness is the opposite of being out of control. It is not weakness, but supreme self-control empowered by the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:23). The statement that the meek “shall inherit the earth” is quoted from Ps 37:11.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mt 5:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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33. Meekness

Ps. 37:10–11; Zeph. 3:12; Matt. 5:5

Power Lookup

References MNTC 2 Pe/Jud

cf. confer (Lat.), compare

2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul myself abeseech you by the aameekness and bgentleness of Christ, cwho ||din presence am ddbase among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Galatians 5:23 23 kMeekness, ntemperance: oagainst such there is no law.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, a||if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye bwhich are spiritual, restore such an one cin the spirit of meekness; dconsidering thyself, lest thou also ebe tempted.

1 Thessalonians 2:7 7 But we were xgentle among you, even yas a nurse cherisheth her children:

2 Timothy 2:25 25 mIn meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; nif God peradventure will give them repentance oto the acknowledging of the truth;

Matthew 5:5 5  Blessed are gthe meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

NKJV New King James Version

1 Timothy 6:11 11 But thou, dO man of God, eflee these things; and effollow after righteousness, ggodliness, hfaith, hlove, patience, hhmeekness.

KJV King James Version

James 3:13 13 sWho is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him tshew out of a good uconversation his works vwith meekness of wisdom.

Ephesians 4:32 32 And be ye rkind one to another, stenderhearted, rtforgiving one another, reven as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

1 Peter 5:2–3 2 eFeed the flock of God ||which is among you, ftaking the oversight thereof, gnot by constraint, but willingly; hnot for filthy lucre, but iof a ready mind; 3 Neither as ||kbeing lords over lGod’s heritage, but ebeing mensamples to the flock.

Psalm 37:9 9 mmFor evildoers shall be cut off: But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall ninherit the earth.

Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 6:14 PM June 21, 2014.

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logosres:hedweltamngus;ref=Page.p_104;off=704;ctx=ake_over_the_world.$0A~Was_this_only_a_poet

Was this only a poetic dream when Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”? Was that only one more religious cliché, one more bromide to give a little bit of false hope to the world? No, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5) and some wit thought that he would get himself up a little joke so he said, “Yes, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth after the proud are through with it.” He was telling more truth than he knew. They will be through with it all right, when they are thrown out of it. And all that rests on guns and bombs, and cheap politics, on human science, on human society will be swept away and God will plant a new race in the earth with Jesus Christ the King.

Tozer, A. W. (2009). And He Dwelt among Us: Teachings from the Gospel of John. (J. L. Snyder, Ed.) (p. 104). Ventura, CA: Regal.

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GENTLE

A g answer turns away anger,

Pr 15:1

a g tongue can break a bone.

Pr 25:15

Blessed are the g, because they

Mt 5:5

because I am g and humble in

Mt 11:29

is coming to you, g, and mounted

Mt 21:5

peace-loving, g, compliant, full

Jms 3:17

quality of a g and quiet spirit

1 Pt 3:4

GENTLENESS

or in love and a spirit of g?

1 Co 4:21

appeal to you by the g … of Christ

2 Co 10:1

goodness, faith, g, self-control.

Gl 5:23

humility and g, with patience

Eph 4:2

faith, love, endurance, and g.

1 Tm 6:11

do this with g and respect,

1 Pt 3:16

GENUINENESS

Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J. P., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 1973). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

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logos4:Notes;title=Sermon_Seeds

Naaman as an example of the reward of meekness:

Once, like Naaman, he rebelled against the humbling terms announced by God’s servant; but now, like Naaman at the end, he is glad to dismount from his chariot of pride and take his place in the dust before the Lord.

It was when Naaman bowed before the humbling word of God’s servant that he was healed of his leprosy. In the same way, when the sinner owns his worthlessness, Divine favor is shown to him. Such a one receives the Divine benediction: “Blessed are the meek.” Speaking anticipatively through Isaiah, the Savior said, “The Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek” (Isa. 61:1). And again it is written, “For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation” (Ps. 149:4).

Pink, A. W. (2005). The Beatitudes and the Lord’s prayer (p. 27). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

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