Beatitudes of Need Pt. 2

Intro

The sculpture that sold that was invisible. Things aren’t always what they seem? OR blind to justice? Or maybe we feel like that sculpture? Invisible? Got to use it!

MPS: As disciples of Jesus we can trust in a God who is just in a world that is not.

A God Who Is Just公義的神

Matthew 5:5 CNVT

溫柔的人有福了， 因為他們必承受地土。

Matthew 5:5 CSB

Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.

Jesus tells us that it is the meek who have God’s divine smile, His blessing. Jesus describes citizens of His kingdom as meek or humble. What do you think Jesus means when He says “the humble, or the meek”? How many of us view meekness as weakness? This isn’t a cultural value that is often celebrated is it? When was the last time we heard someone get an award for being humble, or being meek?

YIPING: How would Chinese culture describe humility or meekness?

So what is biblical meekness?

Jesus describes Himself as humble or meek

Matthew 11:29 CSB

Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29 CNVT

我心裡柔和謙卑，你們應當負我的軛，向我學習，你們就必得著心靈的安息；

So we know that meekness is NOT passivity or just weakness. Christ was meek and humble and yet He confronted, He was passionate, and He led.

Moses was meek!

Numbers 12:3 CSB

Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.

Numbers 12:3 CNVT

摩西為人十分謙和，勝過世上所有的人。

What is Jesus trying to tell us about meekness?

IF you look in your Bible you might see a letter or footnote: that letter or footnote tells you another verse that uses the same word that will help you understand the verse you are reading: what does yours say?

Psalm 37:11 CSB

But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:11 CNVT

但謙卑的人必承受地土， 可以享受豐盛的平安。

Sounds just like Jesus’ words doesn’t it!

Let’s look a little closer at this Psalm and see if we can get a better idea of what biblical meekness is:

Psalm 37:3–7 CSB

Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.

Psalm 37:3–7 CNVT

你要倚靠耶和華，並要行善； 你要住在地上，以信實為糧食。 你要以耶和華為樂， 他就把你心裡所求的賜給你。 你要把你的道路交託耶和華， 並倚靠他，他就必成全。 他必使你的公義好像光發出， 使你的公正如日中天。 你要在耶和華面前靜默無聲， 耐心地等候他； 不要因那凡事順利的， 和那惡謀得逞的，心懷不平。

Meek or humble people do what?

Trust in the Lord 依靠神

Delight in the Lord 以耶和華為樂

Commit their way to the Lord 把你的道路交託耶和華

Wait Patiently for the Lord等候神

There is something that is so countercultural here isn’t there. We are called to wait, to trust. We will in an instant gratification culture! we want what we want now and fast. The attention span of an adult human being? 8.9 seconds. Less than a goldfish. We aren’t doing good! Yet the meek, are those who have patience, who wait, who trust. I wonder if this is why we don’t preach on the Beatitudes very much because they are so counter cultural to our culture’s value system.

What do all of these verses have in common? What is their context?

Trusting in God’s justice in the midst of a world that is not! Trusting in God’s ways instead of Your own ways.

Moses’ verse was in the context when he was being opposed by Miriam and Aaron(attacked)

Psalm 37 all about not freaking out because of the evil people all around you. But instead trust in God

Biblical meekness humility is about weakness it is about submission. Trusting in a God who is just in a world that isn’t.

Jesus was speaking to people who had different approaches to the injustice that was all around them:

Pharisees法利賽人

The solution to our problem is that we just need to be better. If we were better people and did more good deeds, we would see God’s kingdom come.

Sadducees撒都該人

We just all need to calm down. We can compromise. We need to join with the other kingdoms of this world. That is the solution

Zealot狂熱者

This is Peter! Our answer is to fight! Nationalism baby! Pull out our guns our swords and the answer the solution is revenge and violence. That will usher in God’s kingdom.

Essenes愛色尼

We’re out. We need to just move out to the wilderness and leave the injustice in this world. If we isolate ourselves that’s the answer.

Where would you put yourself? Church family where are we tempted to be just like Jesus’ followers? Is legalism the answer? Is compromise the answer? Violence? Or Isolation?

The solution isn’t found in any of these: it is found in submitting to a God who is just, trusting in a God who is just even in the midst of a world that isn’t. Blessed are the meek.

So what? Need to answer this

As disciples of Jesus we don’t need to be defensive.

Last week my wife and I had an argument. Only a week into this lockdown! I am sure no one else has experienced this this week. But we had a “discussion”. A “passionate discussion”. My wife lovingly began to point out some shortcomings in my life. A humble person, a meek person, would be able to say, “okay, I see what you are saying, and I don’t need to defend myself, because you are right, here are some things I need to grow in”. But I was not meek Collin that day. It’s one thing if I come to my wife and confess my shortcomings, I’m okay with that, and many times we think that is humility, but what happens when she brings those to me? See meekness submits to God. We are who we are. We don’t need to lash out in vengeance, we don’t need to be defensive, but we trust in a God who is just. It really comes close to the idea of being “unoffend-able”. It’s not because the world isn’t hard, or people aren’t sinful! It’s because we can trust in a God who is JUST even in a world that is not.

Are you an easily offended person? Do you walk in harshness? Are you quick to be defensive? Would you be reminded that there is a God who is perfectly Just and is calling you to trust in Him?

“For they will inherit the earth因為他們必承受地土”

Think about the people who are “inheriting the kingdom of this world”. I wouldn’t describe them as meek! Think about Jeff Bezos(Amazon), Bill Gates(Microsoft), Mark Zuckerberg(Facebook). It is the greedy, the selfishly ambitious, those who are pushing others down to get to the top. And

Church family there is a real temptation that I feel with you, a cultural lie that we have BE GREAT, DO GREAT, and prove ourselves! Jesus sets us free from this!

But not in Jesus’ kingdom. He sets us free that! Church family Jesus is not looking for extraordinary people, He is looking for people who will submit to His rule, TRUST IN HIS WAYS!

Romans 4:13 CSB

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Romans 4:13 CNVT

原來　神給亞伯拉罕和他後裔承受世界的應許，並不是因著律法，而是藉著因信而來的義。

How do we inherit the world? Through faith. Through trust. Our inheritance is not in our performance but our inheritance is secure for us by trusting in the One who has performed for us.

“blessed are the meek ” God gives His inheritance not the extraordinary, not to the powerful, not to the vengeful, but the meek who trust in a God who is just.

APPLICATION

These three prisoners: the meek shall inherit the earth. Trusting God now for what will come later. This is faith. Trusting in God now, for what will come later.

Zhang Wen Shi(North Korea北韓)

Ministering to the North Koreans who crossed the border into Changbai. North Koreans would cross the border and he would give them shelter before they returned to North Korea. Many of these became disciples and went back to North Korea. Zhang was kidnapped and is now in prison in North Korea.

Yousef Nadarkhani(Iran伊朗)

Is serving a 10-year prison sentences on charges of “acting against national security” and “promoting Zionist Christianity.” The men are all members of the Church of Iran. He was first sentenced to death, but now in prison.

Wang Yi(China中國）

Pastor Wang Yi is the influential leader of Early Rain Covenant Church in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province - one of the best-known house churches in China. He and his wife, Jiang Rong, were detained in December 2018 and charged with “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.” Along with the nine year sentence, he was sentenced to deprivation of his political rights for three years plus a $7,000 penalty.

All of these men, and millions of others are trusting in a God who is just while living in a world that is not. They have suffered the injustice of this world! But the ultimate example?

Jesus Christ耶穌基督

Jesus’ meekness was not weakness. His meekness was shown as He carried our sin, your sin, your shame, my anger, your lust, to the cross. And suffered the worst injustice this world will ever know! HE did this all so that we might be brought from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the Beloved Son!

It was on the cross where God’s justice was perfectly revealed.

2 Corinthians 5:21 CNVT

神使那無罪的替我們成為有罪的，使我們在他裡面成為　神的義。

2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

It was an exchange. The JUST for the unjust. The spotless for the stained. The sinless for the sinful!

Where have you been wronged? Where have you experienced injustice? Where is God asking you as a disciple of Jesus, not to lash out in vengeance, not to lash out in anger, not to look out for yourself above all others, but to submit to His ways, to remember the Gospel, and walk in meekness, in humility?

What the enemy means for evil God can turn it for our good.

Church family as disciples of Jesus we can trust in a God who perfectly just, in a world that is not.

“Blessed are the meek”.