Good News for the Meek

There was an elderly lady who made a trip to the bank one day to withdraw a small amount of cash. She approached the teller, gave her account information and birth date, and then asked, “may I please withdraw $20 in cash.”

The teller had been there all day, and had grown rather callous by a life of customer service, and in a monotone rattled off one of the bank’s new policies. “For withdrawals less than $100, please use the ATM. Next please.”

The elderly lady said, “I don’t understand, don’t I have the funds?” The teller replied, “I’m sure you do, but it is the bank’s policy to make smaller transactions through the ATM as to not hold up the queue in person.”

The lady kindly asked, “will you please tell me what my current account balance is? It has been a while since I have checked at this bank” With a roll of her eyes the teller obliged, and to her shock she replied in hushed tones, “Ma’am, your account balance is $300,000.00”. The lady said, “I’m a bit disappointed in my service today. Can I please withdraw the entirety of my account?” After speaking to her manager and coming back in a nervous way, the teller said “we don’t keep that much cash on hand here, ma’am. Can you please make an appointment with our branch manager to come back another day?”

The lady replied, “That’s not necessary. Are you sure that I cannot withdraw a $20 bill?” “No ma’m, bank policy.” Fine, then. What is the most I can withdraw today? “$3,000.” I’ll take that then, she replied.

The teller counted out the bills to the elderly lady, up to 3,0000. The lady pulled out one $20 bill from the stack, placed the rest of the cash on the counter and said, “I’d like to deposit $2,980 into my account, please.”

Now, I’m not sure that’s a true story, but I thought it brought across an interesting point. We are talking about meekness today. I’m not sure if the lady in the story was meek or not, but she certainly was clever. What that story illustrates is that, almost always, when we look at someone, there is more there than meets the eye. Often under the cover of gentleness and humility, there is strength and wisdom.

Jesus says in our passage today, “blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

If you view the dictionary entry in a modern dictionary for meekness, you will read something like this. “Quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on.” Adjectives you’ll find for meekness in a modern thesaurus are things like “wimpish, quiet, tame, shy, timid.”

Typically when the work “meek” is used today, those are the thoughts that come to mind for the modern reader. Because of that, meekness tends to have a negative connotation. “nobody wants to be a meek pushover.”

Society would have us believe that meekness is the equivalent of being a doormat, or a teacher’s pet. No boldness, no confidence, no self-esteem, no potential.

But I think as we look at scripture, the words of Jesus, the words he is referring to here, and the examples that the Bible gives us of this kind of blessed meekness, we will find that there is more than meets the eye, just like the lady in that story.

Blessed meekness is not weakness or cowardice; rather, it is gentleness, submission, waiting for and trusting in the Lord for life and eternity.

1. What is Blessed Meekness?

If we take these beatitudes in a progression, and I believe they are meant to be read as such, then we get a clue as to where Jesus is going with this.

One of the prophecies that Jesus fulfills gives us a good starting place for looking at meekness.

Matthew 12:19–20 ESV

He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;

Jesus is prophesied to be one who will not “quarrel loudly.” He will not break a bruised reed, or quench a smouldering wick. In other words, he would not display his strength just because he could. I remember as a young boy with a couple friends, occasionally we would go out in to the woods and try to push over dead trees. My friend’s dad asked us one day why were were doing that, making a mess in his woods. And our reply was, “because we can.” I think it was in our boyhood yearning to display our strength, even for no reason. But Jesus would have strength under control. True meekness.

Often times, meekness here is translated as humility. But Meekness but itself is not all of humility. Rather, I think humility for followers of Jesus is wrapped up in all three of these first beatitudes. Poorness of Spirit, Mourning, and Meekness all together point at humility. The meek man is one who realizes his poverty of spirit, he mourns over his own condition and the condition of the world around him, but then he does not take that opportunity as a chance to forge his own path, or to push his own agenda. Rather, realizing the great need, he is humble, gentle, and waiting for the Lord to act in righteousness and justice.

But much of defining meekness has to come in defining what it is not. For instance, meekness often gets equated with weakness or timidity. Maybe that is because “meek” and “weak” conveniently rhyme. But rhymes do not make synonyms. Meekness and weakness are not synonyms, and on the contrary, meekness and strength are not mutually exclusive.

Someone who is naturally weak or timid as a character trait cannot necessarily claim meekness. You can be weak and timid, but still not patient, trusting, and waiting for the Lord.

Also, being introverted and quiet does not naturally make you meek. You can be a man or women of few words, but still not have the kind of gentle, patient, and trusting Spirit that leans on the Lord and seeks for Him to act.

Some are quiet and reserved and introverted, but just wishing they had a more outgoing, gregarious, “go get ‘em” kind of Spirit. Meekness is not merely a personality trait, it is a blessed condition.

Meekness in the realm of God’s kingdom is gentle, quiet, and trusting because these meek do not seek to push their own agenda, they are not self-assertive, and they are not entirely self-confident. They know who they are, they know their needy condition, and they know the condition of the world around them. But the mark of blessed meekness is trusting in and waiting on the Lord. The meek doesn’t insist on his own rights, or “getting what he has earned” when it comes to God’s kingdom. For he knows his rights and what he has earned is condemnation. But when you know your poverty of spirit, you mourn over that and that of the world, you realize that God alone is the source of strength, righteousness, and justice.

Ephesians 6:10 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

In this passage, where Paul goes on to tell about the armor of the Lord, we realize that it is not the believer’s lot in life to be weak. Rather, we are strong in the Lord. And that is the defining factor. Meekness is not weakness, it is strength in the Lord. It is strength, as its often defined, under control.

2. What does Blessed Meekness look like?

Two major characters in scripture come to mind when we think of Meekness. One is Moses.

Numbers 12:3 ESV

Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.

Now, many people read that verse and think. “Didn’t moses write that? That’s not very meek and humble of him.” Well, some think that perhaps that was written in as commentary after Moses’ death. But even if he did write it, he wrote it, we believe, under inspiration. And either way, Moses’ is remembered and revered as both an incredible leader, and also a very meek man. He faced the most powerful ruler in the world and led a host of captives into freedom. He was used to do miracles, give revelation, to part the waters, to be a go-between, a mediator between God and his people. Moses was an incredible man, but he was meek. He did not lack strength, he did not lack power. Rather, his strength and power was god-given. Do you remember Moses’ at his calling? He was timid, he was nervous. He cited his slowness of speech as a reason that God should send someone else. But what did God say to Him, and what did God prove to his people over and over again? “I will be with you.”

Moses’ strength and leadership wasn’t just his personality. It was God-given. Moses knew his poor condition, he was aware of his weakness. But meekness is not weakness, it is strength in the Lord.

But perhaps the greatest example of meekness, like any righteous condition, is found in our Lord Jesus.

Matthew 11:28–29 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

That word “gentle” is the same word for “meek” in the beatitudes. Jesus says to the workers, the laborers. The ones who are trying to get it done on their own. He says, “come to me and rest.” We have said that meekness is waiting, resting, trusting in the Lord. Well, here the Meek Lord calls us to become meek in Him. Rather than “getting it done” on our own, he calls us to “rest in him.”

Matthew 21:5 ESV

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

Jesus, we know, fulfilled this prophecy in every way. And one of the ways he fulfilled it is that he was “humble.” There, that word “humble” again is the same word used as “meek” in Matthew 5. We typically don’t think of a ruler and king being meek and humble, but that is our Lord, isn’t it? Of course, we know Jesus wasn’t weak, and timid, and a door-mat. Jesus is, after all, the one who turned the tables and drove the merchants out with a whip for righteousness sake. We hear of “Jesus meek and mild.” But that is not the full picture. Jesus is pictured in the Bible as a warrior, as a victorious one, as strong, as a mighty captain. He is not “meek and mild” as if he is a servile and weak individual. He is Meek because he has all power and authority, yet he wields it wisely. His example on earth is one of submission to the Father. Again, not because of weakness, but in his meekness.

Of course there are many examples of meekness, but perhaps one that we can really sink our teeth into and take to heart is in Psalm 37. In fact, Jesus is quoting from Psalm 37 when he says “the meek will inherit the earth.” Psalm 37:1-11 sort of give us a picture of righteous meekness. Lets see some examples.

Psalm 37:1 ESV

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

To “fret” here is to be stirred up, to be writhing, to wring your hands. That is the opposite of meekness. Meekness is not driven to personal action, not driven to revenge or retribution. Neither is it driven to envy over the apparent prospering of the wicked.

Psalm 37:3 ESV

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Here, though, is the alternative. Rather than being stirred up to anger and retribution, the meek man “Trusts in the Lord and does good.” Its almost like the image that Jesus uses in parable about the man who has is hand to the plow. Don’t look back, don’t look around. Trust in the Lord, and do good.

Psalm 37:4 ESV

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Rather than being envious of what the wicked can gain in their wickedness, the delight of the meek man is in the LORD. Our desires are God’s desires, our desires, really, are God Himself. He is our prize and our goal.

Psalm 37:5 ESV

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

Here is the hope of the meek. Because the question will be asked: what about when there is real injustice? What about when I’ve been wronged? What about when something is clearly out of place? Trust in the Lord, he will act. Commit your way to the Lord. This is where meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness. We aren’t to take every evil into our own hands, to enact vengeance. That is the Lord’s.

Psalm 37:7 ESV

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Here is that call, again, to not fret. “be still before the Lord.” “Wait patiently for him.” Sometimes we are all still except for our mind, right? We are still in body, but in mind and in soul we are trembling and writhing with impatience. The call is to patience.

Psalm 37:8 ESV

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

The meek man realizes that being stirred up to anger and wrath, being stirred to take revenge into our own hands only lends itself to evil.

Psalm 37:9–11 ESV

For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

See the contrast? The wicked will be cut off. But we don’t have to be the ones to cut them off. Ultimate justice is God’s prerogative. Ours is to wait patiently. Ours is to trust him. He will act.

3. What is the good news for the Meek?

Now, the promise for the meek, both there in Psalm 37 and here in Matthew 5 is that they will “inherit the earth” or “inherit the land.” Again, for the meek, for the mourner, for the poor in Spirit, our inheritance is a Kingdom inheritance. We were placed on this earth to have dominion over it, to subdue it, to work it and till it and be productive and creative in it. We reflect the image of God in doing so. The sinful temptation is to control and take the earth as if God does not exist, but the meek know that the earth is the Lord’s, and only in Him can we fulfil our created order. But this inheritance goes far beyond a chunk of turf in the here and now. There is coming an eternal inheritance, in the new heaven and the new earth, where God’s righteous people will dwell in final “peace” or “shalom” as Psalm 37 spoke about.

Psalm 37:9 ESV

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

One day evil will be cut off and defeated, and those who are waiting for the Lord will be on the victory side. The desire of the poor in spirit, the mourners, is for wrongs to be righted, for justice to be served, for sin to be turned to righteousness. We cannot accomplish that in our natural strength - we must wait on the Lord.

Psalm 37:11 ESV

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

To each eternal promise there is always temporal benefits. Our benefit in meekness now is that peace. Peace in knowing that, ultimately, the battle is the Lord’s, and He is the victorious one. But also, in our meekness, we spread that peace around.

This would have been incredibly difficult for some of Jesus’ listeners in his day to hear, because many of them were hyper-fixated on the political state of their nation. Because of the less-than-ideal relationship and subservience to the Roman government at the time of Jesus, there was a group in particular called the zealots who were constantly stirring up political trouble. In their good desire to inherit the land in a physical sense, they were looking for a messiah that would primarily be a political warrior, and avenger, and bring them freedom from Roman oppression.

That was not Jesus’ aim. And when they hear, “blessed are the meek for they will inherit the land” it would have seemed so backward. So servile. So, well, weak. Yes, the citizens of the kingdom will be victorious and inherit the land, but it won’t be by force or by personal might - it will be as we are strong in the Lord.

Earlier I alluded to Ephesians 6, where Paul speaks of the armor of God. We are told to be strong in the Lord and put on his armor as we fight the real battle, which is not against flesh and blood, but against the enemy. We are to take up the whole armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

That is the armor and weaponry for the meek. Notice, it is all of the Lord. Every element of that armor, and the sword we fight with, is of the Lord.

If you look back in history, you will see eras where Christians have wrongly attempted to spread the kingdom by way of the sword. That is not our call, that is not our aim. Our weapons and warfare are not steel and flesh, but they are spirit and truth.

This is true both corporately, as we cannot bring the Kingdom in by force or by battle, but it is also true personally.

We cannot fight our way into the kingdom by our own perseverance and strength. If we see our poverty of spirit, and we mourn over our own condition, we go the wrong way if we seek to remedy those things by might. The meek man does not say, “I’m unholy and condemned, let me make myself holy.” The meek man does not say, “I am in poverty before God, let me earn riches by my own strength and invention.” The meek man, rather, says, “I am poor condemned. Let me run to the savior. Let me cease from my efforts to push my own agenda, and let me go to the savior in whom there is rest for my weak and weary soul.”

And in that trusting in the Lord, in that finding rest and peace in Him, there is great victory. There is a victory we could never have won in our own strength. We are weak, and he is strong. Only in Him are we made strong. Our inheritance is in Him.

1 Corinthians 3:21–23 ESV

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

See that progression? Why is it that we will inherit the earth? Because we are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. We will not gain our inheritance because we have earned it - no, an inheritance is never earned. An inheritance comes by blessed position, and the meek in Christ are in a blessed position.

The irony of this whole thing is that the meek man is a man who would never seek to conquer the earth. The meek person is a person who would never lift a sword to take a nation or plunder the spoils of battle. Meekness would never seek to conquer the earth, but the earth will be the inheritance of the meek.

So blessed are you and I, not when we seek to take charge and take things into our own hands, and blessed are you and I, not when we tremble in fear and timidity. But blessed are you and I when we trust in the Lord, when we wait upon Him, when we delight in Him. That is true meekness, and the meek shall inherit the earth.