Blessed Are The Meek
February 12, 2015 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement | Tags: meek, Moses, beautitudes
Note: This is part 3 of an 8 part series reflecting on the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. These values of the Kingdom of God are also values of our church. How do our values shape who we are and what we do?
Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness sounds like weakness, doesn’t it (and I’m not just talking about the rhyme)? Be honest: what comes to your mind when you hear the word “meek”? “As meek as a mouse”? The simile communicates a lot about what we understand about meekness. A “meek” person is quiet, unassuming, docile, acquiescent, deferential, etc. Leadership and meekness rarely go hand in hand in our cultural understandings. What is Jesus commending when he says, “blessed are the meek”? Should we strive to be meek or is Jesus just “giving a nod” to a certain personality temperament?
Consider whom the Bible designates as “meek.” Numbers 12:3 says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” This is the Moses who murdered an Egyptian for mistreating an Israelite. This is the Moses who appeared before Pharaoh multiple times demanding the release of the Israelites. This is the Moses who instructed the people of Israel to observe the Passover and so preserve their firstborn children. This is the Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness. This is the Moses who ascended Mount Sinai and received from God the Ten Commandments and instructions to build the tabernacle. And it is written of him that he is meeker than all people.
The circumstances of Numbers 12 help us understand the nature of meekness. His brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, question Moses’ right to be the leader and intermediator between God and the people. They were jealous. You’ll notice, though, in Numbers 12 that Moses does not fight for his rights as the leader of Israel. God does. In this is the essence of meekness.
1. Meekness rejects self-assertiveness, but is not afraid to lead. The meek do not grab for power, but when power and responsibility are given to the meek they use it in humble reliance upon God. Jesus says it like this, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:42-43). Servant leadership is a form of meekness.
2. Meekness finds its strength in God not in position. The meek are not weak and pushovers (do you want to call Moses a pushover?). On the other hand, the meek do not think more highly of themselves than they ought. Meekness flows out of the first two Beatitudes. One who is poor in spirit and mourns has a proper assessment of himself before God and man. There is no room for boasting or self-promotion. This person finds his strength not in himself but in God and in what God has done for him through Christ.
Therefore, meekness is a character trait for which we ought to strive. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-29, “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 (same Greek word used in Matt. 5:5 for “meek”) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
The promise for the meek, combining the ideas of Matthew 5:5 and 11:29, is contentment and soul-satisfying rest in this life and for eternity. This contentment is rooted in finding our strength in Christ and not in our own strivings to get more [power, wealth, status, etc.].
May God bless us and our church with meekness as we enjoy the rich rest found in Christ.
