Meek or Weak?

Good morning ladies!

What a morning! I typed this all up and had it worded just the way I wanted and then my computer decided to send my work into an undisclosed location in the cyber universe. So I had to start over and redo it. Of course, you can never state the same thing the same way twice but I’ll do my best to state it in some fashion.

Today we’ll continue on in our look at the Beatitudes with the third Beatitude which states, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” This is found in Matthew 5:5 as part of the Sermon on the Mount.

What does it mean to be meek? Many people interpret this to mean quiet, afraid and even weak. Those same people would probably view Jesus as weak. But meekness is humility, it’s strength under control. Jesus had the strength and power to do anything He wanted but He chose humility and submission to God.

Strength under control brings to mind a picture of lions and tigers that are trained to perform or interact with humans. They choose to comply with their trainers. If they one day snap and they’ve had enough, they have the power to inflict injury and death (as we all know happened to Siegfried and Roy who trained tigers and performed for many years until Roy was maimed by his trained tiger.) Strength under control is a choice, we choose to be meek and humble.

Inheriting the earth refers to receiving the kingdom of God, most likely when Jesus returns. Can you imagine a world where everything is reversed and those who grasp for power and possessions are not the ones who are rewarded but the meek and humble?

The bible mentions meekness and humility quite often in the bible. Matthew 11:29 says, “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.” This verse was talking about the burden the religious leaders were putting on the people. Jesus was offering them a much simpler way with gentle requirements. He speaks of Himself as gentle and meek, a real contrast to the Pharisees who were arrogant and harsh. Finding rest for your soul refers to inner peace and comfort during the struggles of life. We just have to surrender the burden to Jesus and submit to His will.

So how do we put meekness into practice daily? We should submit to God’s will. Rely on God’s strength rather than self-reliance. We cannot do anything without God. We can give gentle responses to others instead of lashing out with anger. We can accept correction and feedback from others and be open to learning from Godly people. This isn’t always an easy thing, many times we feel the need to argue our side or explain ourselves rather than just listening and trying to see how we can change behaviors. It’s easier to get defensive and it’s the more common response to any correction we receive. We can be like Jesus and serve others, putting their needs above our own.

And we need to keep in mind the meaning of meekness. Meekness is strong, not weak. Meekness is active, not passive. Meekness is courageous, not timid. Meekness is restrained, not excessive. Meekness is modest, not arrogant. Meekness is gracious, not rude. Consider meekness a positive trait, after all, Jesus was meek.

Hopefully, you are all enjoying the beautiful weather and we’d love to see you at our little church on the hill, it’s worth the drive!

Lori Hug