Why would I want to read a newspaper article where the word, “meek” is in the title? Do I really know what is meant by the word, “meek?” What did Jesus mean by this when He was speaking to His disciples?
There is often a misunderstanding about what Jesus meant when He used the word, “meek.” Today, people frequently think of meek as a synonym for weak. Although weak is way down on the list of synonyms, one who is meek is not someone who is somehow lacking courage. This is not included in the biblical concept of meek.
Meek is not a lack of bravery. Meek is not passive. The meek are not pushovers. A meek person is definitely not marked by a lack of conviction. A meek person does not have low self-esteem or is simply a “nice” person. Jesus was not saying, “Blessed are the weak,” He said, “Blessed are the meek.”
What does “meek” look like in a follower of Jesus Christ?
The meek trust in the Lord. There is a profound confidence that God is on your side and He will work to defend you when you are helpless. The meek are those who will say to their Lord, “Not my will, but your will be done.” The meek will gladly give their Lord every part of their lives and then ask him to fill it as He chooses.
The meek delight in the Lord. This is the ability to find their deepest joy in God. Even though Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a pregnant teenager, and not yet living with her husband-to-be, she praised God saying, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
The meek are fully committed to the Lord. They give their lives, along with their anxiety and fears, to the Lord, who through His grace, sustains them, guides them, and protects them.
The meek are quiet before the Lord and wait on Him. The meek have unwavering patience and trust that God is at work, even when His actions are not immediately seen.
The meek do not worry about evil people. The meek are not angry, bitter, or envious when they see people who could care less about God prospering.
The meek place their hope in the Lord. They understand that God is good and they live with the anticipation of seeing God work for their good and His glory.
Sinclair Ferguson has said, “(Meekness) is the humble strength that belongs to the man who has learned to submit to difficulties (difficult experiences and difficult people), knowing that in everything God is working for His good. The meek man is the one who has stood before God’s judgment and abdicated all his supposed ‘rights’. He has learned, in gratitude for God’s grace, to submit himself to the Lord and to be gentle with sinners.”
From the epistle of James, we can add to the concept of meekness. This is from The Passion Translation, James 1:19-21, …
[19] My dearest brothers and sisters, take this to heart: Be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry, [20] for human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God’s righteous purpose. [21] So this is why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with a sensitive (MEEK, GENTLE, same Greek word) spirit we absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver us.
What is James trying to tell us? The meek have, … open ears, closed mouths, gentle hearts, and teachable spirits.
If we take this to heart, this is really personal. Does this describe you? I am sure I am stepping on toes here, including my own. It is easy to gripe and complain about just about anything …
What is the promise to the meek? The promise given to the meek is that they will inherit the earth. We have already seen in v3 that the poor in spirit gain entry to the kingdom. In v4, those who mourn over their spiritual condition will receive comfort. In v5, the meek will inherit the earth.
The Bible tells us in Romans 8:19 NLT, (that) all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.... But on that future day, the Lord will bring in a new heaven and a new earth, and that is the earth that will be inherited by the meek. The real estate we walk on today will have passed away. It is the new earth the meek will inherit.
All Christians are called to be poor in spirit. All are called to mourn. All are called to be meek. All of these qualities are to be a part of every Christian’s life. We are all called to be poor in spirit rather than self-righteous; we are all called to mourn over our sinfulness; and we are all called to show meekness. Why? Because it has been given to believers to possess the kingdom of God, to receive the comfort promised, and the earth to inherit.
How do I know if I’m meek? Do I recognize that apart from the grace of God and the power of God, that I cannot be saved? Do I trust in the Lord? Do I have confidence in Him? Do I find my deepest joy in God? Am I fully committed to Him? Have I given my life completely to Him? Do I wait on God to move? Does it bother me that evil prospers? Is my hope in the Lord?
All of these are evidence of meekness. If I see these in my life, then God in His mighty grace and power, has brought me to a place of meekness. He has blessed me by bringing me into His kingdom and making me an inheritor of all that His kingdom involves on this earth and in the glory to come.
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