“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth!” Matthew 5:5
Most of us, even true Christians, looking at this passage through our cultural perspective, would understand it to mean “blessed are the weak” or “blessed are the servile!” We live in a world where assertiveness and even aggressiveness is admired, while meekness is despised as a characteristic of the weak and powerless. One who stands up and demands civil rights or human rights or even animal rights is admired, but not the meek. Meek is equated with weak; but meekness, according to the bible, is not weakness, but rather a disposition to refrain from insisting upon one’s rights. The man who is truly meek only insists on God’s rights!
For example, Moses is described this way “But the man Moses was very meek, above all men that were upon the face of the earth” Numbers 12:2-4. No one familiar with his history would describe Moses as weak or servile. He was referred to as “Lord” Moses by Joshua in Numbers 11:28 and Numbers 36:2, he was king in Jeshurun ( the upright nation), he was the one who stood before Pharaoh, the absolute ruler of the superpower of his day, and challenged him to let God’s people go. He was neither weak nor servile, yet God’s assessment of this man is that he was very meek! The record shows that his response to personal attacks was to patiently explain and then refer the matters to the Lord.
Look at Shadrack Meshach and Abednego before the first king of kings, Nebuchadnezzar. What they said in effect was this “O king we will not resist you throwing us into the fiery furnace, but we will not bow down to the idol. We did not resist our forcible relocation to Babylon. We meekly submitted to it because we discerned God’s will in it. We accepted your power over our bodies (even to the probability that they were made into eunuchs) and at this point to many observers we probably appear weak and servile, but we will not bow down to your idol (even though all the assertive, tough guys had quickly bowed down to avoid incineration in the furnace)”.
John the Baptist was described by the Lord in this way “I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist”. Yet the record shows that when John himself was questioned “who are you then? the prophet that was to come, or the Christ, or Elijah returned?’ John in effect said “I am none of those; I am merely a voice crying in the wilderness”. Yet this mere “voice” publicly prophesied against the religious establishment of his day and finally lost his life because he publicly challenged Herod the king concerning his immorality. Yet John’s assessment of himself was that he was nothing but a voice being heard in the wilderness!
What of the Lord Jesus Christ himself regarding meekness?
“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.2 Cor 10:1. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls. Mat 11:29”
There he was, the second man out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven, the unique Son sent into the world by the father, yet meek and gentle. The man who could call numerous angels to his assistance at any time was meek and lowly of heart. Not just the external meekness that is often adopted by some, but meekness of heart. Sinners contradicted him constantly, they slandered his mother and disrespected him by saying he was a demon possessed Samaritan who did not know who was his father. In doing this they disrespected both him and God the father. His hometown Nazareth was the subject of social disdain. Even the Samaritans on one occasion refused to let him pass through their town because he was on his way to Jerusalem. Without any protest he took the long way and he went around them instead.
Was the Lord a servile coward? Absolutely not! Early in his career he publicly ejected the capitalists from the temple because he was consumed by zeal for God’s house. He never raised a finger in self-defense, but he publicly defended the honor of his Father’s house. Was he docile or spineless? Absolutely not! He taught openly in the Temple area even though the religious authorities were out to arrest him. Not only did he teach, but he taught as one having authority, while being challenged by the authorities of the day as to the source of his authority. The Scribes and Pharisees taught as those who sat in Moses’ seat, clothed with Moses’ authority, the blessed Lord Jesus taught as one who spoke of heavenly things with his authority as the only one who had come out of heaven. He spoke as the one who came from above and is above all; He spoke the words of God, not as merely being a prophet, but as himself a divine person. God was finally speaking “in Son”!
Yet he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a mute sheep before her shearers; allowing himself to be slapped in the face, and his beard to be plucked, his back to be beaten! To the casual observer he appeared to be the epitome of powerlessness. Pilate said, “man don’t you know I have authority to crucify you or I can get you released?” However, the answer was not that of a defeated man, it was a confident statement of a universal fact: “You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above.” He had been arrested and paraded before a succession of kangaroo courts, the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate. Look at his responses to each: Herod he did not answer! “Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing”. That fox deserved no answer! When the Sanhedrim asked “are you the Son of the blessed?” he witnessed “it is as you say, and furthermore you will see me coming in the clouds with great power”. For this they sentenced him to death. Before Pilate he witnessed the great confession that he indeed is king.
The Lord was meek, but not weak. During the time when he appeared to be at the mercy of his enemies he still answered according to Gods instruction. Herod was a usurper: no answer for him. The Sanhedrim adjured him by the living God so according to Lev 5:1, he did answer. Pilate he answered since the man was the governor, with authority that was by God’s permission. The Lord insisted on the rights of his father not his own rights. The challenge for those of us who are privileged in some way is how to be meek in our privileges! The challenge for those who may be less privileged is also to be meek. The Lord gives the supreme example of both challenges.
I mourn the lack of meekness that I sense in today’s young people. I don’t mean the underclass, I mean those near and dear to us who have benefitted from growing up in orderly Christian homes and have received a good education and good employment. Yet there seems to be an undercurrent of “genteel arrogance” and disregard and familiarity towards their elders and disdain for the less fortunate. What is sad is that our forebears complained of the same in those who held power over them! Could it be that we, the role models, passed this seed on and it is now blossoming? How have I handled the call to take the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ and to walk with him and to learn of him and to exhibit this meekness? May the Lord give us grace to accept his yoke, walk with him, and to learn of him and to be like him, meek and lowly of heart! May we also teach by example and precepts those who are under our influence!
Makiliwè Colin Younge
October 18, 2010 at 3:25pm