We are in a series on the beatitudes which are the opening verses of Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount”z beginning in Matthew 5. The next two beatitudes spoken by Jesus are:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
There is no more counter-cultural statement in the New Testament that the promise that those who are meek will inherit the earth. Another way of saying this is that those who are kind and gentle will win in the end. Clearly, those who appear on The Viewand similar talk shows do not subscribe to this teaching. The beatitude of this slice of our culture would be, “Blessed are those who rail, who scream, who attack and who label those with whom they disagree. Blessed are those who are “in your face” and who angrily impugn the character of others. Blessed are the slanderers and the bullies for they shall ultimately get their way.” That seems to be the bent of our culture at the moment and the role models our children are be offered for how to get ahead in the world.
Jesus, however, calls his people to be meek. In both Hebrew and Greek thought the word does not mean “weak.” It is, in fact, strength under control. It could be used of a wild horse that has learned to control his power under the direction of a bridle. In our case, the bridle would be the Holy Spirit. Jesus used the word to describe himself. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt.11:29). The KJV translates it as meek and lowly in heart. Jesus was no weakling and neither was he timid. He was, however, gentle and kind with the weak and the broken of this world. Moses himself is described in that way. “ Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Num.12:3). Moses was also not a timid man to be pushed around.
Individuals who are meek do not demand their way. They do not push to the front of the line. They do not Lord it over people, insist on winning, or demean others while getting in the last word. They can talk about hard issues and even point out sin when needed, but they do so in a kind and gentle way. However, they can also push back and “take the gloves off” when the moment demands it. Jesus did not mince words with the Pharisees when their “religion” had become a yoke of bondage for the masses and when their hypocrisy turned people away from the Father.
These are men and women who believe that God is directing their steps and if they deserve recognition or promotion, God will make the arrangements. They are not concerned about getting their way but only about the needs of others being met or God’s way winning the day. We can aspire to have each of the qualities Jesus calls us to develop in our lives because, like the fruit of the Spirit, these are the qualities that Jesus possessed and, subsequently, that the Father possesses. Jesus is simply calling us to be like our heavenly Father. Graham Cooke, an international speaker with prophetic gifts, often says that God is the kindest person he has ever met. As we become more like him, our intimacy with him increases and then so does the blessedness that comes from being in his presence and the confidence that he will always be there for us. Meekness, like these other sources of blessing, is a fruit of being dependent on God. It is a fruit of the Spirit that harnesses our egos, our demanding nature, our anger, and our sense of entitlement Ultimately, meekness will be a quality that defines the inhabitants of heaven and eventually will be clearly evident in those who rule over a restored earth with Jesus. They truly will inherit the earth. They do win in the end.
As soon as he calls us to meekness, he calls us to hunger and thirst after righteousness. Many of us believers want to settle for a morality slightly better than the world around us as if we get to heaven on a graded scale. We sort of think that if we can live a more righteous life than 70% of the population we will gain entrance into heaven…sort of like a spiritual SAT. None of us really believe that theologically, but we tend treat righteousness in that way. There may a part of us that doesn’t want to be too righteous or we might be rejected all together by co-workers, friends, and even family. I think there may be a part of us that even suspects that a life lived too righteously might take all the fun out of everything and so we push back against too much.
We feel that way, however, because we view righteousness as a set of do’s and don’ts rather than as a state of heart that always wants to respond to God’s love by pleasing him. Remember that Jesus hung out with the prostitutes and tax collectors. He hung out where people sometimes drank too much. He attended weddings. Jews always dance at weddings so I think he danced. I think he laughed. I think he got giddy when people were healed and smiled mischievously when he walked across Galilee. Jesus had fun, but without sin. It is possible because he always did those things that pleased the Father…even when those around him were not. Righteousness is not keeping rules but aligning our hearts with the Father in every circumstance.
We also need to remember that righteousness is not about pointing out the sins of others. It is about loving God, pleasing him, and demonstrating the richness of life that comes from doing so. Jesus made righteousness attractive because by living to please God we are blessed and live free from the bondage of guilt, shame and selfishness. When we hunger and thirst, our highest priorities are to please God rather than trying to fill a hole in our soul by pursuing all the empty promises of the world. When we hunger to please God, the empty places inside will surely be filled and our needs will surely be met. That is blessedness.
