Key Verse: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5 ESV)
In the business or sports worlds, in order to be considered successful, you need to surpass or crowd out your competitors. In military campaigns, it is the army that is most dominant or that takes the most land that is considered triumphant. In the eyes of the world, the person who is the most assertive or who gains the most power is often held in the highest esteem. It’s about the survival of the fittest. It’s about being the last man standing. Apparently, the world belongs to these kinds of people.
But this is not the case when it comes to the kingdom of God. From God’s perspective, the person who is considered blessed is not the most dominant, the toughest or the most powerful. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek.”
What does it mean to be meek? Other translations of this verse use the word “gentle” or “humble.” The word that Jesus is using is not referring to someone who is weak, soft or unsure of himself. Meekness is not weakness! Rather, meekness means to be someone whose strength or power under control. Like a wild horse that has been tamed or a raging forest fire that has been contained, it is power or strength that has been reigned in and brought under control.
Does this describe you? To be honest, we likely have all had moments that were anything but meek. It may have manifested itself through an angry outburst, a harsh word, a thoughtless comment made online, or by simply bowling someone over in order to get what we want. This isn’t what God promises to bless.
When Jesus first said these words, the Jewish people were waiting expectantly for their Messiah. Many thought that when the Messiah came, he would do so with a great show of power by overthrowing their Roman oppressors. But when Jesus arrived on the scene, they didn’t quite know what to do with Him. He wasn’t like anything that they were expecting. He was meek. Even Jesus described Himself as “lowly and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
The meekness though that Jesus models for us was anything but weak. Jesus was not afraid to confront injustice or to stand up and speak the truth to the religious leaders. Being fully God, Jesus held all the power. But in His meekness, He chose not to use His power for selfish purposes or personal gain. He kept His strength under control. Instead, He used it to serve others, to minister to the sick, and to love those who were on the fringes. Even at the Cross, Jesus showed His meekness by enduring suffering so that we could be saved.
Jesus reminds us today that it is the meek, the humble and the gentle who are truly blessed. These are the ones who will inherit the earth.
Prayer: Jesus, you hold all the power. Yet you chose to use that power in order to love and to serve others. Grow in me a heart of gentleness and humility that reflects you to those around me. Help me to keep my strength under control. Show me what meekness looks like today as I follow you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
