Who are the Meek?

Meekness is not a word we use very often. Many believe that meekness means weakness. It doesn’t. It also does not mean spinelessness or indecisiveness.  It does not mean to be polite or timid or even naturally kind and soft spoken.  So what is meekness? Matthew Henry said meekness is, “a quietness of spirit that calms our raging and deepens our humility.  It is a kind of gentleness and self-control even when the heart is hot and that requires strength.”

In other words, a weak person cannot be meek.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus opens with a series of statements known as the Beatitudes.  The third Beatitude is “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)  Jesus’ words echo Psalm 37:11, which says, “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”  What does it mean that the meek are blessed?

First, we must understand what it means to be blessed.  The Greek word translated blessed in this verse can also be translated fortunate, well off, happy. The idea is that a person will have joy if he or she is meek.  The blessedness is from God’s perspective, not our own.  It is a spiritual prosperity, not necessarily an earthly happiness.

Also, we need to understand that meekness is humility toward God and toward others.  It is having the right or the power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else.  Paul urged meekness when he told us, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:1–2)

God will not work with those who are proud and haughty. (See Zephaniah 3:11-12) Meekness is developed by being teachable and following God’s way. (See Psalm 32:8-9)  Meekness becomes evident in our approach to the will of God and our interactions with other people.  We show gentleness when we seek what is best for others.  

Did you know the meek are promised a magnificent inheritance: the earth? (See Matthew 5:5)  God promises the earth to those who fear the Lord (See Psalm 25:12-13), to those who wait on the Lord (See Psalm 37:9) and to the meek. (See Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5)  These aren’t conflicting promises; they support each other, since the meek are people who fear and wait on the Lord.

Allow me to offer some thoughts on Matthew 5 that can help put things in perspective. Here we have the Sermon on the Mount, where we see Jesus begin to expand on His true purpose, and to the disappointment of many, He was not going to be an earthly king bestowing power and prestige on His people, not just yet. Instead, God's plan for mankind included an inner transformation of souls for the sake of an eternal kingdom. 

To properly prepare us for this kingdom, God rejected earthly methods of acquiring power in favor of the healing that comes with merciful love.  It is God's mercy that changes our hearts from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh.  It's Christ's humility, His lowliness that calls us into a relationship with Him. Ultimately, it was Christ's willingness to give up earthly glory that opened the door for us to share in His eternal glory. 

There will come a day when this earth will be done away with and God will make a new earth.  It is the meek that will inherit the earth.  Meekness is a fruit of the spirit and those who are meek exhibit in their lives the power of a changed heart.  We cannot be meek without the Lord’s help. It is too difficult, which is why, when we learn meekness, we can be confident that God is at work in us.  God’s power is about strength in weakness.  God’s kingdom is about simplicity and making room in our hearts for the treasures that really matter.

The meek one is not the weak one.  To be biblically meek is not to bow our heads in self-doubt or false modesty but to stand tall and allow God’s claim on our lives to transform us and the world in which we live.