Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matt 5:5 ESV
Meekness, what is it? Would I recognize meekness if I saw it in another? It seems to me that meekness has a negative connotation in our culture; you certainly won’t find it among a list of valued leadership traits. Frankly, I felt unprepared to share any insight into why Jesus named meekness among the beatitudes; undaunted,I forged ahead in the expectation that inspiration would come through Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
In the account of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Jesus expands on and deepens the meaning of the Law, the Writings and the Prophets that make up an important part of God’s revelation. True to the promise, seek and you shall find, my search led me to believe that it is likely Jesus had Psalm 37 in mind when he names meekness as a blessed way of being. The psalm contrasts the relationship and the ultimate fate of the righteous and the wicked with respect to God. One of the attributes characterizing the righteous in the psalm is meekness.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus seems to have conflated and rephrased verses from the psalm when speaking about meekness: “... those who wait for the LORD will inherit the land.” (Ps 37:9, ESV); “The meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant peace.” (Ps 37:11); see also Ps 37:22; 34. A number of phrases in the opening verses of Psalm 37 provide insight into the attributes of the meek: trust in the LORD; delight in the LORD, committing one’s life to the LORD; stillness before the LORD. The meek among us focus their desire entirely on the LORD and anticipate that their needs will be met in God’s sufficiency. Moreover, the meek commit their circumstances, and even their suffering arising from injustice and evil to God, waiting patiently for Him to act on their behalf. There must surely be a deep level of trust in God’s righteousness and mercy that underlies and enables the meek to wait patiently and in stillness, and yet, remain hopeful of God’s deliverance despite their immediate circumstances. It is noteworthy that the Hebrew word, anav, translated in the ESV as meek, can also be translated as poor, afflicted or humble. It strikes me that poverty and affliction are conditions we experience and endure, while humidity is a frame of mind we adopt, a way of being in any circumstance. To be meek or humble in the face of what life brings is a choice and a discipline.
The Psalmist’s description of meekness is arresting, at least it is for me. For if this is meekness, then this way of being has not characterized my way of living, despite the fact that I consider myself a disciple of Christ. All too often I find myself fretting over situations and people who I feel threaten to undermine or thwart my self-conceived notion of the way things should be (read self-focused). The Psalmist rightly observes that fretting, frustration and anxiety can lead to anger, and ultimately to evil (Ps 37:8). Inevitably, one’s attempts to “manage” life consumes considerable energy and diverts our attention from our neighbor, and ultimately from God.
On that latter point, our struggle to maintain life as we believe it should be, a self-oriented perspective that is, inevitably leads to conflict with our neighbor and estrangement from God. Yes, we can scheme and manipulate to achieve our ends, and even resort to emotional or physical violence, to prevail. But cycle upon cycle of this way of living is corrosive, weakening and undermining relationships, subverting love and demeaning the Imago Dei in us and our neighbor To gain the whole world and to lose one’s soul … what of worth have we in the end? Understanding and embracing a humble and patient way of being that relies on God to bring things right is not only freeing to me, but it also has profound implications for you. I no longer view my neighbor as a competitor or an adversary. My neighbor and I both live under the dominion of God and are equal recipients of God providence and love. Life is no longer a zero-sum game that requires constant vigilance to maintain my share. I am free to become the person I am meant to be in Christ. That’s good news, indeed.
Reflecting on the first three beatitudes, an impoverished spirit, mourning and meekness, each seems to be part of the whole. That is, each is an attribute or facet of being for those who seek to be transformed in the image Christ Jesus. Embracing our poverty of spirit, sensing the pain of the world and responding in meekness are all aspects and circumstances of life is a surrender to the reality that is God; the who desires to draw us ever deeper into his life and heart.
Gaining insight into the meaning of meekness helps one to understand what Jesus means by, “Blessed are the meek…” Living in freedom from fretting and anxiety, fear and self-delusion about what will fulfill us seems a joyful and peace-filled way be. Be still, commit your way to the LORD, wait patiently for the LORD, trust in him and he will act. Believe it, live it for God is able to meet all our needs in Christ Jesus.
In the next post on the Beatitudes we will explore the tension that is inevitable when one seeks to live a righteous life while remaining meek. If you missed the earlier posts you can find them here: Spiritual Poverty a Blessing?; Are You Mourning?
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