Meekness... not Weakness

Meekness... not Weakness

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5)

Again the whip lashed.  The meek shall inherit the earth?  What nonsense!  These Pharisees knew that they had taken possession of the earth, but they also knew that they had not received it through meekness.  The only humility which they knew was that which served as a cloak for their grasping thievery.

Now, the Lord is announcing the righteous principle.  Later, He will strip the mask from these alleged holy men and leave them no basis for their hollow pretence.  He will say to them, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation" (Matthew 23:14).  But in the Sermon on the Mount, the Kingdom offer is being made.  He is announcing that in the Kingdom when He shall reign upon the earth, possession will be vested in those who are meek.

We are not to think of this word in any unfavorable sense.  Meekness is not fawning servility, it is that quality in a man which proves him to be patient under injuries, not vain or haughty or resentful; forbearing, kind.  In truth, it is the gift of God and is a part of the new life that is given to us at the new birth when we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior.  All that an unsaved man may ever know of meekness is the humility, like that of Dickens’ interesting character Uriah Heep, whose sniveling mockery lasted as long as there was a shred to his mask.  Any meekness that the world can know will differ from this only in degree, but it will always be of this kind, for true meekness is the fruit of the indwelling life of the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:22).

Dr. Barnhouse’s exhortation must be heeded by the Church today.  We should neither be arrogant and haughty nor fawning and servile under pressure.  Stand firm in truth and love, seeking to win our persecutors to Christ.  We should all let God’s grace work within us this necessary fruit of he Spirit.

Further Reading: Matt. 11:25-30