Blessed are the Meek:

The third Beatitude that I am now starting to talk about is, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  This one is a bit tricky, and I often think that it gets confused for being something that it is not.   Often the idea of being meek is very much associated with being weak, and therefore there are many people who don’t want to take this Beatitude seriously.  Why would anyone want to be considered weak especially amidst a world where people really care about being strong both physically, emotionally, mentally, and even amongst the other people around them.  

While doing a bit of research on this verse, I found that the best synonym for the word, “meek” is “gentleness.”  While I don’t think that is the word that best encompasses meekness, the word gentleness does describe an important part of being meek.  Gentleness and meekness is more than just kind, but it is a loving kindness.  It is the kind of kindness that shocks others.  The kind of gentleness that will shock others to their core.  The kind that really can only come from the Lord.   Gentleness and therefore, meekness is not a surface level deep kind of kindness but rather a deep sort of kindness.  

Meekness is also described as power under control.  To be meek does not necessarily mean that you are weak, but rather that you possess great power.  However, that power that one has is not used in a negative way or used in a way that could cause harm.  When someone confronts a person who is meek and is harmful to that person, the meek person doesn’t choose to fight back in response.  Rather, they show gentleness and kindness to the person who has caused harm.  This is not at all an easy thing to do, and it is definitely not the thing that is idealized in our world, but it does usually make the biggest impact on the person who originally caused the harm.  

The promise of this beatitude is that those who are meek will inherit the earth.  What exactly does this mean? Well, as we have mentioned this Beatitude like many of the other beatitudes are not the ones that are idealized in the world.  Rather the prideful and the rulers are the ones that are most honored in this world.  Therefore, there will be a change in the power dynamic.  Those meek and gentle souls will finally have the power that they were not honored before during their lifetime in the world.  Again, this will be similar to the idea and concept that whoever is last will be first in the future.  

Jesus was an example of being meek. Even though he was God’s son, he still took the time to care for the widowed, homeless, and the ill.  While many in the time period, even still to this today would not recommend doing that if you want to stay at the top, Jesus had a caring and compassionate heart for all those who came in close encounter with him.   Then while he wasn’t the most rich, most powerful, and always the most respected in the world, he is the one that is sitting on God’s throne in heaven.  He is sitting by God, the Father in complete power and glory that he was deserving the entire time he was on the earth.  

Jesus is another example because he not only was kind and compassionate, but he had great power that he used to care deeply about the things that were happening in the world.  He had and still does have a deep compassionate heart for the injustices that are in this world.  He didn’t shy away from being confrontational with Pharisees who were making high demands out of the law and therefore leading many people to being stoned.  He quickly reminded them that everyone (minus himself, of course) has sinned and therefore is needing the mercy and the grace that he and the father can provide.  We too, can have deep passions, especially against injustice and against things of this world that is ugly and evil.  A person who is meek though knows how to best care about these deep issues while also not losing their integrity of being unkind, unloving, and unfruitful. This again, is not being weak, but having incredible power sustained and used in gentle and loving situations.  

It is not weak to walk away from a situation, especially a situation where people are doing wrong to you.  When someone does wrong to you, it can be easy to want to fight back instantly.  I know that I personally struggle with this.  It can be very easy for me to want to fight back when there are those who are harmful to me.  However, it is in the best moments that when others are being cruel and unfair that we be compassionate and fair, so we showcase that power and strength under control.  One verse that showed up in my devotional book recently is Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”  Even though this doesn’t have the word meek, it does have that word gentleness.  It is very important to have that gentleness all throughout the world and with everyone that we interact with in order to share God’s love with the world around us.