Blessed are the Meek

...for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

What do you think of when you hear the word "meek?" A mouse? I’ve found that it’s not an extremely positive word – people generally don’t want to be described as meek. It seems to carry the connotation of being weak or being a push-over.


The Greek word pra-os that has been translated "meek" or "humble" or "gentle" is also used to describe a soothing medicine, is used by sailors to describe a gentle breeze, and is used by farmers to describe a broken colt. What do these have in common? They all describe something with great power, held under control.

So can we work with a definition of meek as strength under control?

Think about this: superheroes always had their alter-egos: Superman had Clark Kent, Spiderman was Peter Parker. Both Clark Kent and Peter Parker were known for being nerdy. They held their super strength under control. These are good examples of meekness.

Why would anyone want to hold their strength and power under control? Aren’t we supposed to go for the jugular? Let everyone know how powerful we are so they can cower in fear of us?

Sometimes holding strength under control is the only way to protect our weak areas.

Superheroes always have weaknesses – and the draw of their stories is often a super-villain who tries to exploit those weaknesses. If he just walked around as Superman all the time, it’s probable that one of his enemies would manage to get to him with enough Kryptonite to defeat him.

How does holding our strength under control protect our weak areas?

Remember that this verse doesn’t just stand alone in the scriptures. It comes in Kingdom of Heaven context, and it follows after the statements that God blesses the poor in spirit and those who mourn. To be poor in spirit is to rely on God for everything, and to mourn includes mourning everything that separates us from God.

When we rely on God for everything and mourn our sinfulness, the next step is to willingly submit to God – submit everything to Him. Our biggest area of weakness is that we do sin, and, having sinned, we can’t get back to a right relationship with God on our own. So instead of simply trying to work through our own strength, we submit to God’s will.

Our super villain is Satan, who tries to make us think that we can do it all on our own, out of our own strength. This is what Jesus’ first temptation in the wilderness was all about. And it’s a constant temptation for us as well.

When we submit, we gain. When God called me to go on a mission trip to Russia, I didn’t know how I would raise the money. My "strength" was that I had earned my own money the previous summers to go toward tuition, and that summer I would be earning zilch. In fact, I’d be paying $3300 that I didn’t have for the privilege of earning nothing. I submitted to God’s will, and not only did I receive all of the needed funds for the trip (I even got enough to share with some friends who were going), but I also earned more that Spring than I had the previous Spring and Summer combined! I believe that was God showing me a little foretaste of what Jesus meant when he said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Sometimes holding our strength under control is the way to gain more than what we would gain by flaunting our strength.

I receive a devotional from the Voice of the Martyrs every day, and you’d be shocked to see how many of the stories there are of Christians being wrongfully accused, arrested, beaten up, thrown in prison, and even tortured – then, instead of getting revenge on their captors, willingly (even smiling) receiving their beatings, praying for their captors. Then their captors are so overcome by these attitudes that they begin to seek the peace that allows people who look weak to show such fierce resolve in the face of torture. They end up accepting Jesus for themselves – and those who held their strength under control gained more than they could have had they fought.

The ultimate example of meekness was Jesus Himself. Listen to Jesus’ words from Mark 14:36, shortly before He went to the cross: "Abba, Father," he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."

He could have stopped the crucifixion at any time. But he chose to submit instead, and this is the result, as reported by Paul in Philippians 2:5-11:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honorand gave him the
name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.

Because of His meekness, we are reconciled to God.

So as we live our lives with strength under control, we behave as Jesus did, and the results are like Jesus’ received: we get rewards ourselves, and we help others to have access to God as they witness our actions.

I want to close with a passage from the Psalms:

Psalm 37:1-3, 8-11, 16, 22, 27-29
1-3 Don’t worry about the wickedor envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away.Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good.Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

8-11 Stop being angry!Turn from your rage!Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed,but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. Soon the wicked will disappear.Though you look for them, they will be gone. The lowly will possess the landand will live in peace and prosperity.

16 It is better to be godly and have littlethan to be evil and rich.

22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,but those he curses will die.

27-29 Turn from evil and do good,and you will live in the land forever. For the Lord loves justice,and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever,but the children of the wicked will die. The godly will possess the landand will live there forever.