Matthew 5.5

Matthew 5.5:
Meekness is not for the Faith of Heart

The idea of meekness in our time is grossly misunderstood. Most people when talking of meekness think that it carries with it a sense of weakness. The common error with our understanding of meekness has been practiced within churches for too long. Our false idea has allowed Christians to take a back seat to people too often. We (most of us) will get walked on, “out of love”, and call it being meek. When Jesus told his disciples “[b]lessed are the meek…” he was not referring to a lifestyle which just lies down at the feet of opposition in the name of love. Rather, he had something much different in mind. None of Jesus’ commands were for the faint in heart, they were for warriors. Only the strong can live a life Jesus is describing in these nine verses, especially verse 5. Only warriors can be meek.

To start we have to re-define the word meek. Webster even defined meek in a soft, “please walk all over me” way. He defined meekness as, “too submissive, spiritless.” It would carry with it the idea of someone with no backbone, someone who just submits to everyone without looking out even for themselves. Now, this does not mean that we should only be looking out for numero uno, but we should not allow for everyone and their brother to walk all over us. To redefine meek we have to look at the life of Jesus, and we will draw most of our material from Philippians 2.5-9. Just remember, meekness IS NOT weakness.

Philippians 2.5-9:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of a God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which his above every name”

Jesus reflected the true idea of meekness. He possessed all the strength in the world, because he created it. By him all things were made, and there was nothing made that was not made by him (John 1. 3). Yet, humbly he came and lived among us. He defined meekness. And what is that definition? Strength under control. Though Jesus could have came and ruled here on Earth, he chose to come as a baby, live as a peasant and be murdered at the hands of religious people. While being spat upon, hit in the face, having a crown of thorns shoved into his head, Jesus did not react. Isaiah 53.7 prophesied that Jesus would react this way: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53.7).

We are shown meekness in Philippians, through Jesus, and Paul encourages us to have this same attitude (Phil 2.5). Though Jesus was God, he humbled himself and became a servant. He was meek. He had every right to demand worship, to rule and reign over this world, because he made it! Yet, he stooped down on his last night with the disciples and WASHED THEIR FEET (John 13)! Meekness is a humble attitude, not allowing others to walk on us, but not promoting ourselves over them either. We read throughout scripture that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4.6). In our passage in Philippians we find that through Christ’s meekness, God exalted him to a name above every name. When we are meek, we are strong, but under control, like a father wrestling with his child. We are to live humbly or meek, and allow God to exalt us, so that he and he alone gets the glory!