Meekness Is Not Weakness
Matthew 5:1-5
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” vs. 5
Clichés and Guarantee’s?
Lately I have been watching things like the Olympics, the Superbowl, etc. and some things regarding people who have made it big in Hollywood and in the business world. I started making a list of some of the things they said that they attribute their success to. Here are some of the things I’ve heard.
Aim for the stars
If you just work hard enough and apply yourself you can do anything
If you can dream it, you can be it.
If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything
Life is what you make it
We just wanted it more
This is what we were aiming for and we wouldn’t settle for anything less
It struck me that these “clichés” sound great but for me there was a disconnect. I started thinking about some of them and they just don’t seem to really be accurate. For example, “we just wanted it more.” I heard someone say that after a football game. There were 31 other teams that wanted that same thing, had the same goal, wanted to be standing there holding that trophy and have that feeling of being on top of the world. I tend to think that all of them really wanted it bad. I saw the disappointment on the losers face. They wanted it. Or, the Hollywood star that I heard interviewed and said, “If you just work hard enough and apply yourself you can do anything.” Sounds good. But I know plenty of people who work really hard and maybe harder that the person speaking and have never applied themselves and just didn’t attain that same level of success.
From a worldly perspective these sound good and even might seem to be true. But what’s the real story? What does it take to really get ahead, to find your dream, attain success, really be proud of your life and how far you’ve come? We will look at Jesus’ perspective of this this morning. It’s found in Matthew 5:5. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word.
Read Passage – Matthew 5:1-5
“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Jesus, The Model of Meekness
When Jesus spoke these words in Matthew 5 as a part of the Sermon On The Mount, I believe he was giving us the real story. And I think he gives us a new or different perspective of what real life is. And…he modeled for us what he was talking about. Jesus says in verse 5 “Blessed are the meek…” and he gets what meek is because that’s who he is. One way of translating the word meek is “humble.” Matthew 11:29:
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29
Notice that Jesus says “take my yoke on you.” He is asking us to join ourselves to him like two oxen joined in a yoke. We bind ourselves to him so that his thoughts are our thoughts, his actions are our actions. We go where he goes and stay where he stays. So what exactly does it look like to be meek? I think when the word meek is mentioned that many people hear the word weak. Today’s sermon is title Meekness is Not Weakness. Jesus shows us that meekness and that perspective of life is all about our attitude and outlook. It’s much different than some cliché that sounds good but when you dig deeper you really discover how shallow it is.
-Power With Control
First, to address the idea of weakness, Jesus was anything but weak. In fact, he was full of power. But…his power was power with control. In John 3:13 it says:
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…” John 13:3
Notice that “all things are under his power.” He was the epitome of power. With all things under his power, he could have pretty much do or say whatever he wanted. But take note of how Jesus used his power; to do good, to combat evil, and to glorify God. Most people probably use their power to build themselves up, to hold on to what they have, and to make sure they are taken care of in a way that affirms themselves. In our world, that would seem to be the correct thing to do. Jesus perspective of power is to use it to help others and to brign glory to God. That perspective is much different.
Ill. Commercial about Oral Lee brown who set aside money for children who graduated from high school in Oakland, CA and helped them with college scholarships. 136 kids helped to date.
-Submits
A second characteristic of meek is that it submits, it submits to God. Jesus also lived that our for us. Jesus words from John 4:34:
“’My food,’” said Jesus, “’is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’”
John 4:34
Jesus always kept before him the attitude that his life was centered on doing the will of His Father. Again, from a worldly perspective this may seem weak wen in actuality it is looking far beyond the here and now and takes on an eternal perspective. Jesus kept in mind that there was a much bigger plan and he trusted God’s plan. When you and I submit our will to the will of God we are telling God that we trust him, his plan, and his will for our life. We also see this when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane and he is facing death and when he prays he utters the words, “not my will, but thine be done.”
Meekness is the willingness to submit to God, to his plan, and to his ways.
–Builds Up Others
A third character trait of meekness is that it builds up other people. To put it in another way, it’s putting yourself in the correct perspective and understanding that God loves everyone and everyone has value and worth in God’s eyes and we have the responsibility and charge to love them the way God does; that includes the ones that don’t like us. Luke 2:27-28 says:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.“ Luke 6:27-28
It is hard to affirm those who don’t like you, those who are against you, those who mistreat you, and those who curse you. I’m telling you right now, this is not an easy part of meekness. But even Christ said that he “didn’t come to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) This is where meek can appear to be weak. The reality is that it takes more strength to love those who don’t love you, to do good to those who mistreat you, and to bless those who curse you.
How do you do this? I’m not great at it but let give you a few ideas that have worked for me.
-Pray, pray hard. Ex. Guy speeding on James Donlon the other day. Scary, yes.
-Be empathetic.
-Random acts of kindness
-Bless: to ask God to care for and protect (someone or something)
-Forgives
Finally, a meek person displays the character trait of forgiveness. Jesus said in Luke 6:37:
“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37
In the Greek, the word “meek” also means “The humble and gentle attitude which expresses itself in a patient submissiveness to offense, free from malice and desire for revenge”. Forgiveness is a key part of being meek but it is the willingness to move past the wrongs that have been committed (maybe even against you) and restore relationships.
Ill. There is a place in Scripture where people are mocking Jesus right to his face, they are even taking things that are not theirs, their his, and messing around with them. They are even ridiculing him. It’s when he is hanging on the cross. It’s found in Luke 23:34 and let me rercall his words:
“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” Luke 23:34
The Big Inheritance
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” vs. 5
Jesus is quoting a verse from Psalm 37:11.
Isn’t this just the opposite what the world teaches? The world says “Get all you can and don’t worry about others.” The world teaches that only the strong will survive. The world teaches that those who exert (overwork) themselves will reach their materialistic goals. The world teaches that you can deserve something, and a lot of people translates into “I deserve something from God.” OR, “God owes me something.”
But Jesus teaches us that the Meek inherit the earth. Some translate to the earth right now and some to the earth to come. I think it could be both.
-In The Present
People see you differently when you are meek. There is a certain amount of respect they give you. They listen to you.
-In The Future
But it is also refers to the future, when Christ returns. In Revelation it tells us that when Christ returns there will be a new heaven and new earth. It’s on the new earth that there will be the New Jerusalem and that is where God will live and it’s where we will reign with him.
A Simple Wave “Hello”
Show video clip of the elderly lady who took the time to wave hello to every junior and senior higher that walked by her house on the way to school. They would wave back and she became loved by those kids and honored on Valentine’s Day for her acts of friendliness.
