We’re continuing our look at the Beatitudes. These are the statements made by Jesus at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount. He’s teaching his disciples who it is that will be blessed and happy in life, and the third statement he makes is:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
When we hear the word “meek,” many of us think of someone who’s wimpy or cowardly. Someone who will never stand up for themselves, who shrinks in fear from every attack, and who avoids confrontation at any cost. Is that who Jesus says will “inherit the earth”?
If that’s the case, some people in the Bible are in trouble.
Moses wasn’t meek. He killed a man in Egypt, and then he stood up to Pharaoh. David wasn’t meek. He killed a lion and a bear, and then he faced off with a giant. What about Peter? He cut the ear off a guard who came to arrest Jesus.
No, Jesus wasn’t teaching that his followers should be wimps. He was referring to this passage in the Psalms:
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. (Psalm 37:8-11, NIV)
The word “meek” in Psalm 37:11 means “to be molded.” The writer is saying, “Hey, don’t be jealous because evil people prosper. Keep your eyes on God. One day we’ll experience life without evil. In the meantime, let yourself be putty in God’s hands, and he will mold you and shape you as he sees fit. Surrender your life to God’s purposes, even when they don’t make sense to you, and one day you’ll receive your reward.”
When Jesus used the word “meek” in Matthew 5:5, he was talking about people who surrender, but not those who surrender to everyone else. He was talking about people who have surrendered to God. These are the people who will inherit a new heaven and a new earth.
In January 2004, a new family member entered our home — our sweet, beautiful miniature Sheltie the kids named “Shelly.” There couldn’t have been a more loving dog than Shelly. The first few weeks she was with us, though, she developed a nasty habit of snapping at us when she didn’t agree with us. I talked to our vet, and he told us that Shelly was attempting to be the alpha dog in our family pack. His instructions were to gently place Shelly down on her back and hold her there no matter how hard she fought it. Eventually, she would submit and know her place in the pack. We each did that, very gently and lovingly but sternly, until Shelly knew that she wasn’t the leader. She had surrendered.
I tried the same thing on my kids when they reached their teenage years, but it didn’t work quite as well. But that’s another story.
By now you’ve probably realized that the Beatitudes aren’t a list of cute little stand-alone sayings. They show the process of how God brings people into a relationship with him.
The first step is admitting our need for a Savior. That’s followed by sorrow for our sin, which has separated us from God. Now we’re called to surrender to God, allowing and asking him to use us as he sees fit. We acknowledge him as our Lord, and we offer him our lives to use for his kingdom.
That’s what Paul was talking about when he wrote these words:
I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (Romans 6:19)
And these:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)
How about you? Have you not only realized your need for God’s forgiveness through Christ, but you’ve also fully surrendered your life to God? Have you offered him all you have — your time, your energy, your possessions, your abilities, your gifts, your desires, your dreams, your future? Do you trust God enough to give all to him?
If you do, Jesus says you’ll be happy because your happiness isn’t based on what’s going on around you, but on what God is doing in you and through you. You’re blessed in this life, and you’ll rule one day in the age to come. Happy are the meek. Blessed are those who surrender their lives into the hands of their Creator. Have you done that?