Meekness Defined (Devotional Day 30)
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
The verse above is explained by Matthew 6:19-34. For more on the outline of the Sermon on the Mount, see The Key to the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:19-34
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“Blessed are the meek…” says Jesus, and the first thing that came to my mind as a new believer was the image of a timid, spineless, wimp cowering in the corner as the schoolyard bully walks by and humiliates him with all kinds of insults. As it turns out, that image that flashed through my mind isn’t far off from the words found for meek in the dictionary or thesaurus – gentle, weak, humble, timid, mild-mannered, docile, acquiescing.
But was this really what Jesus had in mind? Let’s take a deeper look at the original word that Jesus used and how that word is translated in Scripture. As we do we will get a far different picture.
The Greek work Jesus used is prautes and the word has been giving translators fits for centuries. Some have translated it as meekness (KJV) while others use the word humble or gentleness (NIV). Still others have suggested that mildness or self-control might be appropriate. There seems to be no English equivalent, so I will simply defer to someone more scholarly than me. In The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates writes: “Prautes is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness, but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character.”
So the kind of meekness that Jesus is talking about is not a wimpish, cowardly gentleness but is instead a gentle demeanor that comes from an inner strength. It is used to speak of great power under control. So when Jesus calls himself meek (Matthew 11:29) or the Bible describes Moses as meek (Numbers 12:3), the idea is that they are powerful men that radiate an inner strength while still being humble before God and gentle with the people around them.
And as great as this truth is, there is still more to it. For this kind of Biblical meekness – this inner strength, this great power under control – comes only from the meek person waiting on the Lord and putting his or her trust in Him. It is an inner strength that comes only from spending time with God. Psalm 37 says it best:
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
Psalm 37:3-11 NIV
Notice the parallels? The meek person is someone who trusts in the Lord, delights in the Lord, commits his way to the Lord, and is still before the Lord, waiting patiently for Him to act rather than taking matters into his own hands. He or she has an inner strength that comes from trusting in God and that strength empowers a person to be patient and gentle towards others, humble before God, and submitted to His will for his or her life.
And as hard as Biblical meekness is to define and understand, it is even harder to do. For Jesus set the standard for meekness by laying aside his rights to divinity, taking on human form, and becoming a servant who modeled power under restraint, even to the point of allowing himself to be insulted, whipped, and crucified rather than call down wrath upon his persecutors (see Phil. 2:6-11). With great meekness Jesus waited patiently for God’s will to be done, even though it cost him dearly. With great meekness he gently reached out to those around the foot of the cross, forgiving them and loving them as only He could.
As followers of Christ we strive to be like Him, though it is sometimes difficult and we often fall short. But in the end I know it will be worth it – the meek will inherit the earth, or perhaps better, the land. Whichever translation you prefer, earth or land, it will come true, for the meek will not only inherit planet earth, they will also live in the heavenly Promised Land forever.
I can’t wait much longer – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Pray with me: Lord, you know it is my desire to be meek, but so often I fall short, growing short-tempered and taking matters in my own hands rather than patiently waiting for you to bring justice to a situation. I know that meekness is a fruit of the spirit, and my desire is to spend more time with you so that the fruit of meekness can develop and come to fruition in my life…continue praying as you are led…
Meditate on these topics and Scriptures: The blessings of being meek in Psalm 37; the meekness and humility of Christ in Phil. 2:6-11 and the Gospel accounts of his crucifixion; the meekness of Moses and God’s intervention in Numbers Chapter 12; the invitation of Jesus to be meek like Him in Matthew 11:28-30.
For further study, see John Piper’s article Blessed Are the Meek or click on the link below to find more resources.
The verse above is explained by Matthew 6:19-34. For more on the outline of the Sermon on the Mount, see The Key to the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:19-34
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“Blessed are the meek…” says Jesus, and the first thing that came to my mind as a new believer was the image of a timid, spineless, wimp cowering in the corner as the schoolyard bully walks by and humiliates him with all kinds of insults. As it turns out, that image that flashed through my mind isn’t far off from the words found for meek in the dictionary or thesaurus – gentle, weak, humble, timid, mild-mannered, docile, acquiescing.
But was this really what Jesus had in mind? Let’s take a deeper look at the original word that Jesus used and how that word is translated in Scripture. As we do we will get a far different picture.
The Greek work Jesus used is prautes and the word has been giving translators fits for centuries. Some have translated it as meekness (KJV) while others use the word humble or gentleness (NIV). Still others have suggested that mildness or self-control might be appropriate. There seems to be no English equivalent, so I will simply defer to someone more scholarly than me. In The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates writes: “Prautes is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness, but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character.”
So the kind of meekness that Jesus is talking about is not a wimpish, cowardly gentleness but is instead a gentle demeanor that comes from an inner strength. It is used to speak of great power under control. So when Jesus calls himself meek (Matthew 11:29) or the Bible describes Moses as meek (Numbers 12:3), the idea is that they are powerful men that radiate an inner strength while still being humble before God and gentle with the people around them.
And as great as this truth is, there is still more to it. For this kind of Biblical meekness – this inner strength, this great power under control – comes only from the meek person waiting on the Lord and putting his or her trust in Him. It is an inner strength that comes only from spending time with God. Psalm 37 says it best:
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
Psalm 37:3-11 NIV
Notice the parallels? The meek person is someone who trusts in the Lord, delights in the Lord, commits his way to the Lord, and is still before the Lord, waiting patiently for Him to act rather than taking matters into his own hands. He or she has an inner strength that comes from trusting in God and that strength empowers a person to be patient and gentle towards others, humble before God, and submitted to His will for his or her life.
And as hard as Biblical meekness is to define and understand, it is even harder to do. For Jesus set the standard for meekness by laying aside his rights to divinity, taking on human form, and becoming a servant who modeled power under restraint, even to the point of allowing himself to be insulted, whipped, and crucified rather than call down wrath upon his persecutors (see Phil. 2:6-11). With great meekness Jesus waited patiently for God’s will to be done, even though it cost him dearly. With great meekness he gently reached out to those around the foot of the cross, forgiving them and loving them as only He could.
As followers of Christ we strive to be like Him, though it is sometimes difficult and we often fall short. But in the end I know it will be worth it – the meek will inherit the earth, or perhaps better, the land. Whichever translation you prefer, earth or land, it will come true, for the meek will not only inherit planet earth, they will also live in the heavenly Promised Land forever.
I can’t wait much longer – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Pray with me: Lord, you know it is my desire to be meek, but so often I fall short, growing short-tempered and taking matters in my own hands rather than patiently waiting for you to bring justice to a situation. I know that meekness is a fruit of the spirit, and my desire is to spend more time with you so that the fruit of meekness can develop and come to fruition in my life…continue praying as you are led…
Meditate on these topics and Scriptures: The blessings of being meek in Psalm 37; the meekness and humility of Christ in Phil. 2:6-11 and the Gospel accounts of his crucifixion; the meekness of Moses and God’s intervention in Numbers Chapter 12; the invitation of Jesus to be meek like Him in Matthew 11:28-30.
For further study, see John Piper’s article Blessed Are the Meek or click on the link below to find more resources.
To be a part of the conversation about the article above, or even if you just want to read what everyone else is saying about it, go to the Meekness Defined Comments Page.
To be a part of the conversation about the article above, or even if you just want to read what everyone else is saying about it, go to the Keeping Your Word Pure Comments Page.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
This article is Day 30 of the 40 Day Devotional; the next devotional is Day 31.
Please use this website for personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family. However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy Brockett. To contact Pastor Randy, email him at [email protected].
To be a part of the conversation about the article above, or even if you just want to read what everyone else is saying about it, go to the Keeping Your Word Pure Comments Page.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
This article is Day 30 of the 40 Day Devotional; the next devotional is Day 31.
Please use this website for personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family. However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy Brockett. To contact Pastor Randy, email him at [email protected].