"Meekness does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all."

According to a newspaper column written by Bill Farmer, J. Upton Dickson said he was writing a book entitled, Cower Power. Dickson also said that he had founded a group for submissive people called DOORMATS, which is an acronym for "Dependant Organization of Really Meek And Timid Souls." The group’s motto was, "The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s OK with everybody." The group’s logo was the yellow traffic light.

Anybody care to join?

We can chuckle at such humor, but as Christians we do have a problem. Jesus Christ Himself is the one who told us, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." So when the earth is finally inherited by the meek, what kind of place will it be? What will be the nature of its population? Will every street corner have a yellow light? Will nobody be able to do anything because no one is willing to stand up and make a decision? Will it be a world of pusillanimous passives? Is that the kind of ultimate goal God has in mind for His people? Who are these "meek" people that Jesus said will inherit the earth?

Please join me in your Bibles at Matthew 5:5. That’s where we read, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." The statement is a part of the "Beatitudes," a portion of the very well-known sermon of Jesus called The Sermon on the Mount. The New American Standard Version takes a little of the edge off of the word "meek," but not very much. It renders this passage, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." Yet still there is probably no more misunderstood verse in the New Testament than this one.

This morning we continue our study of The Sermon on the Mount. Right now we’re going through The Beatitudes, encompassed in the first 12 verses of Matthew 5. We’re not far into the series – this is only the third message - so it’s not too late to catch up if you’ve missed some things. Tapes and manuscripts are available, as always. If you would like to have one, see that handsome guy in the sound booth at the back of the room at the end of the service today. His name is Leroy and he’ll get you fixed up. OK - back to Jesus’ statement about meekness. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." What did He mean?

A dictionary search will render such English definitions of meek as "easily imposed upon, overly submissive, spineless, spiritless, docile, and compliant." In harmony with definitions like these, the meek man might be a coward, a chicken, a sissy, a doormat. He would be lily livered with a yellow stripe down his back. He would be pusillanimous. He would definitely not be the kind of guy who would be the captain of the football team, nor the President of the United States. Can you imagine the campaign slogan of such a political candidate?

"Casper Milquetoast for President - A new direction for America - submissive, spineless, compliant - a doormat for the Whitehouse."

Was Jesus, really the dreamy eyed, skinny, long-haired sissy, that some of the famous artists have depicted as in times past?

Back in the days when long hair on men was more prevalent than it is today I remember hearing the story of a minister who had just pronounced a couple as husband and wife. But both had the same length of hair and their clothes was so similar due to the "unisex" idea that had gained ground in those days that in desperation, since he couldn’t tell husband and wife apart, finally said, "Will someone kill the bride?"

For you men, does being "meek" mean that we must be effeminate?

Must we be "meek" in order to be God’s people? Yes, indeed, we must! In fact, as with the other of these "beatitudes," the phrase as Jesus put it is exclusive. The idea is, "Blessed are the meek for they alone shall inherit the earth."

Yet meekness is not what many today think, so we need to clarify what we’re referring to by asking first:

The Greek word translated "meek" in the KJV or "gentle" in the NASV is PRAUS. It’s a word for which it is difficult to find an exact English equivalent. "Gentle" is perhaps closer than "meek," but it still doesn’t quite hit the target.

300 years before Christ, Aristotle used a particular method of defining words for the Classical Greek language. He would first name two words with opposite meaning. Then he would explain the word he was defining as somewhere between the meanings of the two opposing words. For instance, a generous man was somewhere between a spendthrift (who spends everything he gets) and a miser (who hoards all he gets).

Aristotle put our word PRAUS between excessive anger on one side and excessive angerlessness on the other. PRAUS, according to Aristotle, described a man who knew when it is appropriate to be angry and when it is not. Perhaps a good illustration would be Jesus driving out the moneychangers from the temple on the one hand, yet speaking nothing in His own defense at His trial and crucifixion on the other.

During the New Testament period the word PRAUS was used to describe a wild animal that had been tamed. It was also used to describe a gentle breeze that had once been a hurricane and a horse that had been broken to the bridle and saddle. The idea was strength brought under control.

Thus, PRAUS, "meek" or "gentle" in our text, does not describe one who is weak. It describes great strength harnessed and brought under control – to the point of usefulness.

An apt illustration from Scripture might be Jesus who could have called ten legions of angels to save Him from the cross yet he submitted Himself willingly to the control of the Jews and Romans for the sake of gaining salvation for us. That’s great strength brought under control.

PRAUS also carries the idea of humility. The Roman orator, Quintilian was once quoted as saying,

"They would no doubt be excellent students if they weren’t already convinced of their own knowledge."

There are many people who, just like those students, are puffed up beyond reason about their own abilities and accomplishments. Contrary to that, meekness or gentleness involves an accurate assessment of self. Though it might see some reason in some things, it holds back in willing humility, knowing its own limits.

I don’t have a name to which I can attribute this quote but I thought it was good in this area: "Meekness does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all."

To summarize then, PRAUS, the word used in our text for "meek" or "gentle," has to do with knowing when to be angry and when not to be angry. It signifies great strength under control. And it involves humility.

But there is something else we can add from our text. There is a progression of thought or attitude that begins to emerge as you add each of these "beatitudes" to the ones that follow it in succession. Jesus started out by saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit…." We discussed how one who is poor in spirit is one who understands his spiritual bankruptcy before the Holy God and is willing to acknowledge the same. Jesus said "Blessed are those who mourn…." We discussed how the person who understands his spiritual bankruptcy is intensely sorry for this condition – to the point of mourning the rift created between himself and God. Now as Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek…," we see a person who, having given up all claims to self-justification before God, willingly and humbly submits his will to God even in cases where others might exhibit an attitude of arrogant self-sufficiency.

A. W. Tozer wrote, "The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself - nothing; in God - everything. That is his motto."

We’ve already noted Jesus’ meekness and how he was bold as a lion in cleansing the temple yet He submitted his life to those who would crucify Him for the sake of our salvation. Let’s now consider:

Perhaps the most prominent example of meekness in the Bible besides the Lord Jesus Christ is Moses. Numbers 12:3 says,

Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. KJV

I’m using the King James here because it consistently uses the word "meek." The NAS uses the word "humble" here: "Now the man Moses was very humble…."

If you consider Moses’ life you’ll understand that meekness is not weakness.

Yet Moses wasn’t effeminate. He wasn’t a weak character. Yet the Bible says he was "meek above all men who were on the face of the earth." Meekness is not weakness.

Another example is Abraham.

In Genesis 12, when God gave the covenant to Abraham and told him that his descendants would be as numberless as the stars of the heavens and the sand on the sea shore and told him He would make him a great nation and give him a great and prominent land, he could have become puffed up and arrogant because of these blessing that no other man received.

Yet in the next chapter when strife arose between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen because there wasn’t enough pasture to go around, Abraham didn’t say to Lot, "Look Buddy, I’m the one who got the covenant, not you!" He could easily have "pulled rank," and all his nephew could have said was, "I guess you’re right, Uncle Abraham. You get the choice land." To that, Abraham could have said, "That’s right sonny, and don’t you forget it!" But he didn’t do that. We read in Genesis 13:8-9:

Abraham was practicing the principle of meekness which would later be described in Romans 12:10: "Give preference to one another in honor."

Meekness is willing to suppress its own "rights" for the sake of the greater good. The idea is one of great strength brought under control so as to be useful to God.

A third example is Paul. Now here was a man with credentials. Among the Jews he was an accomplished man! A portion of his potential resume is recorded in Philippians 3:4-6:

Out of context you might get the idea that Paul was boasting here but if you read the passage in its entirety you’ll see that he was responding to a group of false teachers who had said he was unqualified to lead.

The fact is, Paul was a highly educated and greatly accomplished man. Yet he tossed these honors aside when he learned that he was on the wrong track and had built his life on the wrong principles. For many today that seems too much to ask. They cannot bring themselves to the kind of humility that is required to follow Christ. They love their own success more than they love His cause.

Paul went on in the verses immediately following these to explain what accepting Christ had meant to him in the face of his great achievements. In Philippians 3:7-8 he wrote:

Great accomplishment humbly set aside for the greater cause of serving Jesus Christ.

James Packer wrote: "The meek are those who know themselves to be poor in spirit, who have learned, honestly and from their hearts, to regret all the dehumanizing and subhuman things in which they have been involved as wanderers in this lost world, and who now in humility want only the will of God."

Such meekness, far from being spineless or cowardly, takes the greatest courage and the greatest strength of character to adopt and maintain.

Perhaps we can close on a more contemporary example of meekness.

The late Marion Anderson, the black American contralto was a woman who exhibited just what we’re talking about. A reporter who interviewed Miss Anderson later in her life asked her to name the greatest moment of her remarkable career. Of course there had been many big moments.

For instance, there was the night conductor Arturo Toscanini announced, "A voice like hers comes once in a century."

Then there was that time in 1955 when she became the first black person to sing with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York.

The following year her autobiography, My Lord, What a Morning! was published. I became a bestseller.

In 1958 Miss Anderson became a U.S. delegate to the United Nations.

On several occasions she received medals fro various countries around the world.

Then there was the time when she gave a private concert at the White House for the Roosevelts and the King and Queen of England.

Her home town, Philadelphia, had on once occasion awarded her the $10,000 Bok Award as the person who had done the most for the city.

In 1963 she was awarded the coveted Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Then to top is all perhaps, there was the Easter Sunday in Washington DC when she stood beneath the statue of Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial and sand to a crowed of 75,000 which included cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and most members of Congress.

So which big moment did Miss Anderson choose as the highest point of her career? She told the reporter that her greatest moment was the day she went home and told her mother that the elderly woman would not have to take in washing anymore to support herself.

That, I believe, is what Jesus had in mind when he said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Are you a meek person - or are you just weak?

Are you a meek person - or are you arrogant and self promoting?

Are you a meek person - or are you so impressed with yourself that you cannot adequately follow Jesus Christ?

"Blessed are the meek, for they (alone) shall inherit the earth."

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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