Jesus Gets It Backward Again
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matt. 5:5.
Jesus' teaching in the third beatitude once again stands over against the acceptable wisdom of our world. According to Him, it is not the pushy, the violent, the aggressive, or the selfish who inherit the earth. Rather, it is the meek--people who have seen their helplessness and poverty of spirit and have mourned over their shortcomings. Such individuals have little room for pride, but plenty of space for meekness.
The Greek word for "meek" can also be translated as "gentle," "humble," "considerate," and "unassuming."
We should not confuse meekness with weakness. The meek may have great authority and strength, but they choose not to use it for their own selfish ends. Humility and a genuine dependence of God always accompany the strength of the meek. Leon Morris suggests that "the strong who qualify for this blessing are the strong who decline to domineer."
Jesus describes Himself as meek in Matthew 11:29. Although He had all power, He entered Jerusalem and went to the cross peacefully. That was the opposite of the Zealot party, who expected the Messiah to overthrow the Romans by force.
Whether they be strong or weak, the meek are those who exhibit the virtues of humility and gentleness. For sinful humans, meekness flows out of the sense of helplessness and sin they feel when they attempt to live apart from the grace of God.
It is such people who will inherit the earth.
Earthly economics is based upon security and power. Unfortunately there is not an infinite amount of wealth. As a result, men and women everywhere struggle to obtain their share--or to put it more honestly, more than their share.
We see the results of human selfishness and aggression everywhere. Nation strives against nation on the international scene, while individuals struggle for position on the corporate ladder.
It hardly looks as though the meek will inherit much of anything worth having according to the world's standards. Jesus' final reward was a cross. And many of His faithful followers have endured persecution and lived in poverty.
But the promise of the third beatitude and the whole of the New Testament is that a change is coming. The meek in God's upside-down kingdom will inherit the earth. And not merely this old beat-up one, but one not broken with sorrow, sickness, and death.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matt. 5:5.
Jesus' teaching in the third beatitude once again stands over against the acceptable wisdom of our world. According to Him, it is not the pushy, the violent, the aggressive, or the selfish who inherit the earth. Rather, it is the meek--people who have seen their helplessness and poverty of spirit and have mourned over their shortcomings. Such individuals have little room for pride, but plenty of space for meekness.
The Greek word for "meek" can also be translated as "gentle," "humble," "considerate," and "unassuming."
We should not confuse meekness with weakness. The meek may have great authority and strength, but they choose not to use it for their own selfish ends. Humility and a genuine dependence of God always accompany the strength of the meek. Leon Morris suggests that "the strong who qualify for this blessing are the strong who decline to domineer."
Jesus describes Himself as meek in Matthew 11:29. Although He had all power, He entered Jerusalem and went to the cross peacefully. That was the opposite of the Zealot party, who expected the Messiah to overthrow the Romans by force.
Whether they be strong or weak, the meek are those who exhibit the virtues of humility and gentleness. For sinful humans, meekness flows out of the sense of helplessness and sin they feel when they attempt to live apart from the grace of God.
It is such people who will inherit the earth.
Earthly economics is based upon security and power. Unfortunately there is not an infinite amount of wealth. As a result, men and women everywhere struggle to obtain their share--or to put it more honestly, more than their share.
We see the results of human selfishness and aggression everywhere. Nation strives against nation on the international scene, while individuals struggle for position on the corporate ladder.
It hardly looks as though the meek will inherit much of anything worth having according to the world's standards. Jesus' final reward was a cross. And many of His faithful followers have endured persecution and lived in poverty.
But the promise of the third beatitude and the whole of the New Testament is that a change is coming. The meek in God's upside-down kingdom will inherit the earth. And not merely this old beat-up one, but one not broken with sorrow, sickness, and death.
RSS Feed
