Blessed Are the Meek
Matthew 5:5
In our verse-by-verse exposition of the Gospel of Matthew we are in Matthew 5 studying the portion of the Sermon on The Mount known as The Beatitudes. We have seen that in the Beatitudes Jesus describes what it looks like to be His true disciple. He teaches us what to “be” before He tells us what to “do”. I must remind us that the Beatitudes are not goals for human aim, but gifts of God’s transforming grace that will characterize those who know Jesus Christ. He was giving us the marks of the kingdom, evidences of His lordship. If you are working hard to pursue these qualities without first being born of God into His kingdom by the regenerating work of the Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ, then you will end in frustration. You will probably declare that Christianity does not work because you sought to embrace the character set forth in the Beatitudes without the grace of God in Christ.[1]
The first three of the beatitudes share a common purpose. They teach us that a disciple of Jesus is one has come to terms with his or her great need for God’s grace.
In the first beatitude, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Matt. 5:3). Jesus was teaching us that the man or woman who is truly on the pathway to blessing from God is the one who realizes that he or she has nothing to offer God. We simply come as “poor” sinners, who are spiritually bankrupt. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who come to Him in such desperate need.
The second beatitude builds on the first. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). Jesus’ disciples are not only those who come to God in the absolute poverty of their souls and in desperate need of God’s grace; they also come with genuine sorrow and mourning over the sins that caused them to be in that spiritual condition. Jesus promised that those who mourn over their sins in this way will be comforted. God will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Today, we come to the third beatitude. And we won’t rightly understand it if we don’t see it in relation to the first two. People who truly recognize the poverty of their own souls before God, and who truly mourn over the grievousness of their sins, are people who have a proper perspective of themselves. They know that they cannot stand before God with a sense of pride and self-assertiveness. They no longer see themselves as having any right to be “in control”, and they submit to His rightful rule over their lives.
I think the simplest way to put it is like this: a true knowledge of ourselves before God “tames” us. We no longer come to God with a demanding, self-serving, self-exalting attitude. Rather, we stop thinking about ourselves altogether. Jesus teaches, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
As we did with the other two beatitudes, we will ask two questions about this one:[2]
1. What does it mean to be meek?
Of all the beatitudes, I suspect that this one is the one most easily misunderstood. Somehow along the way, we’ve learned to associate “meekness” with the idea of “weakness” – so that we understand Jesus to be saying, “Blessed are the passive;” or “Blessed are the victims;” or “Blessed are the wimps.” But that is not at all what Jesus is talking about.
The Greek adjective that’s translated “meek” (praus) is one that means “gentle,” “humble,” or “considerate,” or “courteous.” It describes a person who is not overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance, but instead one who is gentle, humble, lowly, defers, and is considerate or mild. Meekness is not only the opposite of pride, but of stubbornness, fierceness, and vengefulness. It is the opposite of self-will toward God, and of ill-will toward men.
In Classical Greek praus was used to describe tame or gentle animals (an unbroken colt was dangerous); a soothing medicine (medicine that was too strong would harm rather than cure), a mild or soft word (cf. Proverbs 15:1); a gentle voice (emotion out of control would destroy and tear down); or a gentle breeze (wind out of control would bring destruction). All those ideas imply the idea of strength or power brought under control. William Barclay gives an amplified version of this beatitude: O the bliss of the man who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time, who has every instinct, and impulse, and passion under control because he himself is God-controlled, who has the humility to realise his own ignorance and his own weakness, for such a man is a king among men![3]
Meekness has a two-fold focus. It involves our relationship to God and our relationships with other people. Meekness is an inward grace expressed in an outward behavior toward others. Martin Lloyd-Jones explains, “Meekness is essentially a true view of oneself, expressing itself in attitude and conduct with respect to others. It is therefore two things. It is my attitude towards myself; and it is an expression of that in my relationship to others.” D.A. Carson has defined it as “a controlling desire to see the other’s interests advanced ahead of one’s own.”[4]
Many scholars believe that Jesus’ words in this beatitude are a reflection of Psalm 37:11; which says, “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” In Psalm 37 David’s focus is clearly upon trusting and submitting to the LORD, setting God upon the throne of his life. Listen to Psalm 37:1-11:
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. (Psalm 37:1-11).
Did you hear in this Psalm what’s involved in the “meekness” that God blesses? There is to be trust in the LORD (Ps. 37:3, 4), delighting of yourself in Him (Ps. 37:3), committing your way to Him (Ps. 37:5), and resting in Him (Ps. 37:7). We are to set aside fretting and envy (Ps. 37:1, 7, 8) and cease from anger, and wrath (Ps. 37:8). We are to be actively doing good (Ps. 37:3), feeding on God’s faithfulness (Ps. 37:3), trusting in Him to give us the desires of our heart (Ps. 37:4), depending upon Him to bring our way to pass and to bring our righteousness and justice to light (Ps. 37:5-6). Plainly, a truly meek man or woman is one who has removed self from the throne, and has allowed God to take His rightful place there. This is the essential dynamic of true meekness—a willing submission to the rule of God over our lives.
Such a person who has surrendered the throne of his or her life to God exhibits meekness in that he or she is submitted to God’s will instead of their own. Jesus demonstrated this for us when He said, “For I have come down down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 3:38). A truly meek man or woman no longer seeks his or her own will, but the will of God. And with this, such a person is also surrendered to obedience to God’s written word. They demonstrate true meekness in that they are surrendered to God’s will as it is revealed to them in the Scriptures. James writes, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).
The Bible gives us some great examples of what it looks like to be “meek” in God’s sight.
A great example of meekness is Moses. God didn’t speak to Moses as He did to His other prophets—that is, through visions or dreams. Instead, He spoke to Moses face to face; plainly, and not in dark sayings. He permitted Moses to see His form and hear from Him directly. And God commissioned Moses to be the deliverer of his people; using him to call down plagues upon Pharaoh. We think of Moses as a great and powerful man. And yet, the Bible tells us that ” Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth ” (Num. 12:3). The word “humble” is translated into the Greek as praus, the same word that Matthew 5:5 uses for “meek.”
The situation in Numbers 12 when the Bible referred to Moses as meek had to do with his brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam. They had spoken against Moses and had risen up against him because he had married a woman from Ethiopia. They were offended at his decision to marry this foreign woman; and they took this as an opportunity to oppose the authority God had given him and to elevate themselves. They said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” (Num. 12:2).
So, the Lord heard this challenge and called them to Himself. He appeared to them in the pillar of cloud, and in anger rebuked them by describing His unique relationship with Moses. God struck Miriam with leprosy so that she became as white as snow. When Aaron saw it, he immediately confessed the foolishness of their rebellion, and pleaded with Moses not to lay this sin upon them. Moses cried out to God for her, and God healed her in response to his request.
And as we look at this incident, we see that Moses didn’t respond to the challenge to his authority by trying to defend himself. Instead, he trusted God and allowed God to vindicate him. And once God had done so, he then mercifully prayed for those who had opposed him. Considering the greatness of God’s unique relationship with Moses, he truly was the meekest man on the face of the earth!
Of course, the greatest example of meekness we could ever find is the Lord Jesus Himself. He’s the one whose coming was prophesied with these words: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly [or “meek” as it is in the King James version], and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey‘” (Matthew 21:5). John MacArthur points out that “in whatever way various groups of people expected the Messiah to come, they did not anticipate His coming humbly and meekly… The idea of a meek Messiah leading meek people was far from any of their concepts of the messianic kingdom. The Jews understood military power and miracle power… But they did not understand the power of meekness.”[5]
Paul writes about the meekness with which the Son of God came into this world; “. . . who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).
The Bible tells us how deeply His own meekness was displayed at the cross. He was the Son of God in human flesh; and yet, as they crucified Him with mocks and insults, He prayed for them. “Father, forgive them,” He said, “for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). The apostle Peter wrote about Jesus, saying that we should follow His example: “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:23-24). Could you find a greater example of meekness than that displayed for us in the life and manner of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Do you see how true meekness begins before God, but meekness then expresses itself before others. If we were truly meek before God, we would, for example, cease from placing our own interests before that of others. Paul wrote, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4). Martin Lloyd-Jones writes, “The meek man is not proud of himself, he does not in any sense glory in himself. … He does not make demands for his position, his privileges, his possessions, his status in life (see esp. Phil 2:5)… He is not always on the defensive… But when a man becomes meek he has finished with all that; he no longer worries about himself and what other people say. The man who is truly meek never pities himself, he is never sorry for himself. To be meek, in other words, means that you have finished with yourself.”[6]
There would be a greater willingness in love to bear patiently with the faults and failings of others. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1-2, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness” (the word “gentleness” is the same word as the one translated “meekness”), “with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love . . .” And so, a good definition of “meekness” is ‘a humble manner toward God and others that is expressed in longsuffering and that is motivated by love.’ Paul wrote, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1). He told Timothy, “And a servant of the LORD must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:24-26).
Meekness involves a willingness and readiness to forgive those who have wronged us. Resentment and bitterness are incompatible with meekness. And along with this, there would be a readiness to refrain from returning evil for evil, and a readiness to repay evil with good instead. Paul taught that we are not to seek to avenge ourselves, because vengeance belongs to God. Instead, we are commanded to leave room for the wrath of God, and “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-21). Jesus Himself commands us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).
Meekness doesn’t sound easy, does it? True “meekness” is strength brought under control, a submission to God with “self” dethroned. It is an outward expression of an inner grace, a humble manner toward others that is expressed in longsuffering, and motivated by love.
Now, Jesus’ promise is that those who are meek in this sense will be “blessed”. This leads us to next ask . . .
2. How are the meek blessed?
Jesus tells us how they are blessed in the second half of the verse: “for they shall inherit the earth“. And this is the surprising turn-around of this beatitude. The very thing that the movers and shakers of this world are seeking to gain for themselves is given, instead, to those who refrain from moving and shaking! The very attitude that the ‘high and mighty’ ones of this world scorn is the very one that the Son of God rewards with all things!
Charles Spurgeon explains how the blessing to the meek, he writes, “blessed are the gentle, those who are ready to be thought nothing of. They are lowly-minded, and are ready to give up their portion in the earth; therefore it shall come back to them. They neither boast, nor contend, nor exult over others, yet are they heirs of all the good which God has created on the face of the earth. In their meekness they are like their King, and they shall reign with him.”[7]
To “inherit” something implies that someone is given something by someone else on the basis of relationship. The Bible tells us that God has appointed Jesus to be “heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2); and because we are “in Christ”, we share in His inheritance. Paul writes, “In Him, also we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11). He writes, that we are children of God by faith in Christ; “and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:17). The meek inherit the earth, because they are joint heirs with Christ!
And we see this in two ways. First, there is a sense in which the meek (that is, true disciples of Christ) have this inheritance already. How do Christians inherit the earth in this present life? I would submit to you that the only people truly satisfied on earth are those who know this character quality of meekness. For they have come to the point of deep satisfaction in what God has provided for them. They are not asserting their own rights or complaining about their circumstances or selfishly grabbing for more in life. They have learned contentment in submission to the will of God.
Paul wrote that all things are ours – that is to say, our possession right now! He wrote to the Corinthians, who were prone to focus on the greatness of the movers and shakers of this world; and said, “Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life for death, or things present or things to come – all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23). He wrote to them and told them that he and the other apostles are as those “having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:10).
But there is also a future culmination to this promise, “for they shall inherit the earth.” It is a reminder that however long we are in this life, and whatever circumstances good or bad that we face, it is not over for the meek—the best is yet to come. The whole creation is “groaning and travailing until now” in anticipation of that day, when sin and sorrow have no more place in our lives, and righteousness and holiness fills the earth (Rom 8:18-25; I Cor 15:23-28). That is our inheritance in Jesus Christ, forever and ever![8]
Jesus gave this startling promise to His disciples:
“Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:28-29).
The meek are the only ones who inherit the earth. The “they” in “they shall inherit” is emphatic: “They alone, only they, shall inherit the earth.” They are rich right now; and fifty billion trillion years into eternity they will be lavishing in the unfolding of “the exceeding riches of His grace” (Eph. 2:7).[9]
So then, how do we grow in meekness?
We must remember that this beatitude builds on the two that came before it. First we come “poor in spirit” recognizing our true bankrupt condition before God. We mourn over our sin which has offended God and alienated us from Him.
Ephesians 2:1 says that, apart from Christ, we were “dead in trespasses and sins.” We’re in a terrible and helpless condition. Meekness involves admitting the truth of God’s evaluation of us. When we admit the poverty of our soul, mourn over our sin, and trust in God’s mercy through faith in the Jesus Christ who died for our sins on the cross, God says that we have been raised from the dead, and seated with Christ in heavenly glory (Eph. 2:4-6).
Second, if we want to be truly meek, we must learn from Jesus. Jesus Himself said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [or “meek”] and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). “Often look upon the meekness of Christ.”[10] We must first come to Christ and roll our burdens on Him. Then we yield to Him by taking His yoke upon ourselves. When an ox accepted the yoke, it modeled meekness. It was still very powerful, but its power was under the control of another. Jesus is saying, “I want you be yoked together with Me so that we work side-by-side and walk life as one. As you yield to My yoke, you will learn My meekness, and you will gradually become more meek yourself. You’ll also discover that My yoke is not heavy but easy, and my burden is light. Give me your burdens and I will give you rest.”[11] The more we learn of Him, the more we become like Him; and the more we become like Him, the more His own perfect character of true “meekness” will be displayed in us.
Finally, walk in the Spirit. True meekness is not a natural trait. The meekness that receives the blessing that Jesus promises is something that is “superhuman” and isn’t created through our own resolves or efforts or personality styles. It’s a gift of God’s grace through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, the presence of Christ, who lives the life of “meekness” through us. As Paul wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [or “meekness”], self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).
Have you come to Jesus and laid your burden of sin and guilt upon Him? Have you taken His yoke upon yourself so that He is Lord and Master, leading and teaching you daily? Have you believed in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross to forgive your sin and His resurrection from the dead to give you a new life? Are you born again by the Spirit of God? Does the Holy Spirit dwell in you and produce in you the fruit of meekness? Come to the savior today.
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[1] Phil Newton, The Blessing of Gentleness, http://archive.southwoodsbc.org/sermons/matthew_05.05.php accessed 08/26/2022.
[2] Greg Allen, The Meek Inherit, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2004/062004.htm#f2 accessed 08/23/2022. Used by permission granted on web site. I adapted Allen’s outline and used some of his points in developing this sermon.
[3] William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series NT: Matthew, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/matthew-5.html accessed 08/23/2022
[4] D.A. Carson, The Sermon on The Mount: An Evangelical Exposition of Matthew 5-7 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), p. 20.
[5] John MacArthur, Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary, Chicago: Moody Press
[6] D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Studies on the Sermon on the Mount, quoted on https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew_55 accessed 08/23/2022.
[7] Charles H. Spurgeon, Exposition of Matthew, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/spe/matthew-5.html accessed 08/23/2022
[8] Phil Newton, The Blessing of Gentleness, http://archive.southwoodsbc.org/sermons/matthew_05.05.php accessed 08/26/2022.
[9] R. Kent Hughes, Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom. Crossway Books. Quoted on Precept Austin: https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew_55 accessed 08/28/2022.
[10] Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1–12 (WORDsearch, 2008), 120.
[11] Brian Bill, https://www.preceptaustin.org/mt_51-12_sermons-brian_bill#5:1-2 accessed 08/28/2022.
