The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

I believe that the first test of a great man is his humility. I don’t mean by humility, doubt of his power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.

John Ruskin

What is Meekness?

Meekness is not weakness, though they may be often confused. Where weakness is a lack of power, meekness is a stewardship of power. To be meek is to have power, to know that you have power, and to steward that power in such a way to benefit others rather than yourself. It is controlled and channeled strength.

Meekness is akin to submission. It is a humbling of oneself in the face of others. I am not using meekness to mean timidity. To be meek is to hold yourself back. It is gentility’s cousin. We so naturally press our advantage any chance we get. We try to squeeze every possible penny out for our gain. But meekness doesn’t press for every yard.

Biblical Examples of Meekness

There are numerous examples of meekness in Scripture. The ancient Hebrew practice of “gleaning” is based on a form of meekness. In Leviticus 19, God instructs his people to not press their advantage.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest.

Leviticus 19:9

This was instituted to provide for the poor, who gleaned in the fields. Landowners were instructed to not harvest their full crop (reaping the field right up to the edge). Instead, they left the edges to be gleaned by the poor.

Of course, the perfect example of meekness is Jesus Christ.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:5-7

Christ voluntarily gave up his power and emptied himself. He humbled himself and became meek. This is not to say that Christ lost his strength and power. He always had it. He healed people, performed miracles, exercised authority over forces of nature, and struck deep to the hearts of men. He was the most powerful man who has ever walked the Earth.

And yet, Christ makes the intentional choice to not use his power to protect himself, but rather gives himself up for our sake (Matthew 26:53).

What Does This Mean For Us?

Meekness is a topic both deep and wide. It can’t be sufficiently covered in just one sitting. But as we seek to live courageously, driven by love, we can resist the temptation to live for ourselves. We wield tremendous power as men, as Christians with the Spirit in us. Let us not use our power to press our advantage, to “reap to the edges of the field”. Instead, let us be gentle and meek.

Let us not, as Ruskin says, “doubt [our] power” but instead confidently steward our power, our skill, our resources, and our ability to serve others.

Meekness is a special blend of humility and generosity. I encourage you to practice meekness by using the strength you have to cultivate others and build them up, rather than yourself. We can reject the natural way of the world: I use what I have for my benefit, at the expense of others. Embrace the way of Jesus: I use what I have for another’s benefit, at my own expense.