Rev. David Holwick T Beatitudes
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
June 15, 2003
Psalm 37:7-11
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I. Meek is for mice.
A. What would YOUR neighborhood say?
Matt Friedeman was leading a Bible study on this beatitude and
he wanted to illustrate the modern perception of meekness.
He took his tape recorder and went out into his neighborhood.
Everyone he met, he asked a simple question:
"What does the word MEEK mean to you?"
It wasn't a very scientific interview process.
But playing the tape back to his Bible study proved to be most
enlightening.
The typical comment was best reflected in the statement of a
young man sitting with his girlfriend in a local cafe:
"Meek means wimp."
B. Least likely to succeed.
1) In the eyes of our world, meekness isn't the way to success.
2) Billy Graham paraphrases the modern attitude when he writes:
Happy are the clever, for they shall inherit the
admiration of their friends.
Happy are the aggressive, for they shall inherit property.
Happy are the talented, for they shall inherit a career.
Happy are the rich, for they shall inherit a world of
friends and a house full of modern stuff."
#5677
In this age of self-assertion and self-centered pursuit of
happiness, it is pretty hard to believe that the meek
will inherit the earth.
As the evil son sings in the play Camelot, it is not the
earth that the meek inherit, but the dirt.
3) Scientists Dr. James D. Watson and Francis Crick.
They discovered the double helix formation of DNA.
Together they won the 1962 Nobel Prize.
Their egos and drive are legendary.
Neither of them are religious - far from it.
Watson says the two stupidest sentences in the English
language are "Love thy enemy" and "The meek shall
inherit the earth."
He credits his success to his lack of meekness - his
persistence in research and self-promotion.
#7114
II. What exactly is meekness?
A. Greek word is "praus," meaning humble, gentle, disciplined.
1) Aristotle: it is mean between excessive anger and inability
to show any anger.
a) Meek is one "who is angry ...
on the right occasion,
with the right people,
at the right moment
and for the right length of time."
b) Barclay: "He is always angry at the right time and never
angry at the wrong time.
2) Word was also used of a domesticated animal.
a) The power of the wild animal comes under control.
b) So "meek" does not mean weak, but disciplined.
3) Greeks often looked down on this virtue.
a) Like us, they tended to see meekness as a doormat
mentality.
b) Humility was OK as long as you were a great person,
like a king or a general.
B. The Bible portrays it as a trusting attitude before God.
1) Jesus derived this beatitude from Psalm 37.
a) The meek are those who trust in God and delight in him.
1> 37:3 - Trust in the Lord.
2> 37:4 - Delight in the Lord.
3> 37:5 - Commit your way to the Lord.
4> 37:7 - Be still and patient before the Lord.
b) Probably the main meaning here.
2) More a vertical (God-ward) than horizontal virtue.
a) Of course, a humble attitude toward God should be
reflected in our attitude toward people.
III. Meekness ain't easy.
A. Similarity with poverty of spirit.
1) Many scholars see parallels between the first and third
beatitudes.
2) Meek is another way to describe the oppressed of the world
who have to rely on God.
B. Who gets to see your "poverty"?
If spiritual poverty involves recognizing we are sinners
before God, meekness involves acknowledging our
shortcomings in front of people.
Comment by Rev. Lloyd-Jones:
It is comparatively easy to be honest with ourselves
before God and acknowledge ourselves to be sinners in
his sight.
But how much more difficult it is to allow OTHER PEOPLE to
say things like that about me!
I instinctively resent it.
We all prefer to condemn ourselves than to allow somebody
else to condemn us. [1]
IV. The reward is nice.
A. The meek inherit the earth.
1) Recalls ancient Israel's promise of the land by God.
2) They got some dry ground - with no oil.
a) We will get the entire planet.
B. It is a future promise.
1) We don't own it yet.
2) According to the Bible, Satan in charge in control here.
3) But a day is coming when Jesus will return and his meek
followers will rule on earth with him.
V. The meekest guy in the Bible.
A. Jesus of course fits the bill. Matthew 11:29
1) Paul describes him as meek and gentle.
2) Jesus describes himself as gentle and humble in heart.
3) He displayed it when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey.
B. Moses was humble, too.
1) Remarkable claim in Numbers 12:3 -
"(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than
anyone else on the face of the earth.)"
a) Interesting statement, because evangelicals believe
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible,
including the book of Numbers.
b) It wouldn't be too kosher to claim ultimate humility
for yourself!
c) The NIV puts it in parentheses to signify it is an
inserted statement, perhaps by Joshua or a later
editor.
2) Context refers to a contest over authority.
a) There is a racial angle - he had married a Cushite,
who would have been black.
b) It is interesting that God's answer is leprosy.
In effect God says, "You don't like blacks?
Then I'll make you whiter than you've ever been."
3) Moses shows his meekness by not fighting back.
a) This isn't easy when you are being attacked.
b) Instead, he quietly trusts God.
1> Very much like Jesus in 1 Peter 2:23.
"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not
retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.
Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges
justly."
4) Ironically, this humble man did not inherit any land.
a) He only gazed on it from a distance.
VI. How do you measure up?
A. Give yourself an inventory.
How do you act when you have the power to control a person
or situation?
What is your attitude toward those who disagree with you?
Do you control your emotions, or do they control you?
How do you handle rejection? How do you handle praise?
B. Meek people have the heart of a servant. Phil 2:3-7
1) Jesus was God, yet humbled himself to become one of us.
2) More than this, he came to serve.
C. Only Christ can produce genuine meekness in us.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] "Christian Counter-Culture," John R. W. Stott (Madison, Wisconsin:
InterVarsity Press, 1978), p. 43.
#5677 "The Secret Of Happiness," Billy Graham, p. 57.
#7114 "Brilliant Research and Twisted Logic - DNA Turns Fifty," by
Charles Colson, BreakPoint Commentary, May 5, 2003.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=========================================================================
Commentaries:
Robert Guelich
I. Only in Matthew.
A. Subject and promise are identical to Psalm 37:11.
B. Appears to be synonymous with Matthew 5:3, poor in spirit.
1) Poor and meek were very similar in Hebrew thought.
II. Meekness may focus more on our relationship with God.
A. Refers to those who stand empty-handed before God.
B. It does not connote weakness or softness.
C. It is a condition more than an attitude.
III. Inherit the earth.
A. Inheritance of land was part of Israel's right as the People
of God. Deut 4:1; 16:20
B. Similar thought to Matt 5:3, except inheritance is in future
rather than present.
_______________________________
James Boice
I. We do not associate meekness with inheritance or possessions.
A. Hard work and self-assertion are needed.
B. But other Biblical writers back up Jesus.
1) James 1:21, 1 Pet 3:15, Gal 5:22-23, Col 3:12
2) Meekness is a characteristic by which God brings blessing.
a) It is not natural, but a supernatural working by God.
II. Meaning of meekness.
A. It is not weakness or spiritlessness.
1) It is compatible with courage and great strength.
B. Significant word in Greek ethics.
1) Aristotle: it is mean between excessive anger and inability
to show any anger.
2) Meek is one "who is angry on the right occasion, with the
right people, at the right moment and for the right
length of time."
3) Barclay: "He is always angry at the right time and never
angry at the wrong time.
a) Jesus exhibited this.
C. In English, "gentle" is best translation.
1) Word used by Greeks of domesticated animals.
2) Well-behaved - a gentleman.
D. Also used of a servient and trusting attitude before God.
1) More a vertical than horizontal virtue.
2) Probably the main meaning here.
a) This beatitude is derived from Psalm 37.
b) Meek are those who trust in God and delight in him.
III. The meekest man - Moses. Num 12:3
A. Racial prejudice (his new wife was a black Cushite) is key.
1) Leprosy is play on issue of white vs. black.
B. Moses shows his meekness by not fighting back, but trusting God.
1) Similar to Jesus in 1 Pet 2:22-23.
IV. Inherit earth.
A. A promise for the future.
1) Not a promise of oil wells and instant wealth.
2) We will reign with Jesus when he returns.
B. In a sense, we possess it now. 2 Cor 6:10
C. Beautiful thought or reality?
1) We cannot be meek on our own, but only with Jesus' help.
a) He is our meek and lowly leader. Matt 11:28-29
_______________________________
Dale Allison
I. Nearly synonymous with first beatitude.
A. The meek are the humble whose avoidance of hubris corresponds
to their powerlessness in the eyes of the world.
B. Georg Strecker - the beatitude is an indirect summons to active
deeds and dedication to the high goal of meekness, friendli-
ness and gentleness - deeds determined not by anger,
brutality or enmity, but entirely by goodness.
II. Inherit the earth.
A. We recover the dominion that Adam and Eve lost.
B. Another example of reversal theme.
III. Historically this beatitude has been associated with Moses.
A. He was meekest man on earth. Num 12:3
B. Yet he himself did not inherit the land.
1) This beatitude pledges something Moses never gained.
2) Therefore Christians are more blessed than Moses.
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