“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
We often read right over this familiar passage without fully understanding what this means. The work used for “meek” is:
Praus prah-ooce’ mild, gentle, humble: – meek.
The best way to understand what this word means is to use an illustration. Many of us love horses. There is something spectacular about a horse. We have all watched the movies of the wild horses, the “Mustangs” running free across the plains.
These incredible horses are powerful, and beautiful. We love to look at them. As beautiful as they are, these horses, in the wild, are quite dangerous, and cannot be tamed or “broken” easily. In their “wild” state, they may be beautiful, and majestic, but they are quite useless until they are broken.
Once these horses are “broken” and learn to submit to their master, only then can all that power and energy be, put to good use. The horse is now under complete control of its master. Does this mean that the horse is weak? Of course not, it means that this powerful, majestic animal is now humbly under control of its master.
This is what Jesus had in mind when He shared this Scripture. Those who will humble themselves and come under the authority and control of God will experience great blessing.
Just like unbridled passion in a wild horse is dangerous, so is unbridled passion in the heart of a Christian dangerous, even more so.
A fire out of control becomes a wildfire, and wildfires are destructive, they burn hot and furious, and then die out quickly. What we need is a slow, steady burn, a fire ignited and fanned into flame under the direct supervision of the Holy Spirit of God.
If we look across the contemporary Christian landscape we will see many scorched areas where unbridled passions flamed, hundreds became disillusioned, and have become “burned out.”
We must learn to submit to our master, the sooner the better.
When Jesus spoke these words in Matthew, He no doubt was calling on a Scripture taken from the Old Testament Book of Psalms 37.
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
If we take a closer look at this Psalm, we will see some interesting “control” words floating to the surface.
Trust, Delight, Commit, Be Still, Do not Fret, Refrain, just to name a few. Jesus is emphasizing the importance of trusting in God, and NOT reacting to our human nature, which is to take things into our own hands, being unsatisfied, lacking commitment, always moving and going, fretting and worrying.
The greatest lesson ANY Christian can learn, is humility, and true humility will produce a person who is meek; controlled power.
Jesus said this later on in the Book of Matthew. . .
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I have been reading a little on several techniques used to break a horse. Some of those techniques seem quite unreasonable, and even cruel. However, unless the horse can be broken, it is utterly useless, and still very dangerous to those around it.
One technique is to “hitch” or pair up a wild horse with a tame one. This procedure seems to work on some horses. The idea is that the older, more “meek” horse, will cause the younger, wilder horse, to settle down a little.
I suspect this procedure is at times as frustrating to the older horse as it is for the younger one, but in the end, favorable results often occur.
Perhaps it is wisdom to come along side of an older, more seasoned Christian, and learn humility this way. They have earned their stripes!
I was one of those “bunking broncos” and I wanted to run fast, hard and free! Brimming with fire and passion, I lit many fires in my wake. I could not understand why well-meaning, mature Christians were coming along behind me with a fire truck, putting out my fires! It exasperated me to no end!
I had to learn the lesson of humility, and I am still in class!
Remember, “meekness” is not “weakness” it is controlled strength.
Finally, for those who have given control to the Holy Spirit of God, the truly meek and humble, the Bible says; “They will inherit the earth.”
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
The inheritance that Jesus is talking about is not a home on earth, nor is it the mineral rights to planet earth; while we certainly have access to both! What Jesus is talking about are people; the nations! Heaven and earth will pass away but the souls of man are eternal!
Only the truly humble, only the meek will be able to bring others into the kingdom of heaven, not the proud and self-righteous.
The humble man or woman will be gentle, never condescending, they have an acute awareness of their own spiritual poverty, and are patient, and long suffering with those they encounter in this world. They treat them with an uncanny kindness, are gentle and mild in their conversations.
The meek begin taking on a striking resemblance to the Master they serve, trusting, hoping, and always persevering.
Those who are such will inherit the earth, and many will come into the Kingdom of heaven because of them!
Where are you in the process?
Yield to the Master, and simply take His yoke upon you?
Pick it up, and put it on, and partner with Him, saddle up with Christ, and get moving!