Meek & Mighty, Part 1
The Sermon on the Mount, Carl Block, 1877
Matthew 5:5 - Meek & Mighty, Part 1
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
—
I used to think of the Beatitudes as Jesus describing different kinds of people.
But what He’s actually doing is describing the gradual formation of a saint.
Poverty of spirit leads to mourning.
Mourning leads to meekness.
Once a man has seen his poverty before God (5:3) and grieved his sin (5:4), he no longer needs to grasp, dominate, defend, or control.
But meekness is perhaps the most misunderstood virtue in Scripture.
—
The Greek word Jesus uses is praus (πραΰς), which, in the ancient world, was often used to describe a powerful horse that had been trained and brought under control.
A warhorse, possessing immense power but acting with disciplined restraint.
Likewise, the meek man is the man whose power has been surrendered to God.
He is no longer ruled by his emotions; his strength becomes available for self-giving love.
This is why the supreme example of meekness is Christ himself.
“Learn from me; for I am gentle (praus) and lowly in heart.” - Matthew 11:29
The One who calmed storms, cast out demons, overturned tables, and raised the dead also called Himself meek.
He is sovereign strength willingly surrendered to the Father’s will.
—
The “earth” Jesus promises is first the territory of our own souls.
Most men live as exiles within themselves.
The passions pull in one direction.
Fears pull in another.
Ambitions pull this way, and wounds that way.
The interior kingdom is fragmented.
One may appear successful but is inwardly unable to govern himself.
The meek man, however, begins to inherit the earth of his own being.
And by grace, the disordered regions of the heart are slowly brought under the kingship of Christ.
Anger becomes ordered towards zeal.
Desire becomes charity.
Strength, service.
And ambition, mission.
He receives dominion over himself because he has surrendered himself.
Paradoxically, the man who stops trying to control everything is finally capable of ruling what God has actually entrusted to him.
Onward and Upward,
Ted
If you’ve enjoyed these reflections, please consider a paid membership or buy me a coffee.
If now isn’t the right time, I’d be grateful if you shared Into Deep Water with a friend.
