The Beatitudes Part III of VIII
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
As the sequence of the Beatitudes continues, we see
a progression in the teachings of our Lord and Savior. Jesus is, at this point,
speaking of behaviors carried out by His followers, that stem from maturity or
spiritual growth. This will occur in the lives of every believer and follower
of Christ Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The world's view of meekness is a form of weakness
or fear to face the everyday perils of life. This is not what Jesus is
referring to here, He speaks of one that has grown spiritually by following the
Holy Spirit's leading, guiding, and direction. This growth spiritually will
occur as Jesus carries out the sanctification process in the lives of those
that have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior and surrendered their lives to
the ways of God instead of the ways of the world.
Consequently, when Jesus speaks of
"meekness," it is a "fruit of the Spirit," as an outcome of
our walk with Him. In this writing, Matthew's Greek word is "praeis"
(Strong’s
4239), it is defined as having a humble spirit, maturity, or strength under
control, in this case, controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. The only path to
that kind of humility, meekness, is a life of faith and confidence that God
will see to our every need and will never leave or forsake us. This also
includes a personal relationship with Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit's
work in transforming our hearts and minds.
This beautiful picture painted by Christ Jesus is
opposite from the typical arrogance and pride that is seen when someone has
achieved what society, in and of the world, considers success. The meekness that Jesus speaks of here is a
keen awareness of our sin and knowing full well of the Grace and mercy given to
us by God.
The humility or "spirit of meekness"
spoken of here also suggests a life of service to our Lord and Savior, Christ
Jesus. One with a true spirit of meekness would be someone who possesses a
gentle soul, not given to retaliation, but one that demonstrates mercy and
Grace towards others while keeping their lives focused on God's ways instead of
the world's way.
Meekness is strength under containment; it is one
thing for a person to show strength when faced with animosity, defending
themselves with force and quite another for a person to control how they could
respond. The truly blessed or happy person is one that is in control of their
passions and reactions. Christ Jesus Came to the earth and demonstrated the
epitome of meekness, He had all the power of the universe, yet he allowed
people to disparage and belittle Him and ultimately allowed the world to nail
Him to the Cross. Even though Jesus was omnipotent, all-powerful, He resisted
what he was capable of doing. He allowed Himself to be crucified on the Cross
of Calvary because He knew there was something more important, the salvation of
souls.
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