Radical Kingdom Life/Blessed are the Meek
3-12-17
Matthew 5:1–20
*What does meekness have to do with God?
If we can’t answer that question, then I don’t think we will be able to fulfill the desire of Jesus for
us in this sermon. And what is His desire for this sermon? What is his aim? It is Matthew 5:16
What was the first petition of the Lord’s prayer at the center of the sermon on the mount?
“Hallowed be your name?” This was the passion of Jesus’ life. Therefore the passion of his
followers is the same.
Meekness=Weakness? That is often what we think when we think of meekness.
**Psalm 37:11
11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Matthew 5:5
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Greek translation of the Old Testament=Septuagint=Greek New Testament
The word for “land” in Greek and Hebrew also mean “earth.”
So let’s let this Psalm show us what meekness is and how it points to God.
Notice the connection between verse 9 and 11
For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
9
11
So I would conclude first of all that the **meek=those who wait on the Lord
Psalm 37:5–8
So who are the meek according to Psalm 37:5-8
5- They commit their way to the Lord and trust in the Lord
7- They are quiet or still before the Lord and don’t fret over those who prosper
8- They refrain from anger and forsake wrath
So let’s paint a portrait of the meek based upon these verses.
1- They trust in God- 5b
They simply believe… God is working for them and will vindicate them when others oppose them.
Biblical Meekness is the deep confidence that God is for you and is not against you.
Romans 8:31–32
Romans 8:38–39
2- They commit their way to the Lord- Look at beginning of 37:5
“Commit” = Hebrew “Roll”
3- They are quiet before God and wait for Him.
Look again at Psalm 37:7a-
7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him
So we have three things going in order here.
1-Meek discover that God can be trusted
2-They commit their way to him
3-They wait patiently in stillness for the work of God in their lives.
Not laziness. It means they are free of frenzy.
4- They don’t fret over the wicked
Look at the last part of verse 7 in Psalm 37.
“…fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out
evil devices!”
Look at verse 8
Psalm 37:8 (ESV)
8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
When your family, work, and life are in God’s sovereign hands, you will trust Him, wait on
him patiently and quietly and see how his power and goodness work things out.
And we see what meekness is from the Psalm 37 that I believe He is referring to.
Trusting God, committing your way to him in confidence, then waiting patiently and quietly for the
outcome. Finally, it does not give way to anger and fretfulness when faced with opposition and
set backs.
Meekness has very much to do with God.
Questions for Small Group
1- What connection does this beatitude have to what Jesus speaks about in Matthew 5:21-26?
2- Compare Matthew 5:5 to Psalm 37:11- How is being “meek” = “waiting on God”?
3- What verse did Pastor say was the entire desired outcome from Jesus to us in the sermon on
the mount? Why?
4- How much is “waiting” part of the Christian life? How does waiting expose our faith?