(Mt 5:5) “Blessed are the Meek, for they shall
inherit the earth.” This is an astounding statement. It is utterly counterintuitive. We
expect Jesus to say, “Blessed are the strong, the aggressive, the single minded, or the ruthless, for they shall inherit the earth.” But no!
He associates inheriting (conquering) the earth with meekness.
This is not the normal pattern. The greatest conqueror in history
was Ghengis Khan (1162-1227). He brought almost 5 million square
miles under his control.
(See Painting and Map).
Wikipedia: “They [the Mongols] attacked Russia, where they made
great havoc, destroying cities and fortresses and slaughtering men;
and they laid siege to Kiev, the capital of Russia; after they had
besieged the city for a long time, they took it and put the inhabitants
to death. When we were journeying through that land we came
across countless skulls and bones of dead men lying about on the
ground. Kiev had been a very large and thickly populated town, but
now it has been reduced almost to nothing, for there are at the
present time scarce two hundred houses there and the inhabitants
are kept in complete slavery.”
Ghengis Khan is a good example of the human understanding of
the qualities one must have to “inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5 turns this
upside down.
Lets sum up the message of the beatitudes. They are
progressive. People who are poor in spirit, and mourn for their sins,
have laid the foundation for meekness. In other words, the person
growing in poverty of spirit and mourning for personal sin will also
grow in meekness.
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Today’s sermon is going to explore Matt. 5:5. To do so we will
answer four questions:
1st What is the meekness that God Blesses?
2nd What is the biblical context for inheriting the earth?
3rd Why will the meek inherit the earth?
4th How do we get meekness?
A. WHAT IS THE MEEKNESS THAT GOD BLESSES?
1. What meekness is not?
A meek person is a not weak person
A meek person is not quiet and passive. Jesus drove the money
changers out of the temple. He aggressively rebuked the religious
leaders of his day.
A meek person is not effeminate. Although meekness is a quality
especially encouraged in women by 1 Pet. 3:4 “a gentle and quiet spirit,” it is a quality for men also. Jesus was masculine but he
epitomized meekness.
A meek person is not someone you would look down on. Instead,
if you met a truly meek person you would be immediately drawn to
their inward tranquility and sense of peace and self-confidence.
2. What meekness is?
Meekness is difficult to define. One hint is that the Greek word
translated Meekness is also translated by gentleness and
courteousness. Here is one definition.
“Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without
disputing or resisting.”
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Webster’s: Meekness is “enduring injury with patience and without
resentment”1
Jonathan Edwards’ demonstrated meekness. Here is how his
biographer described his reaction when his congregation rejected him
after 20 plus years of service:
“Edwards’ demeanor during these proceedings apparently was remarkably calm…David Hall recorded in his diary: ‘I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance the whole week,
but he appeared like a man of god, whose happiness was out of the
reach of his enemies, and whose treasure was not only a present
but a future good.’”2
That is why, in the OT, the meek are described as those wholly
relying on God’s strength to defend them when they experience
injustice.
(Psalm 37:10–11) "10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no
more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in
abundant peace."
Thus, meekness in the face of attack, criticism or the abuse
knows that God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using
them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver the meek in His own
time.
In other words, meekness is the opposite of self-defense, selfjustification, or aggressive rebuttal. It is a reluctance to defend
oneself against slander, criticism, abuse, and injustice, etc.
1
Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Springfield, MA: MerriamWebster, Inc.
2
George Marsden, Jonathan Edwards, (New Haven: Yale, 2003) pg. 61
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It is a byproduct of trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty.
Meekness is a fruit of living in the Holy Spirit. It is the posture of rest
that belongs to those who believe the gospel.
In summary, as toward God, therefore, the meek accept his
dealings without murmur or resistance as absolutely good and wise.
As toward man, the meek accept opposition, insult, and
provocation, as God’s permitted ministers to deal with their indwelling
sin.
This does not prohibit self-defense. I should defend my family
from harm. We will come back to this in a moment. But I should
defend my family with meekness.
In the words of A. W. Tozer,
“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his
own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion
and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about
himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but
paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is, in the sight of
God, more important than angels. In himself, nothing; in God,
everything. That is his motto.”3
3. Five examples of meekness...
I want to close our first question by discussing five examples of
meekness.
1st Mary submitted to God’s plans for her life with gratitude rather
than complaining.
3
A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, (Camp Hill: Christian Publications, 1982) pg. 106
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(Luke 1:38) "38 And Mary said [to the angel], “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."
2nd Moses meekly refused to defend himself. When Miriam and
Aaron attacked Moses he responded with meekness.
(Numbers 12:3) "3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than
all people who were on the face of the earth."
When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram attacked Moses leadership,
again he responded with meekness.
(Numbers 16:3–4) "3 They assembled themselves together against
Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the
LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the
assembly of the LORD?” 4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face,"
3rd David did not immediately resort to self-justification when
Nathan accused him of wrongdoing.
(2 Samuel 12:13) "13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away
your sin; you shall not die."
4th In meekness Paul refused to demand his rights.
(1 Corinthians 9:14–15) "14 In the same way, the Lord commanded
that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the
gospel. 15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I
writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather
die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting."
5th Although Jesus did not defend himself he defended others and
the gospel.
“When it came to the matters of faith and the welfare of others, Jesus was a lion. He rebuked the Pharisees’ hardness of heart when
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he healed the man’s withered hand on the Sabbath (Matt 12:945)…Jesus made a whip and drove the money changers from the temple (Mk. 10:13-16),”4 and he rebuked Peter with the words, “Get behind me Satan.” In summary Lloyd-Jones sums up the irony of meekness meek
this way:
“Meekness is compatible with great strength. Meekness is compatible with great authority and power…The martyrs were meek, but they were never weak; strong men, yet meek men. God
forbid that we should ever confuse this noble quality, one of the
noblest of all the qualities, with something merely animal or physical
or natural.”5
B. WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL CONTEXT FOR INHERITING THE EARTH?
The answer to this question has a back-history in scripture. It
begins with creation. God created Adam to Inherit the Earth
(Genesis 1:28) "28 And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living
thing that moves on the earth.”"
Although Adam’s sin forfeited his right to inherit, God promised a day of redemption when a Second Adam would obey him and inherit
the earthly dominion that Adam’s sin had forfeited.
Therefore, throughout the OT there is a growing assumption that
the seed of Abraham (the Second Adam) would someday inherit the
nations. It was also assumed that God’s people would get in on that
inheritance.
4
5
Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount, (Wheaton: Crossway, ) pg 35
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Beatitudes, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans1959-60) pg. 56
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(Psalm 47:3) "3 [God] subdued peoples under us, and nations
under our feet."
Psalm 2 very specifically made this promise to the Messiah—the
second Adam.
(Psalm 2:7b–8) "The LORD said to me [the Messiah]…8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth
your possession."
Paul picks up this theme in Romans.
Rm 4:13 “It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring
received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through
the righteousness that comes by faith.”6
When we put our faith in Jesus we become co-heirs with Christ. In
Paul’s words, we become “fellow-heirs” with Christ and therefore we
become co-heirs with him of the world.
(Romans 8:17) If we are children then we are "17 heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we
may also be glorified with him."
C. WHY DO “THE MEEK INHERIT THE EARTH”
This idea is diametrically opposed to the world’s idea of who will inherit the earth. Meekness is not the quality we look for. Think of
those who have attempted to inherit—men like Ghenkis Khan,
Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Tamerlane, Napoleon, Hitler,
Mao, etc.
(Ps 37:11) “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great
peace.” 6
1 Cor 6:1-3 “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge
the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How
much more the things of this life.” Also see Rev 2:28. 7 of 11
This was how God originally intended for Adam to exercise
dominion—with meekness. We know that because this is how the
Second Adam achieved dominion. Jesus was the perfection of
meekness.
Jesus demonstrated meekness during his trial by Pilate. He could
have summoned a legion of angels. Instead, when falsely accused he
responded with meekness.
(Mt 27:12-14) "When he was accused by the chief priests and the
elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no
reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the
governor.”
Why does God give the earth to those with meekness? Why do
the meek and not the assertive inherit the earth? Because the meek,
through their meekness, demonstrate their absolute dependence
upon God. They inherit influence God’s way.
How we exercise dominion matters greatly to God. The means
that we use to gain dominion over the earth matter greatly. Why?
When God conquers through the meek who gets the glory? God gets
all the glory. Two propositions sum this up.
1st When we inherit through meekness, God’s strength is
perfected, revealed, and glorified through our weakness.
2nd When we inherit through meekness the faith in God’s goodness that meekness presupposes glorifies the goodness of God.
D. HOW DO WE GET MEEKNESS?
1st We get meekness by pursuing the first two beatitudes, poverty
of Spirit and true mourning for sin.
The meek person is poor in spirit. He or she knows his or her
weakness. He is utterly dependent upon God.
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The meek person knows what they deserve. They mourn for their
sin. Therefore, the meek person does not complain at God’s allowed misfortune, or his rebuke, or his accusation.
2nd We get meekness by walking in the HS. The same Gk word
translated “meekness” in Matt 5:5 is translated “gentleness” in the famous passage describing the fruits of the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:22–23) "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, selfcontrol; against such things there is no law."
3rd We get meekness by watching Jesus. Jesus was the meekest
man that ever lived.
(Matthew 11:29) " 29 “ I am gentle [meek[ and lowly in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls."
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle
(Praus, Meek in Mt 5) and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a
donkey
When the Jews accused Jesus before Pilate, our Savior
responded with meekness.
(Is 53:7) "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his
mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
(1 Pet. 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.” Rev 5:5-7 sums all of this up with a significant word picture. In this
text God gives Jesus the authority of a Lion, i.e. the authority to
inherit the earth, because of his Lamb-like meekness.
(Revelation 5:5–7, pg 1030) "5 And one of the elders said to me,
“Weep no more;; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
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David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven
seals.” 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and
among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been
slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven
spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the
scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne."
Jesus stands because he was slain in meekness. He has
inherited all power and authority because of his meekness. He has
the authority of a lion because he was first lamb-like in meekness.
What is more meek than a lamb? But, his meekness has infused
him with the authority of a Lion. As a Lion he inherits the scroll, the
right to rule the earth, but he inherits the earth because he was first a
lamb that was slain in meekness.
Ghenkis Khan conquered with brute strength. But Jesus conquers
with meekness. Whose has had the greatest influence on the world?
Whose approach to dominion really works? Who will ultimately inherit
the earth?
Ghenkis Khan has come and gone. His kingdom rose swiftly and
then swiftly disappeared. By contrast Christ rules in the hearts of 1/3
of the world’s population, and his influence is expanding with each
passing decade. The church is slowly inheriting the earth.
For the last 1,000 years Western Culture has been dominant in
world affairs. Why? It has Christianity at its foundation. Jesus has
inherited the earth. In the last 500 years nations dominated by
Protestant Christianity have been dominant. Why? It has an even
more virulent, vital, all conquering form of Christianity at its roots—
Calvinism. Jesus has inherited the earth.
“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”
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E. APPLICATION:
Are you pursuing meekness? Meekness is not for the cowardly. It
takes great strength and faith to be meek.
Signs of a failure to be meek:
Complaining
Demanding your rights
Self-Reliance
Taking vengeance into your own hands.
Self-Justification
Inheriting the earth is a synonym for authority to influence others.
Baxter: “There are no virtues wherein your example will do more, at least to abate men’s prejudice, than humility and meekness and
self-denial.”[1]
If you want to influence your workplace put on meekness.
If you want to influence your children, grow in meekness. Help
your children grow in meekness by disciplining all that is its
opposite—temper tantrums, self-will, defiance, complaining, selfjustification, etc.
If you want to have a happy marriage, practice meekness.
[1]
Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor, pg 65 (Edinburgh, Banner of Truth, 1656, reprinted 2005)
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