LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”  Jesus

 

The world thinks in terms of strength and power.  Military capability is built up so other countries will know not to attack the United States or Russia, or China, or North Korea.  Alliances between countries are made because an attack on one of the allied countries is an attack on all of them.  For some reason, people desire to be in positions of authority and power.  We are seeing today the extent people will go to be elected or to elect their candidate into powerful positions of government. 

 

The Jewish people were looking for a leader to come lead to a military victory against the Roman oppressors; their thinking was in terms of military conquest.  Jesus came teaching about the kingdom of God.  He was the Messiah.  But He said conquest was not the way, He was not a military leader like they were looking for.  He said the kingdom of God is not gained by military conquest. 

 

So far, Jesus has taught being poor in spirit leads to mourning; becoming aware of sin leads to thinking about other people.  Now He told His listeners it was not the strong and powerful that would inherit the earth but the meek.  It might be easier to understand what meekness is not.  Meekness is not a natural quality (Are you seeing the pattern?) because it is produced by the Holy Spirit.  Meekness in the natural sense is really laziness.  Meekness does not mean weakness of character or personality such as being easy to get along with. 

 

The “meek” are those who are humble and submissive before God.  They find their protection in Him and commit their way entirely to Him.   This comes from being poor in spirit and from mourning.  You cannot be meek if you are not poor in spirit, until you see yourself as an awful sinner.  In reality meekness is an honest view of yourself and your attitude toward others.  It is shown in the way you conduct yourself.  A meek person does not demand anything for himself because of his position in life, what he has, nor what his status in life is.  He does not even care about what others think of him.  Lloyd-Jones writes that a “meek person is finished with himself altogether.”

 

Lloyd-Jones writes that being meek means a person is no longer concerned with what others have done to them.  A meek person is patient and long-suffering when he suffers unjustly because God sees what he endures.  He writes that a meek person is always ready to listen and to learn, implying a teachable spirit.  One must always be ready to be taught by the Holy Spirit and be led by the Lord Jesus Christ.  A meek person is more concerned about God’s work and God’s people than what might happen to him personally.

 

You need to know that meekness is actually great strength, authority, and power.  Meekness is an inward spirit that strengthens you to stand strong on the truth of God’s Word.  It is being led by the Holy Spirit to speak or remain silent.  It is turning the other cheek when not wanting to or walking the extra mile when not required to.  It is to be satisfied where God has placed you, even though opportunities might be elsewhere.  It is to be content with what you have knowing that eternity really begins now.  It is knowing that the meek, not the aggressive, who will inherit the earth and are heirs with Christ, reigning with Him in His kingdom to come.

 

Being poor in spirit leads to mourning which leads to meekness which leads to….

 

 

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