“Blessed are the Meek”… Does Jesus Command us to be Wimps?

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

Jesus declares “blessed are the meek,” but America does not appear to agree.  Most people see being meek as a weakness instead of an asset. Several years ago, I was watching a baseball game where the camera panned in on someone wearing a t-shirt that read “The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing.” It seems that our culture has not only rejected what God values but, in the case of meekness, it flat out mocks it. 

A major factor in our negative perception of meekness is that we don’t understand what it means to be meek. Before we discuss what meekness is, it is first necessary to discuss what it is not.  “Meek” is not a synonym for weak or pushover.  Slumped shoulders and spinelessness does not personify meekness. The wimpy kid is just wimpy, not meek.   Jesus described Himself as meek, and Jesus was not a wimp. Just ask the money changers in the temple.

So what does meek mean? In actuality meekness is strength.  Meekness is strength under control.  In any study of the word meek, you are likely to see the example of a horse.  When a horse gets “meeked,” its power becomes harnessed, and it is under control. We see meekness illustrated in Jesus Himself. The Greek word used for meek in Matthew 5:5 is praus. Praus is the same word for “gentle” used in Matthew 11:29. There Jesus says of himself, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Jesus is our all-powerful Lord and Master, but He is not harsh or heavy-handed. Instead, He chooses to lead us gently.  Jesus is not a cowboy who drives His cattle by force, but the Good Shepherd who gently leads His Sheep. 

Meekness is lived out in at least two ways in our culture. Our first opportunity to be meek is when we have authority over others.  We are to use the strength, power, and authority we have, not to get our way with others, but for their good. Jesus told His disciples that He wanted them to serve those they were in authority over. Any authority we have as Christian leaders, parents, spouses, bosses, etc., is for the good of others, not to use as leverage for ourselves.  Secondly, we can choose to be meek by accepting when we do not get our way.  Some people cannot accept it when things do not go their way. They scream, kick and fight until they get what they want, which is the antithesis of being meek.  In contrast the meek trust God for His provision instead of throwing a temper tantrum.   

You still may not think of being meek as something to be desired, but God does.  God is going to reward the meek by allowing them to reign with Him in His Kingdom. Those who lord their authority over others for their good or fight to get every last thing they want, have their kingdom now.