What about the meek?

Have you ever had one of those frustrating days where everything just seems to go wrong and you come home irritated and annoyed? I’m sure you haven’t, but I know that I have! My mind goes a million miles an hour trying out different scenarios, what could I have said and done differently and even thoughts of exactly what I would like to say but don’t dare!!

This happened to me very recently and I came home and sat on the couch with a dark, gloomy cloud hovering just above my head! I cried out to the Lord in my frustration and said, “I need perspective, Father, a Word from You as to how to proceed!” Within seconds the Lord dropped a scripture in my heart from Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Blessed are the meek? The meek? “I need another scripture Lord!” I cried. But no. This was the one highlighted by the Holy Spirit. So I picked up my commentaries and concordance and took a closer look.

The very first thing I discovered was the Greek meaning for the word meek – someone who has a mild disposition or a gentle spirit. It is the opposite of self-assertiveness or self-interest. In my chaotic journey to not operate out of my flesh, gentleness was certainly something I desired. Then I happened upon David Guzik’s words on the subject; “In the vocabulary of the ancient Greek language, the ‘meek’ person was not passive or easily pushed around. The main idea behind the word ‘meek’ was strength under control, like a strong stallion that was trained to do the job instead of running wild.” Strength under control – now that is something to aspire to!

Perhaps the clincher for me was Matthew 21:5; “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus, our Messiah, humbled himself and meekly rode a donkey into Jerusalem. That same Greek word for meek is used here for lowly. Strength under control! The King of Kings was certainly that! Perhaps I could be that.

Mark 11:2 tells us that this colt had never been ridden before. This colt had not been broken in or taught to be obedient to its owner’s commands. But this beast behaved like one broken in, one who recognized the hands of its Master. This untrained donkey knew that the One seated on its back was The Creator, that the meekness of our Saviour was strength under control.

Clarke said it best; “This entry into Jerusalem has been termed the triumph of Christ. It was indeed the triumph of humility over pride and worldly grandeur, of poverty over affluence, and of meekness and gentleness over rage and malice.”

And so, meekness and gentleness should be sought after – not looked down upon as something we would consider weak. Self-assertiveness should be bought under control, along with our pride and desire to be right. So we must cast off all the sins of self-sufficiency, self-worth and self-glorification and in humility and meekness pick up our cross and follow the Saviour.