Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5:1-12
Blessed are the Meek
A quick look at dictionary.com tells me meek means “humbly patient or docile; overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.” Let’s be real. No red-blooded, American reads the word “meek” and says, “That’s what I want to be!” No, most of us buck at that idea.
Here’s another way or writing that definition. Blaaaahhhhh.
Can you get any more boring, uninspiring and hopeless? Why would Jesus ever ask us to be meek.
So let me ask a question, do we really see what Jesus meant in that word ‘meek’?
What is Meek?
Let me turn the discussion on this just slightly.
As you may know, the Bondurant family adopted a puppy in September. Charlie Louise is a beautiful, Australian Shepherd with a wonderful personality. She is smart, loving and adores our kids.
However, there is still quite a bit of puppy in her. Left to her own devices, she would go to the bathroom all over our house, chew up any and all of our things, jump on us, bark and whine at any inconvenience and be a general pest. Our house and it’s contents would be destroyed.
So, we are training her. Sometimes we do a better job than others, but she is a much nicer dog than if we left her to do as she pleased. She has become submissive. She obeys our commands (most times).
Another word for this is ‘broken’.
When she is at her best, Charlie displays her beautiful strength under complete control. She responds to the voice of her master.
When Jesus asks us to be meek, He is asking for us to display our strength under his control. He wants us to be broken. This is an absolutely beautiful picture!
Are you broken?
This week we are focusing on Growing Strong. We are most strong when focused on our master, submissive to him. Are you broken? Are you focused on the master, submissive to him?
Are you meek?
This is why the meek inherit the earth. They are broken, and they are following the master’s orders. The earth will eventually be handed over to Jesus, and He has promised us who follow Him a new heaven and a new earth.
As we head into the weekend, focus on this thought. How do you need to submit to Jesus? What more do you need to surrender to Him in your life? This is the key to being broken – submitting to our master.
What do you need to submit to Jesus?