The Strength of Meekness

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5: 5

When we think of meekness or someone who is meek, oftentimes the thought of softness or mild-mannered comes to mind. We may think of a meek person as one who would run from a fight instead of one who would stand-up and fight back. When thinking of a man who is meek, we may conjure up the image of one who is slight of build rather than one who is ripped and full of muscles. Meekness is weakness in many people’s mind. While some of those things may be true, this study is intended to delve into what Jesus was really talking about when he highlighted the virtue of meekness. In the end, we might be surprised to find out that there is true strength in meekness. Those that possess this virtue, also, defy the stereotypes that oftentimes are placed on this term.

The word meek in this scripture is derived from the Greek word praus that means mild. It can also be further translated into the word humble. Most people may stop right there and agree that this speaks of one who is soft, mild, slightly-built and probably weak. If we stop there we will miss what Jesus was trying to teach. The word inherit, in this same text, comes from the Greek word kleronomeo which means to be an heir and to obtain by inheritance. So we see here that these meek ones are actually heirs who are inheriting something. Usually when we think of one who inherits something they either belong to a family of wealth or one of power or both. Lastly, the word earth in this passage of scripture is translated from the Greek word ge which, if you follow the translation, means country, earth, ground, land, world. That translation becomes very broad. However, we can look at it from two perspectives. The first being the physical totality of the world that we live in. Second, it could also be applied to our own selves. 2 Corinthians 4: 7 states the following:

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

However you may look at it, you will find that before one can “rule” in this world they must first have ruled over self. The scripture speaks of a people who inherit a treasure in earthen vessels. People who not only inherit but possess their own earth and are blessed of God. These are meek people!

Oftentimes, when we think of the opposite of meekness, we think of people who have what is commonly known as “type A” personalities. They may also be known as Alpha males or Alpha females. We recognize those people as having strong and domineering personalities. These people walk into a room and command a presence. The following passage from a book entitled Caste by Isabel Wilkerson speaks to the issue … with a very surprising conclusion.

We owe our misperceptions about alpha behavior to the studies of large groupings of wolves placed in captivity and forced to fight for dominance or to cower into submission. In nature, wolf packs are more likely to consist of extended family systems, packs of between five and fifteen wolves, led by an alpha male and an alpha female, whom the pack trusts and has reason to trust for the survival of them all.

“The main characteristic of an alpha male wolf is a quiet confidence, quiet self-assurance,” Richard McIntyre, a researcher of wolf behavior at Yellowstone National Park, told the ecologist Carl Safina. “You know what’s best for your pack. You lead by example. You’re very comfortable with that. You have a calming effect.”

Excerpt from Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, Copyright 2020

We have drawn a misconception of the Alpha Male (and Alpha Female) as having to be the most vocal and domineering among us. When in actuality the Alpha Male fits the real definition of meekness or quiet strength. The alpha male, in this example, does not have to exert his authority. He is one who has a calm and quiet reassurance of his place in the pack and the other wolves know and don’t cross the line. He is not weak for being quiet. On the contrary, his strength comes from an inner assurance that allows him to be quiet and steady even in the face of adversity and challenge. The alpha wolf does not need to be proud or haughty and also has no need to be arrogant or assertive. His quiet self-assurance places him in a position to standout about the rest.

Jesus when He walked this earth would, by this example, be the epitome of the alpha male. At one place in the scripture, He says this about Himself:

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart.

Matthew 11: 29

Some would take from this scripture that Jesus was admitting to being passive and weak. His lowliness, in many peoples minds also gives the picture of Christians having to be passive and weak and not willing to ever put up a fight, for anything. While Jesus is depicted as being a sheep that was ready for the slaughter, the very fact that He gave himself to this type of sacrifice speaks to his inner strength. Yes, He could have resisted. Yes, He could have called down ten thousands angels to destroy this entire world. However, He chose to go the way of the cross. His time in the garden was as much for getting victory over self as it was to get victory to ultimately go to the cross as the perfect sacrifice for you and me. When Jesus was being accused by the Jewish leaders, his words were few. He said little before Pilate and nothing before Herod. The custom of scourging a man by the Roman soldiers was a means of torture to break a man, to get him to reveal all that was on his heart. They beat Jesus, spit on Him, hit Him, pulled His beard, put a crown of thorns on His head and a robe on His bloodied back. Yet, He did not say a word and He did not break. Pilate marveled at Him and so did the Roman soldiers. Even at His eventual crucifixion, He quietly allowed them to place nails in his hands and feet. If his is not meekness, I don’t know what is. If this is not strength, I don’t know what is.

Jesus is our example both in his walk with God and in his death. Yes, He was meek and lowly. Yet, He was also a man of great inner strength. Admittedly, I have such a long way to go to gain the type of meekness that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5: 5. Jesus tells us that the “meek shall inherit the earth.” We can now see that the first inheritance is one of this earthly tabernacle. When we truly become meek, we become heirs to reign over our own mortal bodies. In other words, we reign over self and have control over self. Once we begin to reign over self, then God can place us in a position to have authority in our own “worlds.” That authority comes in the form of influence. God, through Jesus Christ, wants us all to have authority and influence for him in the world that we live in. If each one of us takes up that charge, we can become like those in the book of Acts who turned the world upside-down (Acts 17: 6). This will not come in our own strength. This will only come when we truly realize our weakness before God and allow Him to direct us as His children. Jesus told Paul in II Corinthians 12: 9:

… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness …

In a sense, meekness may be weakness. However, with Jesus Christ, that weakness is turned into strength when we surrender to Him.