Meekness

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Merriam Webster defines “meekness” as “a mild, moderate, humble, or submissive quality”.  But in Jesus’ time, the word “praius” from the Greek, translated as “meek” had a very different meaning.  It meant a quiet strength.  Bruce Tamlyn gave a sermon once at Silver Bay where he gave three illustrations of meekness.  First, it is like a gentle breeze pushing a sailboat over the ocean.  Second, it is like a calming word being spoken to a wild colt.  And third, it is like the antidote driving poison out of one’s body.  Over the centuries, this quiet strength has been mistaken for weakness.  

I believe "praius" is nothing short of the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and our lives.  If we take the first three beatitudes together, it shows how one becomes a follower of Jesus.  First, we admit our sinfulness, coming before God with a contrite heart and a humble spirit.  Second, we mourn for our sin.  Paul says in Romans 6, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”  And so we mourn for our sin because our old sinful self has been crucified with Jesus.  We might think of holding a funeral for our old self and perhaps a celebration that Jesus has conquered sin for us.  It is only when we feel pain and regret that we will truly desire to change.

In my experience, that does not mean that I am no longer tempted to sin.  I am only free from the consequence of my sinful behavior, and that, only so long as I forgive others (see Matthew 6:14-15).  I find myself daily, constantly needing to be in prayer to ask God to help me overcome temptation, to persevere through trials.  Maybe temptation was always there and now I notice it more.  CS Lewis wrote that “It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us; it is the very sign of His presence.”  I take heart in that.  

Often, I am finding, I am facing a task that is too big for me.  I should like to get my book published.  I should like to have more readers for my blog.  These things are beyond my control.  I can only pray to know the right direction and put one foot in front of the other.  I should like to know how to treat others who mistreat me.  I think often of Corrie Ten Boom, who led the Dutch Underground in Nazi-occupied Harlem in the Netherlands and how she needed to pray for the capacity to forgive the soldier who had tormented her in Ravensbrück concentration camp.  She said she could not offer forgiveness to him, but God allowed her to raise her arms and reach out to him.  This is the quiet power of God’s Holy Spirit.  This is what meekness looks like.

I’ll end with another Lewis quote: “To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?”