The Sermon on the Mount (5)

Christ, the great Preacher, spoke as one having authority and not as the scribes. In the beatitudes He gave the characteristics or the marks of the true citizens of His kingdom. The first mark is to be poor in spirit—not poor as many are who have trouble making ends meet while providing for their family and themselves but poor as beggars who are entirely dependent upon the help and favor of others. The second mark of being poor in spirit is mourning. It is a word that is used for lamenting, grieving as at a funeral, mourning for the loss of somebody that you love. The third mark in the beatitudes is speaking about those that are meek. In natural life this word is used for being gentle, submissive, humble, unpretentious, and tolerant, but in spiritual life it manifests itself in lowliness. It is a fruit of the emptying and humbling work of the Spirit.

What this meekness is

This meekness is not the same as being easygoing, pleasant, or ready to compromise. It is certainly no weakness but is compatible with strength. Spiritual meekness is caused by a true view of ourselves which will express itself in our attitude and conduct with respect to others. A meek person knows that there is nothing in himself of which he can boast. He is not so sensitive about himself and always on the defense of self. He knows that nobody can say anything about him or do anything worse to him than he deserves. A truly meek person is amazed at God’s goodness, patience, and faithfulness toward him and how well people treat him. Such meekness will also express itself towards others in being mild, having a quiet spirit, and being patient and longsuffering. In such a meek one there is a broken will and a receptive heart before God. It is a teachable disposition of the heart which is caused by the consciousness of the presence of the Lord and the majesty of His attributes. Meekness causes one to quietly submit himself not only to God and to His Word but also to His rod.

Godly sorrow softens the heart, makes it receptive to the entrance of the Word of God, and makes it teachable. We will be taught to endure provocation without becoming irritated or angry. Meekness restrains from seeking revenge. There is self-denial, love to our neighbour, a forgiving spirit, not rewarding evil with evil. The will is renewed and made submissive to God’s leading. It means I see my own nothingness and helplessness. In short, a meek person has lost his rights before God and is brought to the right place. There God will do no injustice to him.

The question is: do we know of such a place before God and man? This is certainly not a place where we will bring ourselves. It is a fruit of the work of Him, the blessed Mediator who made Himself of no reputation. Has this Mediator already become our Teacher, and do we know the place where God no longer can do any wrong? There is a bowing before Him, our Maker, and we become clay in His hands. What a precious place this is.

Examples of meekness

The examples we find in God’s Word do not speak of what we would call a meek character, but they speak of where the Lord brings His people.

Abraham—He displayed meekness when he allowed Lot to have the first choice of the land. He did not stand upon his own rights although he was the older and Lot should have let him choose first.

Moses—The Lord had taught him meekness when he was with Jethro’s sheep for forty years. The man who was so ready to deliver Israel when he was younger was brought to a lowly perception of himself when the Lord called him to lead the people and go to Pharaoh to bring His message. He was not so ready and did not feel qualified for this.

David—David suffered Saul and his unjust treatment without seeking revenge. When Saul was in his hands in the cave, he did not want to touch the Lord’s anointed although Saul had bitterly persecuted him.

Jeremiah—Jeremiah was unjustly accused of being a traitor of his own people when he warned them to submit to the enemies. He knew that God had sent these adversaries as a rod to punish the stubborn and wicked people. Jeremiah was zealous for God’s honor and God’s demands but did not fight for himself.

Lazarus in the parable—Lazarus was content to wait for the good things which the Lord had laid in store for him.

There is meekness towards God which causes:

a) submission to His will—1 Samuel 3:18: “And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let Him do what seemeth Him good.”

b) one to bow and submit to God’s Word—Acts 10:33: “Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.”

Meekness towards men is mentioned as one of the fruits of the Spirit. “Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:23). Then we bear injuries, are not hasty of spirit, have no malice, and do not take revenge. “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25).

Reasons for meekness

This meekness is a great ornament, a beauty, to a true Christian. We read in 1 Peter 3:4, “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” We read of God in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Jesus Christ has taught His disciples in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” If we, by grace, learn how patient the Lord is with us, not dealing with us according to our iniquities, we should be humbled and also meek in our attitude towards others. It is true we may not water down the truth, and the tolerance which is promoted in our days should be far from us if it is tolerance toward that which God has forbidden in His law. Then it behooves us to be firm and steadfast even when we would be despised and ridiculed by the world and false religion. It is true as the saying is, “Be a lion when it concerns the truth and God’s honor, but be a lamb when it concerns you.” May the Lord give that true humility and meekness by the working of the Holy Spirit. For the meek ones there are still precious promises; there is an inheritance for them.

(To be continued)

Rev. C. Vogelaar, Clifton, NJ

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen