Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

This is the third installment in my series of posts on the beatitudes.

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5

Gentle, meek, mild, humble…there are several different ways the Greek adjective “praus” could be translated. Apparently it is an especially difficult word to translate; we don’t have an English counterpart that exactly describes all it entails. Jesus’ blessing in Matthew 5 echoes what David writes in Psalm 37:7-8: “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land,” and in verse 11, “But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”

When we even catch a glimpse of the greatness of our God, how could we be anything but humble before Him? His glory is not dimmed by the filth of the world; His beauty is not to be compared with anything on the earth. I love what Isaiah says: “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing” (Isaiah 40:26). I am not worthy to even be in the presence of this King of glory. I have not earned the right to know Him. I don’t deserve to be in His sight. But as James tells us, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10). In Isaiah 66:1-2, God says, “‘But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’”  Redemption only comes when we reject all fantasies of entitlement and confess that only Jesus can rescue us.

In John 13, Jesus celebrates Passover with His disciples. During the meal, Jesus gets up, girds Himself with a towel, fills a basin with water, and washes His disciples’ feet. Jesus – the God they have seen work miracles, the Teacher who has turned their lives upside down, the Lord who has brought good news to the world – becomes a servant, even to the one who would betray Him. In verses 13-14, Jesus says, “‘You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.’” The thing is, Jesus is worthy. He does deserve to be glorified and exalted. Yet He still chooses meekness and humility. How much more should we, sinners that we are, take on a posture of servanthood before our Lord?

Meekness is not about being consumed with our own miserable state. Instead, it is giving praise and thanksgiving to God because He is infinitely greater than His creation. It is being satisfied with the place He has given you on this earth. As Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-12, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” The gentle spirit is completely pliable in the hands of God, knowing that His plan is so much greater than anything we could ever dream. As I quoted earlier from Psalm 37, meekness means not fretting because we see wickedness prospering around us; yes, we are saddened by the world’s rejection of God, but we never let it make us question His sovereignty. This is part of the reason the gentle are said to “inherit the earth.” Psalm 89:11 says, “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all it contains, You have founded them.” The entire universe surrounding us belongs to our Father; we are His heirs. When He makes a new heaven and a new earth, there will be a place for us. So even though meekness and gentleness may not win us any favors during this life, our choices don’t go unnoticed by God. The Father is pleased when He sees His Son in us.

In 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, King David says, “‘Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.’” This should be our prayer of adoration to God. For a moment, forget about the troubles of this world. Forget about the injustice you see and the prosperity of the wicked. Forget about the countless times you’ve failed. Forget about how you have been wronged. Forget about all the things you’ve imagined you deserve. Forget about yourself entirely—and dwell on the God who created you. He is the Potter; go be the clay.