Meekness
Week 42 Devotional
OK Men,
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” This verse describes partnerships, alliances, families, and other groups of people coming together. It can even be used to describe marriage between a man and a woman, with God being the third strand. One person, or strand, can be easily broken, but when three are woven together, relationships and enterprises become much stronger. They are not easily broken. Meekness is a word used in scripture that I imagine to be like the cord of three strands. It’s a quality that is not easily lost (or obtained) because it’s comprised of other qualities woven together.
Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount begins with “The Beatitudes”, which consist of eight blessings. One of those is “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” (Matthew 5:5). When we read that, we know that it has importance because these words come straight from Jesus. But in past readings, I’ve moved right along to the next verse because I didn’t really understand what meek meant. It’s not a word that’s widely used so it can be tough to understand. Many believe that meekness is weakness just because it sounds similar. But that’s inaccurate. Jesus isn’t telling us the weak are blessed, he says the meek are. There is a reason that particular word was used, therefore, we need to understand why.
Hebrew word for meek is “anav” (pronounced ah-NAHV), meaning humble, afflicted, lowly, and dependent on God. “Anav” is used to describe Moses’ humility (Numbers 12:3), but that doesn’t mean that he was weak. He confronted Pharoah and led Israel, yet was humble before God. The Greek word for meek is “praus” (pronounced prah-OOS), again meaning humble, but also gentle, considerate, and perhaps the most important one, strength under control. In the Greek culture, “praus” was used to describe a wild horse that had been trained. The horse still had great power and strength, but it was under the control of the rider. Meekness is not weakness, cowardice, or passivity. It is humility before God and power governed by love and obedience to Him.
Others have similar definitions that can help us understand the complexities of meekness. My pastor once said, “Meekness is displaying the fruits of the spirit (power, gentleness, love, and self-control) when you are provoked.” Canadian Psychologist Jordan Peterson described it as, “Having a sword but keeping it sheathed.” You can see how possessing meekness requires depth in a man. Meekness involves submissiveness and humility, while maintaining the confidence and boldness to stand for something when it’s the right time. It requires strength but without displaying it in arrogant or intimidating ways. It also appears gentle but silently holds a powerful weapon. Jesus said being meek is a blessed thing, and every one of these qualities seems to describe him. So, how exactly did Jesus embody meekness?
His gentleness and power was shown in his first moments on earth. He was born, placed in a dirty animal trough, and then received kingly gifts, was worshipped by shepherds, and made the angels rejoice! He was simultaneously at Earth’s lowest, and Heaven’s utmost exalted. He was both lowly and royalty. When Jesus began his ministry, he showed mercy and grace by sitting, eating, and conversing with sinners. He didn’t avoid or condemn them, but he also didn’t excuse their sins. He confronted sin. He told many, “Follow me,” and then started walking. He didn’t beg or chase after those who chose not to follow because he knew the ways of the Father were right. He preached repentance, crucifying your flesh, and carrying your cross as points to illustrate cutting sin out of your life, not excusing it away. He gave love and compassion to those who were rejected because of their diseases and ailments, while never hesitating to be audacious and stand up to the Pharisees and their prideful, wicked hearts. Calling them “Hypocrites”, “Snakes”, and “Blind guides” to their faces! Jesus was tough as nails against those who were leading sheep astray. He combatted sin and fought back against the twisting of scripture even harder.
The man known as the “Prince of Peace” knew how to swing the sword when he needed to. John 2:15 says, “So he made a whip out of cords, and drove them all from the temple courts.” Jesus intentionally made a whip and used it to drive out everyone who had turned the house of the Lord into a marketplace. “Bold” isn’t a strong enough word to describe this action! This is courage, power, and righteous anger driven by love and honor for the Father. This was Jesus pulling the sword from its sheath. He was unflinching. He knew what he saw was wrong, and he did something about it. He didn’t stress about potential outcomes or repercussions because he knew what he was doing revered the Father.
When he was arrested, he was calm, reserved, and docile. He never fought back because he was wise enough to know that a fight in that instance was not a part of the Father’s will. He was silent before his accusers, he turned the other cheek when he was mocked, and he never proclaimed his innocence when they sentenced him to death. He showed love for us when he took the physical and spiritual punishment for our sins so we wouldn’t have to. He was courageous for us when he willingly went to the cross to be crucified. He did all of this with “more than twelve legions of angels” at his command (Matthew 26:53). He could have stopped it all, but instead said, “How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:54). In his final hours, he had a sword, but also the wisdom to keep it sheathed.
If we’re going to emulate Jesus’ meekness, we need to know when to fight, and when not to. Not every fight needs our attention. 2 Timothy 4:5 says, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of the evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” But you, keep your head, endure hardship. That’s not just for Timothy. That’s for all of God’s men! Ignore the distractions that pull you into a fight that doesn’t feel holy. Not every fight needs retaliation. Proverbs 20:22 says, “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.” It’s our own prideful nature that seeks to get payback. This is sin, and not something the Lord wants us chasing, even if it was someone else’s sin that hurt us in the first place. Finally, not every fight is yours. Plain and simple, some battles just belong to the Lord. In Exodus 14:14, Moses told the Israelites, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” They were backed up against the Red Sea with the Egyptian army closing in. They didn’t need to fight. Realistically, what could they have even done? For the exodus to be successful, the Israelites needed to be still because this particular fight was God’s. There are some fights that we are simply not equipped for. We must brush our hands of them, relinquish our grip, and let the Lord have them.
Psalm 144:1 says, “Praise be to the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” It reminds us that when we seek God and strive to live by his ways, he will prepare us for the battles we face. However, it can also be taken out of context, and used to justify a fight that we want. A meek man doesn’t chase after the battle. He’s a soldier of the Lord, trained and prepared to fight only when God tells him to. Meekness is strength, courage, and boldness combined with patience, grace, and restraint. There is a time to stand up and be bold, but when does the Lord want us to “unsheathe the sword”? How do we know when God wants us to fight? When we read how and when Jesus stood, there looks to be two clear situations when God wants his men to flex the strength and boldness side of their meekness: First, when the wolves attack the sheep, and second, when the gospel is twisted or perverted.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Paul said something similar in Acts 20:29: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” God wants his men to fight when the weak are victimized and the church is being poisoned. We cannot think that we’re keeping our strength under control if in actuality we’re just failing to act. We cannot mistake patience for passivity or fear for gentleness. If meekness is a combination of gentleness and strength, or “having a sword but keeping it sheathed” then you must have the sword! But this requires you to understand how to wield the sword. You must know scripture to know what is unbiblical. You’re not meek if you’re unwilling to swing the sword like Jesus did. Yes, Jesus was gentle, but he had a passion in his soul to stand for the name of the Lord God Almighty. Are you only familiar with the gentle, forgiving, and docile Jesus? Because there’s a part of Him that’s bold, convicting, and honors the Father with power. I assure you, “Gentle Jesus” isn’t the one who’s returning.
For the last five weeks these devotionals have followed the larger theme of “Fight”. The reason it’s important to add “Meekness” to this section is because meekness is restraining yourself from the fight. Not every hill is one that you are meant to die on. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Meekness is the posture of someone who has surrendered their strength to God, and therefore, does not need to fight for control, recognition, or revenge. For the Christian man, it’s a quality that’s not easily broken or lost because it’s one that’s cultivated through the Holy Spirit.
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