Hear the word of the Lord:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Mt 5:5 – NRSV
We do not live in a meek world. In our world,
if you punch me with your fist,
I come back with a two by four.
If you stab me with a knife,
I come back with a gun.
Governments are no better;
they use their bullets instead of their brains.
No one comes away unhurt, because
we live in violent and vengeful world.
We do not live in a meek world. Even in America
people use fear and force all of the time.
Mess with a bureaucrat, see what happens.
You’ll be filling out forms for no apparent purpose,
none, that is, except to teach you that he can make you do it.
But Jesus calls us to be something different.
Hugely counter-culturally different. Meek.
A meek person is gentle.
A meek servant of God is non-coercive.
A meek soul respects others without
demanding respect back.
They are not in favor of force because
they know that force is the first resort of the fearful.
They are not in favor of force because
they have heard that force should be the very last resort
of the wise person. The problem is,
so many of us get to our last resort not long after the first.
Jesus is not in favor of force at all, whether it is
his disciple’s first or last course of action.
“Turn the other cheek.”
Jesus meant for us to be meek.
Our next to last resort as a meek person is lament.
Our last resort as a meek person is God.
Let God handle it. He will.
For Jesus, meek is the new strong.
Strong enough to let the aggressiveness of others
blow right past us.
Because when we do this it gets people’s attention.
It will get the attention of a troubled child eventually.
He’s used to huffing up and puffing up; she’s seen it all the time;
meekness messes with a mind; it the unexpected move.
If we don’t play into their fear, we may earn the right
to have their ear.
The unexpected result is that the meek will inherit the earth.
How in the world will that happen?
When all of the vengeful have taken each other out,
when all of the fearful have had their fit,
the meek soul is still standing.
Ready to make peace, ready to receive the peace.
The psalmist says, “But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Peace.
The shalom of God. Shalom is more than being left alone.
This shalom is the wholeness and completeness of the world.
Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.
Blessings,
Ron
Psalm 37:11, ESV
