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This week's focus: Beatitudes

(We are working our way through the Beatitudes in the book of Matthew. This is the 4th in the series. Click the "previous" button at the bottom of the page to see others in the series)

The third Beatitude is: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. Jesus’ words echo Psalm 37:11, which says, “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.” The Greek word translated “meek” is praeis and refers to mildness, gentleness of spirit, or humility. Other forms of this Greek word are used elsewhere in the New Testament, including James 1:21 and James 3:13. Meekness is humility toward God and toward others.

Not only does meekness trust God, and commit its way to God, and wait patiently for God, and refrain from anger; it also refrains from revenge and defensiveness. Meekness loves to give place to wrath and leave its vindication with God. Meekness is the power to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing back.

Meekness is the power to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing back.

Meekness does not mean the absence of passion and conviction and even indignation. But it does mean that our disposition is one of readiness to listen and learn. It does mean that we are slow to write a person off, slow to condemn, slow to anger. Let us be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves in discerning what is meekness and what is pride.

The meek-spirited person forgives those who wrong them. As Charles Spurgeon said in his message on this passage in Matthew, "'Retaliation" is not a Christian word. 'Revenge’ is not a word that ought to be found in a Christian's dictionary; he reckons it to be of the Babylonian dialect, and of the language of Satan. His only revenge is to heap coals of fire upon his adversary's head by doing him all the good he can in return for the evil that he has done.”