What is it to be meek?
Growing up, I was taught that meekness was something akin to weakness. Meekness, I thought, was to become weak or impotent in my dealings with others. But, it turns out, meekness is not weakness, but quite the opposite. Meekness is a grace given by God (Matt. 5:5) which moves the Christian to withstand injuries caused by others. It’s ultimately exemplified in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 11:29), and it’s seen throughout the Bible as both a grace and a virtue, something desirable to those whom love God.
What I want to do is write a three-part series purposed to draw out what meekness is. In this first installment, we’ll look at the nature of meekness. In the second, examples of meekness. In the third, motivating reasons for meekness.
The Nature of Meekness
Thomas Watson presents a two-fold meekness (Beatitudes, 105). Meekness toward God, and meekness toward man. Toward God, meekness looks like (a) submission to God’s will, and (b) conformity to His Word. The meek-spirited Christian desires, above all, to obey God’s will, and not only obey it, but be satisfied with it in his heart of hearts. A meek-spirit is apt to accept whatsoever providences God has for it. It doesn’t curse the heavens when the hurricane comes, but bears the trial knowing it’s all part of God’s gracious will which works all things for the good of those who love Him.
The meek-spirited Christian recognizes his want of conformity to the Word of God and, by faith, seeks to bend himself to the high calling of holy writ (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). He is humble to understand the violence of a carnal standard and, by faith, doesn’t struggle with the Word of God, but with his own sin.
Another quality to meekness is the bearing of injuries. Now, before I go here, I want everyone to be aware that this bearing of injuries does not preclude self-defense, which is just to preserve life and the lives of loved-ones against life-threatening danger. Self-defense is not retaliation, but the preservation of the good. Meekness, on the other hand, requires that we forgo retaliation and instead repay evil with good. A meek spirit ought not be quick to anger at others, and is opposed to revenge in any form (Rom. 12:19). Whilst it’s incumbent upon the magistrate to bring the sword, it’s not acceptable for the individual to even show a flash of the blade. In the words of Watson, “Revenge is Satan’s nectar and ambrosia.”
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:7, “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?” Brethren seeking vengeance upon other brethren is a contrary dynamic to the principle of meekness.
It follows, therefore, that meekness precludes evil-speaking and slander. Paul says in Ephesians 4:31, “Let all evil-speaking be put away.” We ought not speak harshly of others in an effort to demean their character, and if a sharp disagreement arises, any terse language needs to be carefully and exactly used not in order to demean, but in order to edify. This appears to be Jesus’ example (Matt. 12:34).
Conclusion
All this leads to a forgiving spirit. The meek Christian constantly forgives and never withholds forgiveness. In Matthew 18, Peter tries to quantify the number of times Christians are to forgive their enemies. Jesus’ reply insinuates there’s never a point where the Christian has the right to withhold forgiveness.
In the next part, I want to look at example of meekness. First, Jesus, then Moses, then the philosophers.