“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)” – Jesus

Thank you for continuing to follow our discussion on the spiritual wisdom of the beatitudes.

The modern world favors those who are strongly competitive and assertive. These people are the ones who receive recognition and rewards. Beacuse of this, meekness has become associated with weakness, and so, it is no longer a characteristic valued by society. Therefore, how can Jesus claim in this third beatitude that the “meek shall inherit the earth”?

What we need to understand is that meekness is not weakness. And living spiritually never calls us to be spineless. Living a spiritual life requires that we always have moral courage & a backbone to show strength when it is called for. In fact 10 times the Bible calls us to “be strong & courageous.” (Deut: 31:6, 31:7, 31:23; Joshua 1;6, 1:9, 1:18, 10:25; 1 Chronicles 22:13,  28:20; 2 Chronicles 32:7).

Also, the Bible tells us, that besides Jesus, “Moses was very meek, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). And would we describe Moses as weak? Moses never backed down from anyone; nor did he run from a fight when it was called for; and neither did he hesitate to order the execution of the thousands who worshipped the golden calf while he was received the 10 commandments on the top of Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:25-28).

Therefore, the spiritually meek person stands strong against evil. Being meek never means that we allow ourselves to be used as door mats & walked all over by others. And it also doesn’t mean that we must bend, break, or cower in the presence of a stronger individual.

However, meekness is a condition of the heart & mind which does show gentleness. Someone who is meek in spirit reacts according to what they discern is God’s will within all circumstances. And while the meek will resist evil in defense of God, they will react with patience, kindness, and gentleness. They will not react irrationally, but with control they react at the right time & in the right way.

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Now, the meek will inherit the earth because in the big picture good shall overcome all evil. The Light shall always drive out the darkness. And so, those on God’s side are inevitably destined for victory. Also, meekness means that we are humbly patient in regards to what happens to us; and it is by our patience that we possess our souls (Luke21:19).

Therefore, expanding on what Jesus said in this beatitude, if we possess our souls we actually inherit more than just the earth; we inherit eternal life. And it is through eternal life that we ultimately inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

May God bless you on your journey & remember to always – Heed the Spirit,

Anthony