Even in Christian circles, you probably do not hear people walking around calling each other meek. In conversation after the service at church, you probably do not say, “Have you gotten a chance to meet Bill? Yeah, he is, like, really meek.” If you were to ask someone what they thought were the top five most important Christian character qualities, you would probably hear words such as love, humility, faith, faithfulness, kindness, generosity, mercifulness, graciousness, etc. The importance of meekness seems to slip through the cracks in conversation. The necessity of meekness appears to be missing in some sermons. The prominence of meekness looks as though it is missing in Bible study.
What does it mean to be meek? Many may not have a clue. Why should the Christian be meek? Detailed answers may not be given. When should the Christian be meek? A Sunday School answer such as, “All the time,” may be a quick response. If one does not know what meekness is, then answering the question, “How can the Christian be meek?” would be nearly impossible.
As a result, this topic must be thoroughly discussed, and these questions must be answered. The key-note Scripture to base this study off of is Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Since Jesus highlighted this word (meek) in His beatitudes, it should be clear that it is important to develop an understanding of what Jesus was seeking to convey. It is interesting to note that in all of the Beatitudes, Jesus did not use the words love, faith, faithfulness, or many of the other character qualities that may come rushing to the mind of a Christian. He does, however, emphasize the importance of meekness.
What does it mean to be meek?
In Matthew 5:5, the word that is used in the original language is “praus.” This word has to do with being mild and therefore, by implication, being humble. Simply put, “praus” means to be meek.
This word “praus” also carries the meaning of being gentle and even forbearing. While being associated with the word humility,“praus” directly speaks of being gentle, mild, and meek.
Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me for I am meek and lowly in heart… For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). In this portion of Scripture, one can see that Jesus is meek. Therefore, in broad, simple terms, the answer to the question, “What does it mean to be meek?”, is to be like Jesus.
Within this portion of Scripture, Jesus is pictured not as a harsh task master but rather as a gentle Master. He is easy to work with and to be around. He is not easily infuriated at those who are with Him.
In real time, a meek person is one who does not contend with God or God’s will. He will humble himself under God’s mighty hand and accept God’s dealing with him as good, recognizing it is much better than what he actually deserves. This spirit-wrought grace will then be bent out toward his fellow men. He will be gentle and quiet in the midst of adversity much like His Savior. Despite his sufferings, injuries, and trials, he will continue to remain steadfast and in control of his spirit.
Why should the Christian be meek?
To say that Jesus is meek is, in essence, an answer to the question, “Why should a Christian be meek?” But to go a little deeper, the Bible says, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children” (1 Thess. 2:7). The word used in this verse for gentle is the same word that is translated as meek in Matthew 5:5. A meek spirit will have a calming and soothing effect on those that you are around. It will create an atmosphere of warmth rather than an atmosphere of restlessness, fear, and anxiety.
To be meek is also a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness. Meekness is depicted well in the following Proverb: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Prov. 16:32). The underlying heart condition that brings about this proverb’s fulfillment is that of meekness. Meekness equals strength.
When should the Christian be meek?
While it is always important for a person to be meek, there are times in which this character quality will shine. David was a man of God – He was even declared to be a man after God’s own heart. He was strong and powerful. Songs were sung concerning this man for slaying many foes. It was even the stone from his sling that slew the giant Goliath. He was no stranger to war.
He wielded the sword in battle many times over and came face to face with fierce warriors. The Bible speeds through a lot of these wars. It does not make it a point to depict in great detail the strength that was needed to fight in these battles and make it out alive. Yes, God was and is always the One Who will give the victory. Nevertheless, there is a way in which God normally uses the training, strength, and abilities of a man to win a fight.
The armor was heavy, the swords were heavy, the helmets were heavy, and it would have taken a strong man to keep his stamina in the midst of fighting in such a hot climate as well. All that to say, David was a strong man.
Two stories arise in the Bible that tell of Saul’s wanting to kill David. Saul was king, and David did not want Saul to die at his hands. David experienced two times in the Scriptures when he very clearly could have taken Saul’s life, yet he did not. This is a wonderful picture of what it means to be meek.
David was strong, but he was gentle. David was strong, but he had his power under control. This is much like a strong, wild horse who, when he is tamed and broken, becomes gentle and controlled. God breaks his people like one would break a wild stallion. What then begins to shine forth is meekness.
While the Christian should always have a gentle and meek spirit about himself, he is especially called to meekness during times of testing and times of trial. It is easy to lash out and be angry during these times, but God has called the Christian to gentleness.
How can the Christian be meek?
After all of this, it is important to ask the question, “How can the Christian be meek?” The thought might simply be to go out and try to do likewise. Read about David, then go and try to be like David. While this approach is partially true, there remains a major flaw. It is not that easy to go out and simply put into practice the commands of God. If it were that easy, Jesus would not have needed to come.
One of the major keys to unlocking this mystery is seen in the life of Moses. Scripture says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). Moses here was said to be the meekest of men who were living at that time. But how did Moses get to that point?
Did he just try really hard? Was he told how to be meek while being raised by the Egyptians? Was he born with a predisposition to being meek? Did he have a mentor that he could emulate after seeing what meekness looked like? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding, “No.” So how did Moses get to that point?
As one takes a look at the life of Moses, he will see a man who talked with God face to face. He will see a man who spent large amounts of time at the feet of God, hearing His voice. He will see a man who continued to look to God throughout all of life. Simply put, Moses’ eyes were fixed upon God, and this produced meekness within him.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for being so gracious to me. I recognize that I need to grow in the area of meekness, and I pray that you would help me to do so. In Jesus’ name, Amen.