REVIEW
“The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ description of what Christ wants his followers to be and to do” (John Stott, 15).
FLIP CHART: Spiritual Formation happens when we Concentrate on a sin problem or a character flaw; Choose biblically; Reflect on those choices; Confess failures and celebrate successes.
We must avoid being “paralyzed by grace.”
FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness …. (Matthew 6:33a).
The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.
FLIP CHART: Show “window pane” of the 8 beatitudes.
“The Beatitudes do not come at the end, they come at the beginning of the Sermon, and I do not hesitate to say that unless we are perfectly clear about them we should go no further.” (MLJ, 23)
Free Translation of Mt. 5:3:
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Free translation of the first beatitude: “God applauds the shrinking, cowering, beggarly poor in spirit, the spiritual zeroes who realize they are empty before God, spiritually bankrupt and cannot save themselves for theirs is membership in the Kingdom of Heaven that is present wherever what God wants done is done, around us and within us (the range of His effective will).”
The first Beatitude is intellectual. We are to understand, confess, admit and acknowledge a fact about ourselves, that we are spiritual zeroes, that we have nothing to bring to God. The second Beatitude is emotional. Here we mourn over our sin.
FLIP CHART: Refer to the chart that defines mourning and point out the key words: brokenness, broken-hearted, crushed, sorrowful as words that best describe mourning.
Why don’t we weep “Christian tears” because of sin? We only mourn over sin when we understand the sinfulness of sin, the holiness of God, our standing with God and how sin affects God.
We are not only worms, but worms infected by sin, repulsive to God, and our horrid condition should cause us to be broken-hearted.
INTRODUCTION:
OUTLINE FOR TODAY:
1. Our Culture’s Definition of “Meek”
2. Was Jesus a “Meek” Person as We Define Meekness?
3. Classical & Lexicon Definitions of Meek
4. Biblical Illustrations of Meekness
1. Moses, 2. Jesus, 3. The Tax Collector & Pharisee
5. The Meaning of “Will Inherit the Earth”
READ THE BEATITUDES:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I. OUR CULTURES DEFINITION OF MEEKNESS
“Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”
FLIP CHART: Write “Meek” across the top of the page. Draw a line down the middle of the page. On the left write: Common / Popular Definition. Ask the questions below and then write the suggestions given in the left column.
ASK: If someone was to describe a young man by saying, “He is a
very meek person” how would you envision that person?
ASK: If you were asked to give a synonym for “meek” what adjectives would you use?
ASK: According to our culture’s perception of meekness is there anything in meekness worthy of praise?
ASK: We have all prayed to be a more loving, patient, kind, gracious, considerate, selfless person. Has anyone here ever prayed for meekness?
ASK: Why don’t we as Christians pursue meekness as we pursue love and patience?
When I think of “meekness” I cannot in my mind think of one redeeming aspect or one rational reason why I would want to be meek.
Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”
II. WAS JESUS A “MEEK” PERSON AS WE DEFINE MEEKNESS?
Jesus is Described as “Meek” in the Bible.
Blessed are the meek [Gk – praos] for they will inherit the earth (Mt. 5:5).
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle [Gk – praos] and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30).
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle [Gk – praos] and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey'” (Mt. 21:5).
All commentators agree that “gentle” is not the best translation of “meek” and explain that there is not a perfect word in English to use as a translation of praos.
TABLE ACTIVITY: Read the text and explain how the text proves that the meekness possessed by Jesus does not fit our cultures definition of meekness.
Luke 4:1-12;
Luke 13:31-32; Luke 19:45-46;
Mt. 23:13, 15-19, 25-29, 33;
Isaiah 50:7, Luke 9:51;
Matthew 19:21-23;
John 18:37; John 19:8-11
Withstands the Devil in the Wilderness Temptation
Luke 4:1-12 – The temptation in the wilderness, Jesus withstood the wiles of the devil and defeated him.
Willing to challenge Herod:
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ (Luke 13:31-32).
Denounces the Pharisees & Scribes in Mt. 23
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
15“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
16“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ……..
25“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
33“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
Drove Money Changers Our of the Temple
Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, ” ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'” (Luke 19:45-46)
Resolutely Pushed on Towards the Cross
For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed (Isaiah. 50:7)
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).
Rebuked Peter
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mt. 19:21-23).
Stood Up to Pilate at Crucifixion
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37).
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin” (John 19:8-11).
III. CLASSICAL DEFINITIONS OF MEEKNESS
Blessed are the meek [Gk – praos] for they will inherit the earth (Mt. 5:5).
Aristotle
This word praos is defined with great care by Aristotle in his work on ethics. Aristotle method was to define every virtue as the mean between two extremes. The virtues of life were always defined as the mean between an excess in the virtue and a deficiency in it.
Spendthrift Generosity Stinginess
Cowardice Courage Foolhardy actions.
Excessive anger Meekness Angerlessness
“But the word praos is also the regular word for an animal which has been domesticated, which has been trained to obey the word of command, which has learned to answer to the reins. It is a word for an animal which has learned to accept control. So a possible translation of the third beatitude is: Blessed is the man who has every instinct, every passion under control. Blessed is the man who is entirely God-controlled.” (Barclay, 97).
Merriam-Webster
1) Enduring injury with patience and without resentment.
2) Deficient in spirit or courage.
3) Not violent or strong
Hogg, Vine, Strong, Lexicons etc.
It is difficult to find a rendering less open to objection than ‘meekness’; ‘gentleness’ has been suggested, but as prautes describes a condition of mind and heart whereas ‘gentleness’ more relates to actions.
In its use in Scripture, in which it has a fuller, deeper significance than in non-scriptural Greek writings, it consists not in a person’s outward behavior only. It deals with an attitude of the heart that accepts God’s dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.
Though meekness is first of all meekness before God it also is such in the face of men, even of evil men who may inflict injuries and insults. It is associated with self-control because of confidence that God is in control.
In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice.
Meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The meek person is not occupied with self at all.
We could use as a synonym for meekness “God-Confidence, God-Controlled.” Thus we would translate Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the God-confident, the God-controlled for they will inherit the earth.”
[* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 294,295, Strong’s Theology]
IV. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF MEEKNESS
CLASS PARTICIPATION:Reading of Numbers 12:1-15. Choose 1 woman and a person for Moses, Aaron and God.
NARRATOR: Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses behind his back because of his Cushite wife (he had married a Cushite woman). They said,
MIRIAM: “Is it only through Moses that GOD speaks? Doesn’t he also speak through us?”
NARRATOR: GOD overheard their talk. Now the man Moses was a quietly humble man, more so than anyone living on Earth. GOD broke in suddenly on Moses and Aaron and Miriam saying,
GOD: “Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.”
NARRATOR: The three went out. GOD descended in a Pillar of Cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam to him. When they stepped out, he said,
GOD: Listen carefully to what I’m telling you. If there is a prophet of GOD among you, I make myself known to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But I don’t do it that way with my servant Moses; he has the run of my entire house; I speak to him intimately, in person, in plain talk without riddles: He ponders the very form of GOD. So why did you show no reverence or respect in speaking against my servant, against Moses?
NARRATOR: The anger of GOD blazed out against them. And then he left. When the Cloud moved off from the Tent, oh! Miriam had turned leprous, her skin like snow. Aaron took one look at Miriam–a leper! He said to Moses,
AARON: “Please, my master, please don’t come down so hard on us for this foolish and thoughtless sin. Please don’t make her like a stillborn baby coming out of its mother’s womb with half its body decomposed.”
NARRATOR: And Moses prayed to GOD:
MOSES: Please, God, heal her, please heal her.
NARRATOR: GOD answered Moses,
GOD: “If her father had spat in her face, wouldn’t she be ostracized for seven days? Quarantine her outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be readmitted to the camp.”
NARRATOR: So Miriam was in quarantine outside the camp for seven days. The people didn’t march on until she was readmitted.
QUESTION: How did Moses react to the challenge and rejection from Miriam and Aaron?
He did not retaliate, did not defend himself, did not try to correct them, did not feel sorry for himself. He was simply quiet and left the situation in God’s hands. That is an illustration of Biblical meekness. He was God-confident / God-controlled.
JESUS ON THE CROSS
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly (I Peter 2:21-23).
CLASS PARTICIPATION:Reading of Luke 18:9-14. Choose two class members to read – a tax collector and a Pharisee.
NARRATOR: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself:
PHARISEE: “God I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
NARRATOR: But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said,
TAX COLLECTOR: ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
NARRATOR: I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
QUESTION: Did the tax collector show great confidence in God? Did the Pharisee? Did the tax collector show that he was confident God was in control of his destiny? Did the Pharisee believe God was in control of his destiny?
V. WHAT DOES “INHERIT THE EARTH” MEAN?
“Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:5).
The third beatitude is basically a quote from the Old Testament: “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace (Psalm 37:11).
THE PROMISE IS IN A SENSE FOR NOW.
So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God (I Cor. 3:21-23).
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything (II Cor. 6:10).
ILL: As Izaak Walton explained: I could there sit quietly, and looking on the waters see fishes leaping at flies of several shapes and colors. Looking on the hills, I could behold them spotted with woods and groves. Looking down the meadows, I could see a boy gathering lilies and lady-smocks, and there a girl cropping columbines and cowslips, all to make garlands suitable to this present month of May. As I thus sat, joying in mine own happy condition, I did thankfully remember what my Savior said, that the meek possess the earth. (Hughes, 37).
THE PROMISE FOR THE MEEK IS ALSO FUTURE:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? (I Corinthians 6:2).
If we endure, we will also reign with him (II Timothy 2:12).
SO WHAT??????
1. We are “spiritual zeroes” or evil worms but when we come to God with complete confidence that He and He alone can save us, being fully assured that our destiny is in His hands alone, we can receive eternal life.
2. All Christians must continue to be “God-confident and God-controlled.” This is an attitude and character quality that we must pursue.
3. Though being meek, we may not retaliate we can enjoy our inheritance (the earth) now with confidence that we shall one enjoy our inheritance more fully.