Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
Leo Durocher, a controversial and outspoken baseball manager, coined a phrase that has become familiar to many: "Nice guys finish last." He thought that if you wanted to get anywhere in life, you had to be rough on people. Many think this is true -- or at least partly true. They think that sometimes you just have to be nasty in order to get things done. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turned this idea upside down. He said, "Blessed are the meek."
If we want to see meekness illustrated, we need look no further than our Savior. He is meek and humble in heart. He came to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday "gentle and riding on a donkey." When He was reviled, He did not revile in return. Even when He was crucified, He prayed for His enemies rather than lash out against them. He endured all the mockery and scorn of His passion without complaint, and was gentle toward all those around Him.
Do we always conduct ourselves in perfect meekness? Sadly, we do not. But we can be encouraged in our gentleness by seeing that God indeed takes care of the meek. If we need particular blessings, we do not have to fight others for them as if there were no God to supply them for us. The meek will "inherit the earth" Jesus said. God will give them what they need for this life.
It's simply not true that "nice guys finish last." You can indeed have a gentle attitude and still have a job, a place to live, and food to eat. You do not have to make gains for yourself by trampling on others. God forgive us where we have done wrong, and may the Holy Spirit living in us help us to be meek toward one another.
