Episode Details

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Toward God, meekness bows the knee, bends the will, and believes the Word.

Toward others, meekness bears mistreatment, bridles the tongue, and binds anger.

Meekness imitates Jesus, overcoming evil with good.

The meek inherit the earth as they never presume on or demand from God, but recognizing that all is grace, they gladly receive what he provides - fertile soil or barren.

Ultimately, the meek (co-heirs w/ Christ!) will inherit the earth (and infinitely more) at the resurrection.

Meekness frees us from an enslaved life, attempting to earn for ourselves an inheritance we could never achieve or deserve, holding on with white knuckles and straining faces to its faint shadows in the accumulation of what we can scrape up for ourselves on the earth.

Meekness also allows us to “inherit the earth” in the sense of our mission. We take our rightful place as beggars who have received bread seeking to show other beggars where to find bread. Our confidence in sharing the good news is not in ourselves but in the God we can trust. He has made promises concerning the nations and his purposes will not fail. The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Meekness frees us from fear (I’m far worse than whatever you might say or think of me, yet the Gospel says I'm infinitely loved) and meekness frees us from the pressure of having to convince and persuade or perfectly align our behavior with our message (though we strive for holiness by grace) - the word of Christ is the power of God for salvation, not my words or my ways.

"Lord give us grace that we, like them - the meek and lowly - on high may dwell with thee!"