Whose character do we reveal by what we do and say?
This post is an assigned response to “Blessed
are the meek”—not those who are easily provoked”, by Paul Louis Metzger.
When thinking about an example of someone who doesn’t
demonstrate the kingdom characteristic of meekness I was reminded of Happy
Slappy, the pathetic clown villain in the original Air Bud (1997) movie. Some people are nothing but bad clowns,
oblivious to how pathetic their selfishness and their blaming others for their
unhappiness looks to those on the outside. In a movie, they usually get what is
coming to them, in fact, it is expected. Yet we all know that life is more
complicated than that. Very few people are as absurd as Happy Slappy, but there
is a more subtle, more socially acceptable, and ironically more oppressive manifestation
of anti-meekness found in the habitual demanding of our own rights. It is just
as out of place in the kingdom of heaven as Happy Slappy at a birthday party.
Unfortunately, in the Western church, instead of experiencing the blessing of meekness we too often substitute leadership, echoing the lament of ancient Israel, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)
Unfortunately, in the Western church, instead of experiencing the blessing of meekness we too often substitute leadership, echoing the lament of ancient Israel, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)
In the context of the Beatitudes, we learn that the true
disciple, being a citizen of Christ’s kingdom is meek. But what does it mean to
be meek? Are Christians supposed to be like mice, or perhaps like
doormats? No, that is not the meaning of
"meek" at all.
The Greek word (praus)
translated as "meek" implies the aspect of control. It refers to living
under God's control, as a well-trained horse might respond to its master. Meekness is not being wimpy. It is instead the gentleness of strength as
seen in the spiritual fruit of self-control.
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| Church Steeple toppled in Columbus Day Storm, 1962 |
Jesus’ power was always under control. Though he could confront
the hypocrisy and social injustice in the legalism of the Pharisees, though he
drove the abusive and dishonest “stock” traders from the temple on more than one
occasion, he was also gentle and would not defend himself against detractors. The
prophecy of Isaiah 42 is seen fulfilled by Jesus in Matthew 12:19-21,
He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
As followers of Jesus, we have been empowered to fulfill the
mission of God, just as he was, and like our Lord, we need to use God's power meekly. To be meek means that while the true disciple is not
defensive when harassed or attacked by others, he is willing to lay down his
life in defense of others and the mission of the Lord his King. The meek disciple does not take back control
from the Lord when their circumstances get tough but merely trusts more fully. As
followers of Jesus, we should never be pretentious or haughty in relating to
others. The prevailing wind of the Spirit Jesus has given us moves us to show
gentleness, patience, and peacefulness, generously—even joyfully—in love. If we
are meek we will hold no hatred or malice in our hearts, no insults in our mouths, and no vengeance in our hands.
If
the church is to be effective in addressing the great issues of our day, there
needs to be a revival of meekness that issues forth in an overcoming love. Dr. Metzger’s blog captured the power of meek
love in a quote from one of Martin Luther King's sermons,
“To our most bitter opponents, we say: “We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by
our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with
soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust
laws because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is
cooperation with good. Throw us in jail and we shall still love you.
Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you. Send
your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour
and beat us and leave us half-dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye
assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall
win freedom but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and
conscience that we shall win you in the process and our victory will be a
double victory.”[1]
While
I don’t think I have lived up to this one very well, Dr. Metzger’s quote from Andrew
Young as portrayed in Selma strikes
a chord with me.
I
can relate to this train of thought because when I was in seventh grade I witnessed
a gang of boys stealing a fellow student’s bike and told them to stop. They
warned me that if I reported it they would beat me up. So I did what any boy
who cut his teeth reading old Hardy Boys books would do… I reported them to
Chief Collig (OK it was actually the school authorities). They also did what
they said that they would do…every chance they got for the next year and a half;
insulting, punching, and trying anything to provoke a violent response on my part. Outnumbered
and overmatched, I knew well that the only way I could win was not to fight in
the first place. Halfway through 8th grade, the ringleader of my
tormentors was expelled from the school and my life got much easier. I saw him
again about six years later and almost didn’t recognize him—he was thin and
pale from wasting his life with drugs. He didn’t recognize me either since I
had been lifting weights for a few years—and the time had come and I knew I
could finally get revenge. And just as quickly as I considered taking him down,
two thoughts crossed my mind. The first thought was one of pity for this former
tormentor that took me by surprise. The second thought was that after “winning”
by not giving in to violence during those miserable months I didn’t want to lose
now by stooping to vengeance. Through that time of persecution, the Lord had
been doing something in my heart and I didn’t know it until that moment in the
Plaid Pantry. I am glad that I didn’t short-circuit that process by taking matters
into my own hands though I wanted to do so at the time.
Will
we be able to live with loving meekness, not merely so that we will survive
like I did, but so that we might overcome evil with love like MLK espoused?
Jesus said that the spiritual reality of those who are truly meek is that they
will "inherit the earth."
“It is
the meek who own the earth now, for when their life is free from the tyranny of
“just a little bit more,” when a gentle spirit caresses their approach to their
rights, then they possess all.”[2]
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