4/3/55

Scripture: Read Matthew 21: 1-11

Texts: Matthew 21: 5b; --- “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass ---” [cf. Zechariah 9: 9].

Matthew 5: 5; “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Jesus’ list of the virtues that bring happiness, inner contentment and well-being, is not very impressive to those who think of happiness in terms of achievement, or accumulation, or self-gratification. You remember that when Ben Franklin made up his list of 12 virtues, he added a 13th only after his Quaker friend reminded him of “humility.” Yet Jesus puts it first in his list. And third on his list is another, closely akin to it -- meekness. Would any of us think of meekness as part of a strong, well-rounded character?

When Socrates was discussing most essential virtues, he put knowledge first. In fact, he regarded it as the only essential virtue. But even though there is a time-tested saying that “Knowledge is power,” time also demonstrates the limitation of that idea. For knowledge does not necessarily issue in the action that does become power. Knowledge of what makes a well-constructed house does not produce the house, no matter how wise the architect, unless there be a builder. The designer may know every detail of good construction, and have each detail well fitted together with all others. But his knowledge is confined to his own mind and drawings until a builder, using his knowledge, shapes the dream into a house.

After Socrates, Greek thinkers listed four cardinal virtues -- wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. It is a majestic array. But it needs the depth and dimension which Jesus added. Jesus took these virtues for granted. And what he added makes Christian ethics more sensitive and social. When the wise and experienced veteran, Paul, wrote to young Timothy, he counseled him, in the 6th chapter of that letter, to follow after 6 virtues, listing them thus: righteousness, godliness, faith, love patience --- and so far we might put all 5 of those mentioned on our lists, would we not? But the sixth is a puzzler. For Paul lists it as meekness. [I Timothy 6: 11]. And I think many of us hold back and raise a question here.

We don’t like some ideas of meekness. We have a saying: “Meek as a mouse.” Well, some mice are fairly bold in their way. But I suppose that this saying conjures up the thought of shy, frightened souls scurrying around the corners of life, like Tremblechin of the comic strips, trying to get out of the way and sometimes getting under foot instead. Mice are not attractive to us. Another saying that we have, “meek as a lamb,” contributes little or nothing to any understanding we may have of meekness as a basic virtue. Lambs may be cute as they frolic in the spring. A lamb may be a lovable pet. But it grows into a dumb sheep; and it does not have to wait to grow up to become a tired, bewildered dumb little lamb entirely dependent on a sheep herder to keep it safe and alive. We do not get too wildly excited over being a sheep, either “lost” or found. Whether the meek may get to a heaven or not, we do not expect them to have anything in this world.

And yet, strangely and insistently, Jesus says that it is right here on the earth that the meek will be rewarded. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Perhaps we would do well to reexamine the meaning of meekness in order to see, if one may, what there is that could possibly inherit anything but the tag ends of everything.

Less than a week before his own crucifixion, Jesus rode into the capital city of Jerusalem. It was not a spectacular pageant -- no bands, no drum corps or trumpeters. Some people shouted, and tried to make it a real procession or parade by throwing branches or cloaks down for Jesus’ mount to walk over.

The very fact that Jesus was mounted must have been meant by him to be symbolic. For he had always walked. He never rode. His friends had only borrowed the animal he rode on that day. It was no spirited charger, but a plodding patient little animal barely big enough to sweep a man’s feet clear of the ground. Later, thoughtful people remembered that the prophet, Zechariah, had spoken of a king coming meek, and sitting upon an ass - a donkey. And then they were impressed. But were they impressed by the meekness, or by the king? At any rate, it is well to inquire further into the meekness of this king.

The beginning of meekness, as pointed out by Ralph Sockman, is a recognition that we are born into a universe that is already created. We cannot demand of God that He make it over to suit our taste as one might ask a landlord to do over to his own taste an apartment for rent. The earth is round and its surrounding atmosphere appears sky blue. If we don’t like its roundness and its blueness, that is just too bad!

There appear to be laws of the spirit quite as inexorable as those of the physical realm. If we keep sowing a bad indulgence, we reap a bad habit. And if we keep sowing a habit we reap a character. The only way to reap, or develop a good habit, is to sow good thoughts and deeds, repeatedly and with continuity. We cannot amend God’s bylaws.

We come into the world as self-willed little creatures. But a tiny child can not be left alone in a room with an open fire lest he be destroyed by burning. He can not be left alone beside a fine swimming pool lest he be destroyed by drowning. He has to be taught by precept, by restraint, by training, the meekness and discipline that can make of these things a benefit rather than a harm.

Only as children and grown men and women submit to God’s school of experience for developing souls, and submit to His discipline, are we on the way to discovering what the Bible calls meekness. We may see what the prophet, Micah, understood. He preached God not as a whimsical despot who could be bought off by sacrificing thousands of rams on the altar or by pouring out rivers of precious oil, but rather as a being who requires that we “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with Him. [Micah 6: 6-8].

When we follow the Scripture further, we come to the amazing and immeasurable power of Jesus of Nazareth, who called his fellow countrymen saying, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest to your souls.” [Matthew 11: 28-29].

Perhaps this is our basic lesson in meekness: to begin by walking humbly with God, then learn not to fret ourselves because evil doers may seem to pass us for a time, then to yoke ourselves with God as did Christ in serving others. Meekness, as taught in Christ’s school, is submission to God’s mastery.

Who are the meek? Not the indecisive or the incapable, but often those of very great ability whose power is disciplined under God. That is the kind of humility and meekness the Bible talks about.

Consider Moses. fiery passion (killed an Egyptian in a fit of anger) [Exodus 2: 11-15]. Took himself in hand by putting himself in God’s hand. faced insurrection led by Miriam and Aaron. “The man Moses was very meek, above all men which were upon the face of the earth.” [Numbers 12: 3]. Long discipline kept his fiery passions under cool control. Meekness is not apathy, but is power blended with gentleness.

Henry Ward Beecher described meekness as: “the best side of a man under provocation maintaining itself in the best mood.” [The New Testament word in the Greek suggests the taming of wild animals.]

A horse never broken to harness may have a lot of independent boldness. But when he has been disciplined to bridle he may be the one to win a race or remove a heavy load.

[Saul of Tarsus - raging against the Christian sect, angry, unbridled, vengeful --- one day corralled of God, and, as it were, thrown to the ground. He heard a voice, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ---- It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” [Acts 9: 4-5]. That was the beginning of a transformation that made over a man into an apostle who was “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”[God-tamed][Romans 12: 11].

Luther, in translating this beatitude uses a word which means sweet-tempered. The meek are God-tamed, God-trained, and God-tempered.

Temper is a curious essential in human nature. If we “lose our temper” or “show our temper” that is usually bad. Temper must be kept. Electricity shorting from a fallen wire through the body of a passer-by is disastrously destructive. But electricity channeled through a well-designed motor is the power that moves great loads. Uncontrolled, it flashes unpredictably through the skies as lightning, and is accompanied by great crashes of thunder. But channeled under control to the city it is the force that brings light and heat and motion to millions. And it is as quiet as the still small, but mighty, voice of conscience. Meekness is strength at its strongest and best disciplined.

Ruskin remarks that heroic strength is not conceivable without much delicacy. Second thought should remind us that it takes strength to be gentle.

In Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, a knight at tournament is left wounded and bleeding. A dwarf attendant tries to lift the sufferer but only falls over him hurting him worse. A giant with mighty arm came and lifted the sufferer like a featherweight, and took him away without a jar to a secure hiding place for healing and recovery.

When we speak of the gentleness of Jesus we had best not mistake it for weakness. For it is the gentleness of power under superb control.

The meek shall inherit the earth? So? What on the earth do they get?

The meek are blessed because they get more values out of themselves.

The meek are those who have both their anger and their ambitions under such control that they are not made useless by frustrated desires or wounded vanity.

They are blessed not only because they get more values out of themselves but draw more values out of others. They enter into the joys of others. If free of envy, they can rejoice over the successes of others.

This is the kind of meekness that rode into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. It is the kind that holds life and possessions in the consciousness of stewardship and of control under God.

Not are the indecisive and helpless to be truly called meek. Nor the might like Hitler in Paris. [“Great city! I have conquered her by force; I will now conquer her by love.” Of course, he never did, nor could.] People held against their will do not prove profitable subjects or prospective friends.

But he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that resteth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.

Socrates, Francis of Assisi, Jesus of Nazareth --- Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth!

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, April 3, 1955.