…and the meek shall inherit the earth! – Part 3

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters

“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ–who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.” – 2 Corinthians 10:1 (NKJV)

 

As I wrap up my series on meekness, I thought we might see how the men of the Bible did with it. When it comes to meekness in conflict, the church in Corinth might be a place to start. Paul’s authority as an apostle comes into question. Apparently, outsiders claiming to be apostles, slam Paul for being bold with writing letters from afar, but being weak, kneed in their presence. Maybe they wanted someone who was charismatic all the time, someone who had that party-time spirit, but that wasn’t Paul.  Instead, Paul would remind them that it is Christ who is the centerpiece of their gathering and not some dude in fancy duds hoping over chairs screaming “HALLEUJAH” and preaching prosperity.

 

What these apostles at the Corinthian church failed to recognize was Paul’s meekness towards them. As much as this church needed to be sternly spoken to, sizing Paul up as a weak and plain man wasn’t a good thing to do, because it showed they weren’t of Christ. Maybe they were of Apollos or Cephas, but whoever they were of it wasn’t Christ. Their focus was horizontal – serving themselves. Paul had to remind them their focus needed to be vertical and that they needed to knock off their spiritual nonsense. “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.” (1^st Corinthians 1:17)

 

Paul is not the only guy who had his meekness put to the test by a congregation of people. Moses had a few things done to him that woulda sent any not-so-meek-person into a mind-blowing tizzy. Imagine what he musta felt, after YHVH sends him back up that mountain with those stone tablets of The Law in his arms, seeing thousands of people worshiping and dancing around the Golden Calf. With those stone tablets broken at his feet, Moses will exact judgement in order to satisfy the wrath of YHVH and 3,000 men would lose their lives. You can say a meek man wouldn’t do that, but when a man has his mind set on God’s purposes, he will resist evil and do it with all meekness. Vexing ain’t it?

 

“For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” – Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)

 

Speaking of Moses, his brother Aaron had a bitter pill to swallow concerning his sons, Nadab and Abihu. You can read about this in Leviticus 10:1-3, but you see, at the end of chapter 9, that the people fell face first with joy when the LORD’s fire consumed the burnt offering on the altar, maybe Nadab and Abihu thought they could repeat this, but YHVH didn’t sanction it so His fire consumes them. Moses has to break this news to Aaron and he accepted it. Why? Well, here’s your answer, “I was mute, I did not open my mouth, Because it was You who did it.” (Psalm 39:9)

 

So, Jesus enters the Temple and I’m guessing He ain’t liking what He is seeing. He musta gazed at where the Holy of Holies should’ve been, seeing the money being changed, seeing animals being sold for sacrifice, and having to listen to His Fathers Chosen haggle for better prices. This had to be the same anger YHVH felt on the mountain with Moses, because Jeus took matters into His own hands and will flipped tables and chased out the animals. Then directing His gaze to all, to include those wacky Pharisees and Sadducees, and tells them the obvious, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.” (Luke 19: 46b) Jeus coulda “got even” in this moment, but He doesn’t. He grieves the moment and continues to teach.

 

At the end of the day, a meek person will feel the wrong doing of others and they may even feel it in a bitter way. But maybe he’s not thinking of himself and his reputation because in his meekness, his spirit isn’t allowed to vent. It isn’t allowing the person to a hateful and vindictive response to the wrong done to them. Remember, was Jesus, hanging on the cross saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” So, it’s in that where we can see that meekness is a strong bulkhead against self-righteousness, intolerance, and judgement of others…but it also doesn’t condone sin.

 

Just because “Secularland” views meekness as weakness, doesn’t mean this virtue is to be ignored. In our spiritual reality, this virtue is considered a great strength, an attribute of a Mighty God and a frit of the Spirit that this world needs now more than ever. I hope I can get this for myself and I pray that you do too.

 

Amen?

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a child of El Elyon, a son, a husband, and a father. He has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of The Colony of Mercy, 11/2003. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net.

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This Week’s Verse to Memorize:“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:17-18