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The Beatitudes – The Meek


I remember an advice I once got from a very wise man concerning riches. He said, “when a man works hard he would be blessed [by God] and the more money he makes, the more he ought to become humble”. I want to mention here that we were speaking from a very non-religious point of view. Today, I can say that that testimony of the Word of God that was uttered from this man’s lips is the reason God has continued to help him grow in his businesses. There is a popular saying that only the strong rule the Earth. One thing people crave the most in our world today is power. The most impressive displays of wealth are seen in our television cultures where people elevate the superficial glory of athletes, movie stars and musicians and believe these superficial ones actually do dominate the earth. This illusion feeds the desires of many yet there are few who are wise enough to realise that the most successful people in the world are actually the most frugal. Humility and prudence is an attitude that is undeniably important to keep it 100% in every aspect of life.

So, the question is who are the meek and why would the meek inherit the earth? As spiritual as the beatitudes are, I must say that the blessing in this one has more physical attributes to it than the others. St. John Chrysostom in his narration of Matthew's Gospel explains the meek man as someone who is misunderstood to lose all of his own because of his timidity but Christ promises the contrary saying the meek is “he who possesses his goods in safety, namely, he who is not rash, nor boastful”. Meekness is easily understood as gentleness. My dictionary even says “overly submissive or compliant”. I want to point out that this trait is not limited to timidity but rather it is a virtue which the most successful people in the world today have emulated to get to where they are. Brian Tracy once said that “all successful habits are learnable”, and the only way to learn most efficiently is to be submissive to the teacher. He also says “if you want to be successful, do what successful people do” and this means learning in humility from the words, life and actions of successful people.

In today’s first reading, the prophet Zephaniah cries out to the Meek of the earth and utters the same blessings Christ offers to them. “Seek the LORD all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands” [Zeph II:3]. He warns them of the time of the destruction of the land of Jerusalem and assures the people that the meek would inherit the land after the destruction, “I will leave within you [Jerusalem] the meek and humble” [Zeph III:12]. It’s important to note what Zephaniah tells us about those who are meek: they do what God commands, meaning, they are compliant to the word of God. The reward of this beatitude is not just something like a spiritual earth but an actual inheritance of the blessings of the earth. Another aspect of the beatitude of meekness is in our relationship with our parents. I want to assure you that inheriting the earth is not just about enjoying the riches of this world. There are many who experience short-lived success because they were taken away by the cold hands of death. Success without the length of days is not the blessed fullness of the inheritance of the Meek. St. Paul urges us to be meek when he said, “Honour your father and your mother,” to which he also added the blessings of the inheritance, “for so shall you live long upon the earth.” [Ephesians VI:2]. Honour for one’s parents goes beyond just loving and respecting them for giving us the gift of life. It also includes checking up on them regularly and making sure that they are honoured in the things you say to them and how well you have lived up to the very high standards you have received from them even after they have passed away from the earth.

The inheritance of the earth is incapable of corrupting the spirit of meekness. The Meek show the best qualities of leadership which is service just as the meekness of the Lamb of God is portrayed in the image above on the night of the Passover. The spirit of service and compliance they have learnt enables them to teach those they are responsible for the same qualities in their actions rather than lording things over them. Above all else, the meek seek the Kingdom of God with the humility of one who is poor in Spirit. They are not bothered with what to wear or what to eat because to them that seek the Kingdom of God, our Lord has promised “all these things shall be added unto you”. The Blessedness of the Meek is not a thing of the distant future. Their humility, frugality, compliance, and constant thrive for the kingdom of God has guaranteed them an inheritance that will remain forever on the earth.

“O the blessedness of the meek, for they will inherit the earth” [Matt V:5]

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