"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

I think this verse gets misinterpreted a lot.  So many people have the wrong idea about what the word meek means.  According to Mirriam-Webster, meek means “deficient in spirit or courage: submissive; not violent or strong.”  We understand that Jesus is often called “meek and mild,” but Jesus was not weak, and He most definitely was not deficient in spirit (although, if we go back to the first beatitude, we could say that He was poor in spirit and rich in the Spirit, but I don’t think that context applies here; in the first beatitude, ‘spirit’ refers to self-sufficiency, which is contrary to being dependent on the Holy Spirit; but in the dictionary definition of meek, ‘spirit’ refers more to hope and joy).  Jesus was strong in the Spirit—and He still is—and He was bold in proclaiming the gospel of salvation and the coming of the kingdom of God, even to the point of causing violent division between Christians and their persecutors.  So if Jesus was meek, then we must find another definition for the word that fits who Jesus was (and is).

Now, this first definition of meek is actually the second definition in the dictionary.  The first is this: enduring injury with patience and without resentment: mild.”  That sounds a lot more like the Jesus we know, doesn’t it?  But I think there’s even more to it than that.  It might just be me, but when I hear “enduring injury,” I get the impression that whoever is enduring injury has the ability to decide to not endure injury.  In other words, the meek person has the power to put an end to his own suffering, but he chooses not to for some reason, whether it be to protect others from harm or to encourage them in their present suffering or simply to show his love for someone.  I believe the true, biblical definition of meek is the complete opposite of Mirriam-Webster’s second definition: a meek person is one who possesses great power, given to him by the Spirit, yet refuses to use it for his own benefit in favor of the rewards that will come with the fulfillment of a larger purpose.  A truly meek person is one who sees the big picture, God’s perfect plan, and submits to His will even when it calls for personal suffering.  And when the Lord does call him to suffer, the meek man will “endure injury with patience and without resentment.”  He will not grow angry with God for causing him to go through trials, and he will be patient with his persecutors and show Christ-like love to them.

Now look at the blessing Jesus gives the meek: “for they will inherit the earth.”  This is interesting to me: a man with great power can conquer the world and take it for himself; but a meek man, one who has great power but refuses to use it to benefit himself at others’ expense, will inherit the world and be given it by God.  And the gift of God is far more valuable than our own wages, because “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

We have been given great power by the Lord.  According to 2 Timothy 1:7, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”  In the famous words of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.”  We have been given the Spirit not just for our own benefit, but also so that we can benefit others.  So let’s use the power He has given us appropriately. Our job is not to arrive in heaven; it’s to make sure it’s crowded when we get there.