In our modern culture meekness is not a sought-after quality.  Nowadays, synonyms for meek include humble, gentle and submissive.  But unfortunately, also spineless, weak, timid, docile, passive, mild, compliant, lowly, fearful and tame.  People mistake ‘meek’ for ‘weak.’  It’s regrettable, because Biblical meekness involves strength.

Meekness is not weakness.

  • Numbers 12:3 (KJV) “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
  • Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
  • Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
  • Psalm 37:11 (NIV) “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

Meekness is power under control

When the apostle Paul lists meekness as an attribute of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5) he uses the Greek word “prautes”.  Jesus used a similar word “praeis” in the Sermon on the Mount (Mathew 5).  There is no exact English word for “prautes” or “praeis”.  In Greek literature it implied power under control.

Meekness is power under control.

The Greek word “prautes” occurs in non-biblical literature, of that time, describing a horse that someone had broken and trained to submit to a bridle.  It pictures strength under control.  It described a war horse trained to obey instantly and absolutely, no matter how great the confusion during battle.  In order for both the horse and the rider to survive during battle, the horse should not hinder or even second-guess the rider’s directions.  It must trust completely in the rider, surrender fully, and obey at all times.  The Roman war horses were certainly not weak.  They had incredible strength.  Power under control!

Biblical meekness

“Prautes” in the New Testament indicates the humble and gentle attitude that expresses itself as strength under control, specifically the Holy Spirit’s control.  The evidence of this attitude is a deliberate placing of oneself under divine authority.

Biblical meekness is a deliberate choice to place yourself under control of the Holy Spirit.  Meekness is submission to God’s will.

The Bible places great value on meekness.  Biblical meekness doesn’t refer to weakness or passivity, but to controlled power, expressed by faith, in obedience and a whole-hearted surrender to the Holy Spirit.  Biblical meekness is humility towards God and toward others.  The meek person rejects the attitude of self-sufficiency and self-importance, but lives completely for God with no agenda other than to please God:

  • It is a willingness to waive one’s rights to do something for the benefit of someone else.
  • It is not the lack of strength, but rather the surrender of that strength to another for the right reasons.
  • It is real strength, that does not have to display itself or show off how strong it is.
  • It is enduring injury or injustice with patience and without resentment.
  • It is a strong, but gentle, teachable, reverent and humble spirit of selfless devotion to God and submission to His purposes.

Follow Jesus’ example

Meekness is an inward attitude.

The meekness manifested by Jesus Christ is the result of power.  The common assumption is that when a man is meek, it is because he cannot help himself.  On the contrary, the Lord was ‘meek’ because he had the infinite resources of God at His command.  In Matthew 11:29 (KJV), Jesus calls Himself meek.  He says: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”  A yoke was a harness used to attach a younger animal to a more experienced one.  By taking Jesus’s yoke, we borrow from His strength.  In effect, Jesus offers to help carry our burdens.  His meekness is the very reason He helps us carry our burdens.

Paul also refers to “the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1).  In 1 Peter 2:22-23 (NIV) Jesus is described in this way “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.  When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.  Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

Meekness models the humility of Jesus.  As Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT) says, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Like Jesus, we have meekness in our nature.

God wants us to be meek like Jesus.  The meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5, Psalm 37:11) because they are the people who have died to self and surrendered their lives over to God.  They don’t live in their own strength, and go their own direction, but rather trust completely in God and in the direction that He wants them to go.

The meek is blessed

Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”  Other translations read “Blessed are the gentle” (NASB).  “God blesses those people who are humble” (CEV).  “Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering)” (AMPC).

The meek are happy, joyous and blessed regardless of their outward conditions.

We must understand what it means to be blessed.  The Greek word translated as blessed in Matthew 5:5 is “makarioi”.  “Makarioi” means happy, to be envied, supremely blessed, fortunate, well off.  The idea is that a meek person will have joy.  It is a spiritual prosperity, not necessarily an earthly happiness.  It may seem counterintuitive, but Jesus’ promise stands, a meek person will be happy and blessed.

Growing in meekness

Someone who knows Jesus Christ, as their personal Saviour, should be growing in meekness.  Living in humility and being willing to forego one’s rights for the benefit of someone else models the attitude of Jesus Christ.  Our relation to other people should be characterized by this spirit of meekness, this inner strength that is under control.

Galatians 5:22-23 (TPT) “But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit.”

Paul wanted Timothy to manifest this attitude of meekness when he spoke with opponents.  2 Timothy 2:24–25 (NLT) “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.  Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.  Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.”  Even in the midst of an intense confrontation, we must be meek, for if we manifest a selfish anger, we fail in communication.

We are to relate to one another with humility, gentleness or meekness patience and love.  Ephesians 4:2 (NLT) instructs us “Always be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”  Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV) teaches us “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

We are to be meek (submitted, teachable, responsive) first of all in our relationship with God, and secondly meek (humble, gentle, kind, respectful) in our relationships with people.  Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control.

Prayer: Heavenly Father help me to show meekness in all that I think, say, and do.  May I, like Jesus Christ, show kindness, empathy, and gentleness towards others.  In Jesus name, Amen.