“The meek shall inherit the earth” Uh?

“The meek shall inherit the earth” is from what is known as The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:5). For the longest time, this made little sense to me. Our common understanding of “meek” suggests that we are talking about a cowering milquetoast. How or why should someone like that inherit the earth? In fact, once we understand what “meek” actually means in this use, it makes total sense and is an extremely practical concept.

Meek, as used in the quote, refers to someone who does the right thing, at the right time and in the proper amount. It connotes self-control or strength under control. It is getting angry in the proper circumstances, not too much and not too little, and for the proper amount of time. It means not over or under reacting. There is a gentleness here that comes of strength, not weakness. Being meek is a choice and choice comes only from the availability of options. In order to not react too strongly or roughly, you must have the power to react with more power than you need. Without the ability to do otherwise, you don’t need self-control. Being meek is a choice.

 Choosing to be meek has a number of benefits. One is that by only reacting with as much force as necessary, you conserve your strength and resources. You also probably get the job done with as little collateral damage as possible. There are fewer hurt feelings and you don’t have to look back with regret or wish you had handled something differently. You are not likely to say something that you will want to take back. Your effectiveness is maximized and you set a great example for others. Not bad for being meek.

Sometimes it’s not easy to regulate our thoughts and reactions. We might avoid a contentious confrontation because we don’t want to feel uncomfortable. Sometimes we feel like revenge or hurting someone who has wounded us. Both these inclinations hurt us in the long run. The first postpones resolving a problem and lets the problem grow even larger. The second weakens our spirit and our bonds with our communities. The perfect response is to respond with meekness.

The meek shall inherit the earth. Doesn’t this seem more reasonable now? If it asks for a sacrifice, it is a sacrifice of the selfish and foolish use of our power. It asks us to sacrifice our disrespect for others. It tells us to be grateful for what gifts we have and use them wisely to their greatest effect. So be meek. Inherit the earth. He promised.

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