Meekness, Part 1

During the week I receive a meditation online entitled Larry Lilly’s Letter. This is published by a pastor, whom I have had the privilege of meeting at a conference in Indiana. Recently, Pastor Lilly has been writing a series on the self and the battle we all have with it. Then I have been reviewing the message that our brother Greg Ohly recently brought. In this message, Greg quoted someone who said that “meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest, that the meek person is not occupied with self.” This has all set me to thinking about meekness as it relates to the self.

Now let’s begin by noticing the definition of meekness and others words related to it.

Meekness - Gentleness of spirit; humility.

Humility – The quality of being humble or having a lowly opinion of oneself; the opposite of pride or haughtiness.

Humble – Having a low estimate of one’s importance, worthiness, or merits; marked by the absence of self-assertion or self- exaltation; lowly.

Observe that a meek person is a humble person and that a humble person is characterized by the absence of self-assertion or self-exaltation. This lines up with Greg’s comments about meekness. If we would be truly meek, the self must be dethroned!

We can further understand meekness by noticing those things that are associated with it in Scripture. Meekness is associated with lowliness.

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Matthew 11:29 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.

Lowliness is defined as meekness and humility. In the following verse those who are lowly are contrasted with those who are proud.

Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

We all know that proud people are very stuck on themselves. In contrast, the meek have a low estimate of themselves. Hence, they are also called the lowly. Meekness is also associated with gentleness.

2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ….

Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

A meek person will not be so prone to speak evil of others and to quarrel with others. A proud person, who is stuck on himself and his opinions, will not bear being crossed. Hence, a proud person will be quick to speak evil of those who cross him and he will pick fights with them. And then meekness is associated with submissiveness to authority. Peter teaches that the woman who is adorned with a meek spirit will be in subjection to her own husband.

1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands…
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

The woman, who is so into herself and what she wants, is not likely to submit to the authority of her husband. It does not matter that God commands this of her. She is so stuck on herself and doing what she wants, that she will not be controlled by another, not even God. To such I would say that resisting any God-ordained authority, when it is exercised in a godly way, is resistance to God Himself. And such resistance will be met with damnation.

Romans 13:1 ¶Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Observe again in the light of all that has been said thus far, that if you are truly meek, the self must be dethroned! This is the core of meekness. Now let me give you an excellent summation that I gleaned from the book An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount by Authur W. Pink:

Meekness is the opposite of self-will toward God, and of ill-will toward men.

That sums up the dictionary definition and the supporting verses that I have given thus far. Now let this sentence from Mr. Pink sit with you and do some soul-searching in the light of it. God willing, I shall have more to write about this later.