The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

Saint Patrick

'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.' Matthew 5:5

Life is full of paradoxes and the most intriguing paradox is the statement 'The meek shall inherit the earth.' Given this dog-eat-dog societal mentality these days, it would have been most laughable if it had not indeed been uttered by Jesus Christ Himself in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:5. But if you have lived for three scores and ten years, like me, you will realise after observing life on this earth, that there is much truth in what Jesus said. 

Two messages I heard recently lend credence to this Beatitude. 

• The weak shall become strong - Nicky Gumbel
• Silence speaks louder than words. - Bishop (Dr) Gordon Wong

Both messages were about missions and missionaries. They bring much hope and confidence for the simple, ordinary folks who availed themselves to actualise God's calling to serve Him as missionaries. 

The Weak Shall Become Strong. Nicky Gumbel (Ref 1) shared about the life of  Saint Patrick. Patrick came from Cumbria in Northern England. At the age of 16 he was captured by Irish raiders who brought him to Ireland to serve as a slave herding and tending sheep. 

Nicky Gumbel wrote, 'Patrick was poorly educated, ineloquent and faced significant opposition throughout his ministry from those who felt that he wasn't up to the task. Even as an old man he admitted, "Today I still blush and fear more than anything to have my lack of learning brought out to the open." Yet despite all his disadvantages Patrick remained convinced that God had called him to be an evangelist.' 

Patrick wrote, 'We are a letter of Christ for salvation even to the back of beyond - and what does it matter if it is not a learned letter? For it is still to be found valid and plain for all to read, written in your very hearts and not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God!' 

Understanding his weakness, St Patrick said, "If I have any worth it is to live my life for God so as to teach these people; even though some of them still look down on me."

Nicky commented, 'Even Patrick's weakness was anointed! Today long after his more eloquent contemporaries have long been forgotten, the impact of St Patrick's ministry and mission to Ireland 1500 years ago is still recognised around the world.' 

Patrick became the patron saint of Ireland and is annually honoured in Ireland and many Catholics with the celebration of Saint Patrick's Day on March 17. 

Silence Speaks Louder Than Words. The Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, Rev (Dr) Gordon gave the message on the 30th anniversary of the Methodist Missions Society. He entitled it, 'Spreading the News?' with a question mark on purpose. The Bishop said that contrary to all expectations, after performing miracles, Jesus cautioned his disciples against spreading the news. 

After healing a leper in Matthew 8:4 Jesus said to him, 'See that you don't tell anyone.'  After restoring the sight of two blind man, Jesus warned them sternly, 'See that no one knows about this.' Matthew 9:30. When he was healing large crowds in Matthew 12:15-16. Jesus warned them not to tell others about Him. In Matthew 16:20, Jesus ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ,

'Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout out or cry out or raise His voice in the streets.' Isaiah 42:1-2

In these days, of public relations, we might think it strange that Jesus preferred to do things the quiet way. Someone said, 'If you can't win by reason, you got to go for volume.' 

Similarly, Bishop Gordon Wong advised the Methodist Missionaries not to spread the gospel by shouting loudly in public but by being the good news. He said more powerful will be good deeds done with quiet love in secret. St Francis of Assisi was quoted.

'Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words' 

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth. Bishop Emeritus Robert M Solomon in his book, the Sermon of Jesus wrote that meekness is not listlessness, a lack of courage nor the absence of strong convictions. In a world where people fight for supremacy, to be king of the heap, the person who is meek is someone who

• Trusts in God
• Gentle because strength is from God.
• Depends on God and not on own resources
• Strength under control, derived from submission to God
• Has a passionate delight in God
• Enjoys God's presence
• Knows and Obeys God's Word.
• Waits on God in stillness and patience
• Inner strength that need not be outwardly visible
• No drive for fleeting and temporary gains

Such a person, wrote the Bishop, has no need to emulate the winning ways of the world. That person is Jesus Christ as Graham Kendrick aptly described Him in the paradoxical mystery of this song Meekness and Majesty: 

 

Meekness and majesty,
Manhood and Deity,
In perfect harmony,
The Man who is God.
Lord of eternity
Dwells in humanity,
Kneels in humility
And washes our feet.

O what a mystery,
Meekness and majesty.
Bow down and worship
For this is your God,
This is your God.

Father's pure radiance,
Perfect in innocence,
Yet learns obedience
To death on a cross.
Suffering to give us life,
Conquering through sacrifice,
And as they crucify
Prays: 'Father forgive.'

Wisdom unsearchable,
God the invisible,
Love indestructible
In frailty appears.
Lord of infinity,
Stooping so tenderly,
Lifts our humanity
To the heights of His throne

Lionel

Ref 1. Nicky Gumbel The Bible in One Year Day 154

Ref 2. Robert M Solomon The Sermon of Jesus. Armour Publishing, 2013