Blessed are the meek …
Summary: Is Jesus really as “meek” as he preaches we should be? It turns out, the answer is “yes.”
When you go to the doctor’s office, you expect to find a doctor or other certified medical personnel inside. You don’t expect to be examined by the janitor or the bookkeeper. I’m not talking about sharing healthcare tips at the office or the gym. Most of us do that now and then and often such tips are helpful. No, what we are talking about is whether we trust someone to probe the inner parts of our body, poke us with needles and draw out fluids, and determine whether a spot on the skin is benign or malevolent.
When it comes to making decisions about the health of our souls, we are no different. We want to know if the “doctor” is qualified. We need to be able to trust them.
So who is Jesus? Can we trust him? Is it even remotely possible that he is who he claims to be?
The fact that we can ponder such a question speaks volumes. If Jesus were to reveal himself fully, even for only a split-second, we would find that we had suddenly turned into a quaking puddle of fear.
The immense power of being God and “Creator Of All Things” is hinted at when we see Jesus calm the storm in Mark 4: 35-41. If he could command the wind and waves to stop dead in their tracks and become calm, what else could he do?
Mark relates a story about Jesus the day he went and cleared the temple of moneychangers and merchants (Mark 11: 15-17). People sometimes use this story as an example of Jesus’ wrath and a justification for acting similarly. But Jesus is different. If he had wanted to display his “wrath” there wouldn’t be a single person left standing in the temple courts who did not humble themselves before him as their God.
That same morning, Jesus had said to a fig tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (Mark 11: 14). Later that evening, the tree had withered “from the roots” (Mark 11: 20). What if he had said, “May no one who does not accept me as their God ever walk within a hundred miles of the temple again”?
Instead, we see him physically chasing people out of the courtyard, warning them away from touching the “hot stove” of eternal damnation in the same way a mother might slap her child’s hand away from a hot stove. Is that wrathful rage or helpful love?
In Matthew 5: 3-11, we hear Jesus describing himself. He is, after all, the model we believers should aspire to. He begins, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and then adds, “Blessed are those who mourn,” “the meek,” people who desire “righteousness,” the “merciful,” the “pure in heart,” the “peacemakers,” and finally, the “persecuted.”
Jesus has ultimate power and exhibits ultimate self-restraint. The person who is teaching us the Lord’s Prayer is both God and Creator, King and Priest, yet he lives by the prayer he teaches.
Application: Aspire to be like Jesus.
Food for Thought: If we calibrate our self-restraint by measuring it against our capacity for “wrath,” how do we compare to Jesus?
One thing that resonates with me about how Jesus handled the merchants in the temple: He didn’t start out shouting at the men, he looked and saw what was happening, drove the cattle out, and then spoke. He didn’t allow His “need” to stand up for truth get in the way of His Father’s will. Instead, He submitted to the Father and handled the situation appropriately. Appropriately is the word I battle with. Giving into my anger, for me, has never, ever, ever produced the result that I would have wanted. The only time I have reacted appropriately is when I have taken the time to ask the Holy Spirit “uh, what should I do here?” My “wrath” usually come from a place where I feel hurt. When Jesus saw what was happening in the temple, I believe He too was hurt by the way they were treating His Father’s temple and the people who came there to worship. He removed the distraction (cattle) and dealt with the real issue (merchants). When I ask the Holy Spirit for help, He does help me discern between the two. I find that the distractions are usually what hold the most emotion for me.
So, to answer the question “If we calibrate our self-restraint by measuring it against our capacity for “wrath,” how do we compare to Jesus?” Our capacity for wrath far outweighs our capacity for self-control. We are as dogs, chasing squirrels, growling and barking at them, while allowing the thief to enter our Master’s house. The Holy Spirit reminds me to not worry about the squirrels, focus on the Master’s house.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Chris,
Thank you for your words this morning. I can relate to your very honest assessment of how our human ‘wrath’ actually causes more grief than it solves. I appreciate your analogy of chasing squirrels, too. So true!
I agree with and relate to Chris’s comments. My wrath often comes from a place of personal injury or pride. Jesus’s came from a place of a system which was preventing people from worshipping His Father. Jesus’ actions were righteous, mine are too often self righteous. James 1: 19 – 20.
Great point, Rich.
There is a BIG difference between ‘righteous’ and ‘self-righteous’!
10-13-2022, If we calibrate our self-restraint by measuring it against our capacity for “wrath,” how do we compare to Jesus?
OUR self-restraint and OUR wrath are both measured by OUR judgements regarding the actions of ourselves and others, as viewed according to OUR standards. They are an indication of OUR believing we are the authority in these matters and OUR evaluation according to OUR standards are actually important.
True self-control is not about we who live in darkness, bringing our fallen nature and indwelling sins under our own control but under the power of Christ. Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit who is the true source for true self-control,. As we focus on the growth of Jesus Christ in us, He will bring His self-restraint and wrath against evil into our hearts.
2 Timothy 1:7, Titus 2:6, 12, 1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 1:6.
Galatians 5:22–23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Luke 9:23
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
John 12:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Luke 9:23-24
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.
Great verses, Ron!
Your point about whose authority and judgments we live under is important. Submitting to Christ’s authority is hard for me, but oh – so rewarding!
it is probably a very common problem for for all believers Jeff. Imperfect beings seeking to serve our perfect God.