Strength to Spare, Strength to Share

Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Dear Saints, you have noticed that the first two qualities of the blessed (poverty of spirit, mourning over sins) are both kept only through the power of the Holy Spirit lived out in us. The third quality, meekness or gentleness, is equally as supernatural. Galatians 5:23 corroborates this statement as it mentions “gentleness” as being one of the fruit of the Spirit-filled life. This word represented by the classical authors (Aristotle, Plato), is founded in self-control or in natural disposition. For the Christian, meekness is based on humility, which is not a natural quality but an outgrowth of a renewed nature.

It is also very important to take notice that these beatitudes are written in their current sequence for a purpose. As Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones writes, “A man can never be meek unless he is poor in spirit. A man can never be meek unless he has seen himself as a vile sinner. These other things must come first.”

In this sermon, Jesus is speaking primarily to the Jews and was probably one of His first major messages to them. The Jews were hoping their Messiah would come and free them from Roman oppression and set up His kingdom on earth. Imagine the shock that must have been in the crowd as Jesus is telling them the “meek will inherit the earth”. The Jews could understand military strength and power but a meek Messiah leading a meek people was far from their idea of a messianic kingdom. How could one gain victory by poverty, mourning, and meekness?

The word gentle in our verse (prautes) is used to describe powerful entities that have been brought under control. Things such as a broken colt (an unbroken colt would be useless), a word (a word can be used constructively or destructively, Proverbs 15:1), or a gentle breeze (wind out of control destroys). Simply interpreted gentleness means great strength under control.

Matthew Henry has an excellent summary of meekness writing, “The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to His word and to His rod, who follow His directions, and comply with His designs, and are gentle towards all men (Titus 3:2); who can bear provocation without being inflamed by it; are either silent, or return a soft answer; and who can show their displeasure when there is occasion for it, without being transported into any indecencies; who can be cool when others are hot; and in their patience keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else.”

True meekness is best seen in our Lord Jesus Christ. In respect to his own person, He trusted the Father unwaveringly and did not have to be vengeful or vindictive. When spat upon he did not spit back. When mocked he did not retaliate. When his friends abandoned Him, he did not utter a reproach. When the nails were driven through His precious hands he said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they doing.” However, when it came to matters of faith and the welfare of others, Jesus laid the smack down on some people. He rebuked the Pharisees because of the hardness of their hearts and their oppression of the people. He was angered when the disciples tried to prevent little children from coming to him. Jesus made a whip, turned over tables and drove the money changers from the temple when they were desecrating the House of God.

This picture of Jesus, gives you a wonderful picture of what it means to be meek. Jesus trusted God and because of this trust he did not feel the need to defend Himself. This is not an exhibition of weakness, but rather enormous strength that is under control. He showed love towards those who would do evil against Him but stands up like a lion in defense of others or of the truth.

I have some good news for you. There is no lack of opportunity for you to grow in this arena, occasions to exercise this gentleness in daily life. And remember, it is not the arrogant, self-absorbed, defensive, and grasping that will inherit the earth but rather the meek. John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress writes...

He that is down needs fear no fall,

He that is low no pride;

He that is humble ever shall

Have God to be his guide.

Happy are the Sad?

Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Here we go again with another seemingly paradoxical statement from our Savior as He continues with the best sermon that has ever been preached on earth. This verse has been used thousands of times during funerals to offer a word of hope to those who mourn at the loss of a loved one. I admit that I have also used this verse within the same context. However, this is not the primary intent of this verse.

The Greek word used here is (pentheo, mourn). Of the nine terms used for sorrow in the Bible this is by far the strongest. It carries with it the idea of deep inner agony, which may or may not be expressed by outward weeping, wailing, or lament. It is used mostly to describe the feelings of one dealing with a tragic loss of a loved one such as Jacob’s grief when he thought his son Joseph was killed by a wild animal (Gen 37:34). Or the grieving of the disciples before Jesus was raised from the grave (Mark 16:10).

Jesus is talking here, not about the mourning over the loss of a loved one, but the mourning we should experience over grieving the heart of God with our sins against him. However, it is the same type of passionate lament as we see ourselves the way God sees us and as we allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin.

William Barclay commenting on “blessed are those who mourn” reminds us that, “Christianity begins with a sense of sin. Blessed is the man who is intensely sorry for his sin, the man who is heart-broken for what his sin has done to God and to Jesus Christ, the man who sees the Cross and who is appalled by the havoc wrought by sin. It is the man who has that experience who will indeed be comforted; for the experience is what we call penitence, and the broken and the contrite heart God will never despise (Psalm 51:17). The way to the joy of forgiveness is through the desperate sorrow of the broken heart.”

This sorrow is not something we do solely upon conversion, but throughout our walk with Christ as we are burdened over our own bent toward sin and the sin of the world.

A young pastor visited Dundee, Scotland, shortly after Robert Murray McCheyne died at age thirty. Many people had come to Christ because of McCheyne’s ministry, and the visitor wanted to know the secret of his great influence. The old sexton of McCheyne’s church led the preacher into the rectory and showed him some of McCheyne’s books lying on a table. Then he motioned to the chair the evangelist had used, and said, “Sit down and put your elbows on the table.” The visitor obeyed. “Now put your head in your hands.” He complied. “Now let the tears flow; that’s what McCheyne did.” Next he led him into the church and said, “Put your elbows on the pulpit.” The visitor did. “Now put your face in your hands.” He obeyed. “Now let the tears flow; that’s what McCheyne used to do.”

Robert Murray McCheyne cried freely over his sins and over those of his people. By contrast, our emotions are often hardened toward sin. We need to be more sensitive to the convicting voice of God’s Spirit and more determined to live a separated life. We may rejoice in God’s forgiveness, but we should never be afraid to mourn for our sins. (Daily Bread)

Do you mourn over your sin? Men have, in all places and in all ages, deemed the prosperous and the gay to be the happy ones, but Christ pronounces blessed those who are poor in spirit and who mourn for “they” shall be comforted.

“Lord, let me weep for nought but sin,

And after none but thee;

And then I would-oh, that I might-

A constant mourner be!”

(C H Spurgeon)

There are those who are Poor, and then there are those who are Poor

Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

In the CPV (Chaplain Parker Version of the Bible) this verse is most easily interpreted, “blessed are those who know they need God.” Some interpreters of the Bible have falsely believed that this verse is telling us that we should sell all of our earthly possessions in order to gain the kingdom of heaven. Now I will admit that it is easier to follow the Lord without the many distractions and temptations that material wealth can bring. But ones financial status or lack thereof does not necessarily mean a healthy spiritual life. Others still have interpreted the verse to mean that we should be “poor spirited”. In other words we should think of ourselves as doormats without a backbone and completely useless. But we know that as those created in the image of God; we are of vast worth and importance and God desires more for His children. An inaccurate interpretation of Scripture can lead to a misapplication of Scripture and wasted time.

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus gives us a vivid illustration of one “poor in spirit”...

And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' (This is poor in spirit!) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

Two men in the temple, both men prayed. Whose prayer did God hear? The religious Pharisee? Oh no, because he wasn’t praying, he was giving God his resume! Jesus said that God heard the other man’s prayer because his words came from a man who was "poor in spirit". Then Jesus gave the moral of the story: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled”

One man was rich with pride, the other poor in spirit. One man thought highly of himself, the other felt his shortcomings. One man impressed with his own accomplishments, the other depressed by his sin. One man boasted, the other man begged. One man recommended himself to God, the other man pleaded for God’s mercy. One man was saved, the other lost.

Being “poor in the spirit” is simply a lowly and just estimate of ourselves, our character, and our achievements, based upon a clear recognition of our own necessities, weaknesses, and sins.

Mark 2:17, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

It is no mistake that “poor in spirit” comes first in the list of beatitudes. This is the first and most fundamental quality of the spiritual life. This is where discipleship begins. This is the key that unlocks the door of heaven.

Augustus Toplady beautifully expressed the truth of “poor in spirit” in his classic hymn Rock of Ages:

Nothing in my hand I bring

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress,

Helpless, fly to Thee for grace.

Foul, I to the fountain fly.

Wash me, Savior, or I die.