Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed..."
We have come to understand that this declaration of blessing from God is a source of great encouragement and hope in this age; the age in which we experience daily the imperfections of our own falleness and the falleness of other people and the whole of creation. There is salvation happening; a reversal of this falleness.
"...are the meek..."
The meek are the humble, the gentle, the considerate, those who do not think too highly of themselves. They are the people who refuse to subsume the humanity of another under the ambitions of the self.
We see it in Jesus as he welcomes children, eats with 'sinners', interracts with women and teaches his disciples.
Meekness is the attitude of Jesus as he suffers the cruelty and violence of his passion and death.
The meek are those who see in the needs of the poor, the homeless, the naked, the weak an opportunity to serve Jesus.
The meek are those who have seen the glory of God in creation and humanity and interract with them filled with appropriate reverence and fear.
"...for they shall inherit the earth."
When one considers human history one cannot help but be convinced that those who have 'received' an inheritance are those who take it for themselves, deceive and coerce, overpower and oppress. Meekness does not to meet the criterion for this type of heir.
Psalm 37 provides us with the great contrast of those who seem to inherit ('the wicked man') and those who God declares will inherit.
But in contrast to the way things seem the inheiritance of the meek will be total. The earth, the dwelling place of all humanity will be rendered to them. This is the blessedness of Jesus Kingdom.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment