Blessed are...

Gentle Strength

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

In classical Greek, the word which we translate as ‘meek’ often simply means ‘gentle.’ A wild animal that had been tamed could be described as meek. It had not lost any of its strength. It remained capable of doing great harm to its owner. But the animal was considered meek because its strength had been taken under control. The same word was used for a gentle breeze. The wind is capable of great ferocity and of terrible destruction but, when gentle, it can also bring pleasure on a humid day. Aristotle once wrote that meekness is the mean between excessive anger and excessive passivity. It is strength under control.

When we are meek we do not allow ourselves to be ruled by our lower nature. It is not that we are passionless, but that our passion is channeled for good. We can become quite animated when we think about injustices that need to be challenged; but we will often stay silent when an injustice has been done to us. We are not so in love with ourselves that we must win every argument; we rejoice in the success of others. We are confident that patience will lead us to God’s good purposes for our lives. We depend upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit, praying often for the gift of discernment, exercising every day the fruit of the Holy Spirit: peace, patience, and self-control.[1] Our greatest desire, though, is not that we should be self-controlled, but that we should be God-controlled. Gentle in all things, humble and unassuming – these are the characteristics of the Kingdom that will grow in the heart of one who is meek.



Gentle Savior,
Make me gentle, too.
Make me more ready to listen than to speak.
Keep my ears open for the promptings of Your Spirit.
Keep me obedient to Your will.
Then, as I live out the Gospel,
may I be strong as I stand against sin,
but gentle with sinners.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.




[1] Galatians 5:23