By Ruth PetersMeeknessSoft Answers to Rough QuestionsA missionary in Jamaica was once questioning some little boys on the meaning of Matthew 5:5 and asked, “Who are the meek?” A boy answered, “Those who give soft answers to rough questions.” We shall do well to remember this child’s definition. The one who has wisdom in his head and heart does not need to shout at others. Wisdom speaks softly and persuasively, instead of impelling and forcing. Through the use of our tongues people will know whether we are wise or not. As that great theologian, Charles Hodge, said, “The doctrines of grace humble a man without degrading him and exalt him without inflating him.”
The Meek Shall Inherit the EarthMen cannot understand how meekness is going to inherit the earth. Men believe in physical strength. They believe in arms and armies. They believe in craft and cunning. They believe in energy, will, and perseverance. They believe in things. They believe in matter. They believe in influencing their fellowmen, working upon them by threats, by pain, by fear. There are few men who believe that a humble man is being used in the strongest possible manner. They cannot credit that his humility shows that he is governed by his highest nature. They cannot conceive that an attitude of meekness is in perfect accord with the divine nature, which is dwelling in that meek one as a result of his new birth in Christ. In saying that the meek shall inherit the earth, our Lord declares this is the potential accomplishment of the man who is indwelt by Christ, by the Spirit of God within man.
The Fruit of MeeknessA Brahmin compared the Christian missionary to the mango tree. All its branches hang with fruit. It is then assailed with stones and clubs by passersby. How does it respond—by dropping fruit at every blow at the feet of those who assail it. At the close of the season, it stands scarred and battered, its leaves torn off, its branches broken. But the next year it bears more fruit than the previous year. That is what our meekness should do in the world—not try to conserve its self-esteem but bear fruit, fruit that descends low at the attack of cruel words and actions. Christian meekness cannot be exercised in isolation. It must be manifested within the framework of society, a society that hates the Lord Jesus Christ, openly or subtly, and all who stand for Him.
A Sense of God’s GoodnessOne night during an evangelistic meeting, a paralytic was wheeled down the aisle and placed near the platform. In the preliminary part of the service, the song leader caught sight of him and asked, “What is your favorite hymn?” He immediately answered, “Count Your Blessings!” There was no wail of complaint from the handicapped man, just a vivid sense of the goodness of God. Our submissiveness to God spells satisfaction for our lot on earth. This is the lesson of this Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” This paralytic is surely heir to a greater part of earth than many a millionaire. Meekness, in this sense, is a power—the power to feel satisfaction with what God gives, the power not to merely endure it but to enjoy it to the fullest and to use it for His purpose.
A Room Nobody WantsWhen Sammy Morris, a Kru boy from Africa, came to America to be trained for Christian service, he presented himself for matriculation at Taylor University. He revealed a spirit all too rare among Christians. When the President of the University asked him what room he wanted, Sammy replied, “If there is a room nobody wants, give that to me.” Of this incident the President later wrote: “I turned away, for my eyes were full of tears. I was asking myself whether I was willing to take what nobody else wanted. In my experience as a teacher, I have had occasion to assign rooms to more than a thousand students. Most of them were noble, Christian young ladies and gentlemen; but Sammy Morris was the only one of them who ever said, ‘If there is a room that nobody wants, give that to me.’ ”
Meekness of WisdomA preacher once received a letter with a pathetic story of a muddled and disordered life which ended: “It just beats me. A doctor of philosophy and unable to solve my own troubles!” It takes more than a friend of wisdom to help us in our troubles; it takes Wisdom personified, the Lord Jesus Himself. When everything goes wrong and troubles abound and the Christian can still go about his duties in life without revolting against God, against Wisdom, then he is possessed with this wonderful meekness of wisdom. Meekness of wisdom is accepting Wisdom’s dealings with us without a murmur and without a sigh. It is that temper of spirit which at all times says, “Yes, Lord, Thou knowest best.”
