What Is Meekness? Why the Bible Doesn't Mean What Most People Think
Meekness is one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible. It does not mean weakness and instead means power under control, submitted to God. Jesus used this word to describe Himself, which tells us everything about what it actually looks like in a person's life.
One of the most misunderstood ideas in Christian life today is "meekness."
This word, "meek," shows up several times in the Bible, including in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5) If the meek inherit the earth, it's worth making sure we know what Jesus meant by meek.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Meekness Doesn't Mean Weakness
Usually, being meek is misunderstood to mean weak, or someone who lacks power, but it doesn't mean that at all.
Moses is the classic example. Numbers 12:3 calls him "very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth." (CSB) And yet Moses confronted Pharaoh, led more than a million people through the wilderness, and spoke with God face to face. He was not a pushover. He was a man of immense power — power that he had learned to submit to God rather than wield for himself.
Psalm 37:11 gives us the Old Testament foundation of the beatitude itself: "But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace." (CSB) The inheritance promised to the meek is not a consolation prize for the weak. It is the promise God makes to those who have chosen to put their power under His authority.
How Jesus Defined Meekness for Himself
As a matter of fact, Jesus uses this term about Himself in Matthew 11:28-29 when He says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." The word translated here "gentle" is the same word given in the beatitude as "meek."
What is Jesus communicating in Matthew 11? That He is powerless? Of course not! He is saying that He isn't going to use His power to badger us or beat us down. Instead, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. His power is well established elsewhere, so here Jesus is establishing that His power is under control. He is powerful and gentle. He is strong and He is meek.
What This Means for the Beatitude
Back to the beatitude, then, what is Jesus telling us? The meek "inherit the earth." It is not those who exercise their power freely and forcefully who will ultimately rule.
Our life experience has probably taught us to expect that those who wield the most power or who wield it most effectively or most ruthlessly eventually win out. Jesus is telling His followers that in His Kingdom, we are not to behave this way. We are not (necessarily) to divest ourselves of our power, but we are not to wield it the way the world does. To quote Jesus in another place, we don't use our power over others to "lord it over them." (Matthew 20:25) We don't use our power control, manipulate, or crush others.
What Meekness Actually Looks Like
Instead, we use power like God uses it. We serve others. We defend the defenseless. We control our power. We submit it to God. We bring it under the control of the self-sacrificing love that God is growing in our hearts. We use any power that God has given us like Jesus uses His unlimited power. We are to be meek.
Jesus's original listeners would almost certainly have been surprised to hear that the meek eventually inherit the earth. No matter what it looks like, we can count on God to eventually bring about justice and set things right. That's one of the ways He'll use His power — we'll count on Him to do that and not take matters into our own hands.
Meekness in Every Relationship You Have
Almost all of us wield some kind of power. Parents have children. Children have siblings. We have relationships with friends and colleagues. We have people who work for us or who are students in our classrooms. Pastors have congregants, and some congregations oversee their pastors as well. Husbands have wives and wives have husbands. There's a power dynamic in each of these relationships. We do well to remember what Jesus said that the meek inherit the earth. He Himself is meek, and that's what He values.
Whatever power God has given us, He's given us on purpose. We should seek Him about what that purpose is, but one thing is for certain, we are to keep that power under His control. We don't wield power like a club. We follow the law of love. The meek — those who wield God's power under God's control — are blessed, for they will inherit the earth.