Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
—Matthew 5:5
The Greek word for “meek” means gentle, humble, considerate, courteous. Therefore, as John Stott observed, the meek person is one who exercises “self-control, without which these qualities would be impossible.”
Meekness is not weakness; the meek are strong, masters of their moods. “[I]t is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities” (Prv 16:32 TEV).
Meekness displays itself in gentleness: “Be humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph 4:2).
As children of God the meek are “heirs of God” (Rom 8:17). Thus they inherit the earth, for “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Ps 24:1).
The meek may have little, yet have much: like Paul, “having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:10).
Greatness and wisdom do not
reside in the arrogant, but in the meek.