Have I Realized Being Meek is not Being Weak?

During the Battle of Gettysburg, there was a Union Soldier, who hated the Confederates, and he had his leg shattered by a Southern musket ball in the battle. He lay, bandaged, but helpless on the battlefield, right by Seminary Ridge where he could see Picket's Charge. He watched as that last great charge failed, and the South's forces under Robert E. Lee were defeated. It so happened that General Lee himself and his officers, as they organized their retreat, rode right by this man. Although weakened by his injury, he was so bitter that he looked Lee right in the eyes, managed to raise his hands, and yell, "Hurrah for the Union!" Lee suddenly stopped his horse, dismounted, and came over to him. The man said later, that he thought his life was over. But instead, he said that Lee looked at him with such a sad expression on his face, that it took all fear from him, and Lee took his hand, and said, " My son, I hope you will soon be well."
That soldier later wrote,"If I live a thousand years I shall never forget the expression on General Lee's face." Why will the soldier remember this episode for a thousand years? Because people don't just do what Robert E. Lee did that day. Robert E. Lee was not powerless there that day. One word from him and that soldier was a dead man. Lee was not "weak", he was "meek." He was not powerless, but he restrained his power.

We continue our meditation series Happiness in Jesus'style. The verse for today's meditation 

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5

We saw that the first, and indispensable quality to be happy like Jesus is poverty of spirit - dependence upon God. Yesterday we looked at the quality of mourning, that if we mourn our sins, and the sins of others, and turn them into tearful prayers, God will hear and answer those prayers for ourselves and others.

Today we come to a quality that is misunderstood the most. "Blessed are the meek." Whenever a person uses the word "meek", there is a picture that comes to mind: timid, fearful, weak. This is not what the word means.

The Greek word used for meek or gentle in Matthew 5:5 is praeis. But it doesn't mean "weak" at all. The word was used of a horse, which was powerful, but had come to be trained to submit to the will of its master. It is strength controlled; submitted to the will of its master. And that's a good picture of the real meaning of meekness: trusting and submitting to the will of God.

Psalm 37 is usually referred to as the Meekness Psalm. When we go through the psalm we find that Psalm 37:11 is similar to Matthew 5:5. Psalm 37:11 reads, "but the meek shall inherit the land."

The best summary of the quality of meekness that is found in Psalm 37 is perhaps in verse 3, where it says: "Trust in the Lord and do good." That's very simple, and yet very powerful. This verse teaches us that meekness is based on a trust in God. It involves a submission to Him and His will; which leads a person to do the right thing.

The greatest example of meekness is found in the life of Jesus. All of these qualities found in the Beatitudes are His, and this one is too. Was Jesus meek? Did He humbly trust God's plan for His life? Did he trust in the Lord and do good? Without any doubt or a second thought, the answer is Yes.

There is no greater example of meekness than in Jesus. When He was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter took his sword and struck one of the arresting party and cut his ear off. But Jesus rebuked him, and He said, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more that twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53)

Here Jesus allowed himself to be taken. He knew it was God's will. He was not "weak", He was "meek". He trusted that this was God's plan. He didn't take things into His own hands like Peter did with his sword. Jesus lived us this quality of meekness. He trusted in God, did what was right, and He didn't take things into His own hands.

Dear friends, this Lenten Season can we allow God to build this quality of meekness into our life, since, it's an important step to becoming like Christ, and to become a powerful witness for Him.
May the Lord help us to have this understanding. God Bless you.