The Beatitudes are not for the Fainthearted 4 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Meekness isn’t amongst the qualities that tend to turn up on CV’s in the person’s recognised strengths box. Which is a pity. In biblical times the word was used of an ox yoked to the plough. It means strength harnessed to purpose. Those who are seeking the Kingdom of God do so meekly, with quiet, determined purpose in the strength of God.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus seldom praises speed, and often commends slow and steady. The seed grows secretly and slowly; yeast does its work gradually and pervasively; the Samaritan interrupts his own agenda and takes the rest of the day to help the ‘man who fell among thieves’; the Father waited, and waited, and waited for his son to appear round the distant corner on the way home. Mind you the father then embarrassed himself by running like a teenager down the main street to hug his son and throw a flash mob party.

Remember I mentioned how so much that Jesus taught, and so much of how he behaved and treated people, was counter-intuitive? Congratulating the meek is another case in point. And here’s something else to ponder:

"Come to me, all 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, and you will find rest for your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

That word gentle? It’s the same word Jesus used in the Beatitude, meek. Christ-likeness is more about meekness than power playing, self-assertion, self-sufficiency, or any number of other self-centred self-descriptions. The call to discipleship is a call to follow, with faithful persistence, trustful patience, and meek obedience.

But remember, meek does not mean mere compliance or lacking in backbone, energy or drive. It is our whole being harnessed to purpose in the work of the Kingdom of God. We take the yoke of the gentle Christ on our shoulders, discover it is cross-shaped, and then we follow him to Calvary, and beyond to the empty tomb, and beyond that as he goes before us into whatever future we are called to live.

John Bunyan: I have loved to hear my Lord spoken of, and wherever I have seen the print of his shoe in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot.”