Grace to You :: esp Unleashing God's Truth, One Verse at a Time

Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1

“‘Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth’” (Matthew 5:5).

In this verse, “gentle” (a word often rendered “meek” in other translations) means mild or soft.
Looking ahead to His triumphal entry, the prophet hailed Christ this way: “Behold your King is coming
to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5; cf. Zech. 9:9).

From Old Testament times, gentleness has been God’s way for mankind. The book of Job says God
“sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety” (5:11; cf. Ps. 25:9).
“Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).

Gentleness does not connote weakness, but rather a way of utilizing all its resources and emotions
appropriately (cf. Prov. 16:32; 25:28). The gentle person has died to self and therefore does not
resort to violence to defend himself, knowing his person has nothing to commend before God.
Gentleness is not cowardice, lack of conviction, or niceness. It is the spirit of Christ, who defended
the Father’s glory, not His own, and left us an example: He “committed no sin, nor was any deceit
found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no
threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:22–23).

Christ’s gentleness, however, did not mean He was passive in defending righteousness. He guarded
the temple against the moneychangers (John 2:14–15), denounced the hypocritical religious leaders
(Matt. 23:1–33), and warned the disobedient of judgment (Matt. 25:45–46). His gentleness was
power completely surrendered to God’s control.

Ask Yourself

What’s been your interpretation of “meekness” or “gentleness”? Is this a quality you value and aspire
to? If gentleness was more a part of your demeanor, what bene-fits would you begin to see in your
daily life?

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