The meek shall inherit the earth. That's good news. Or is it? Sometimes the difference between inheriting the earth and getting rolled over by the world is very small. Who among the meek haven't felt buried alive sometimes by life?
There really is good news. First, meek doesn't mean weak. As Carolyn Arends wrote over on Christianity Today last Monday, there were only two people in Scripture described as meek, Moses and Jesus, and neither of them could be considered "weak." Both were incredibly strong individuals, but both were also fully submitted to God the Father. They both saw their primary strength coming from God. Arends explains this strength under control concept:
If meekness isn't weakness, what is it? The word has an association
with domesticated animals, specifically beasts of burden. At first
blush, this etymology doesn't thrill me; I don't particularly aspire to
be ox-like. But when I think about it, an ox at the plow is not weak
but extraordinarily strong. The key, though, is that his power is
harnessed and directed. Perhaps meekness is strength that is submitted
to an appropriate authority.
The Greek word used for meek is πραΰς (praus) or πραΰτης (prautēs). It is often translated as gentle rather than as meek, since meekness brings up the idea of being a wallflower or being timid and shy. A better understanding of meekness is strength under control.
Aristotle described πραΰτης as a middle ground between two extremes. On one extreme is out of control anger, getting angry without reason. On the other extreme, according to Aristotle, was not getting angry at all. So how did Aristotle describe the middle ground of πραΰτης? He defined it as getting angry at the right time, in the right measure, and for the right reason.
Does this middle ground sound familiar? When I read Aristotle's definition, I think of Jesus' anger at the money changers in the temple. "My temple will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" It is informative that all three synoptic gospels (Matt. 21:13, Mrk 11:17, Luk 19:46) record this event. Those familiar with these Gospels are, no doubt, familiar with this story. But I bet you don't think of this story as an example of Jesus' meekness, as the ideal of his gentleness.
Maybe you need to reconsider what you think of when you think about the meek inheriting the earth. Was Jesus angry? You bet! Was it at the right time, in the right measure, and for the right reason? Before you answer, think about the power that was available to Jesus and what he could have done. Considering his power over nature exhibited in the boat during the storm, throwing out the money changers with a few choice words was a gentle response indeed.
The next time you're angry and thinking of all the things you could do in response to the offending person, think πραΰτης. How can you demonstrate πραΰτης with your spouse, your children, your employees, and with your friends. It's not by never being angry. And it's not be avoiding confrontation. But on the other hand it's always power under control - not taking the most extreme measures in retaliation. Think about how you might find the middle ground πραΰτης in your life today.
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