A Meek Inheritance

August 29th, 2006

1st Peter 5:5-9
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

You know, I would say that I try to do this. And then Yoda would say there is no try, there is do or do not… and then I would say, shut up. And why would I say that? It is because I am not humble.

1st Peter 5:5 humble:

tap-i-nos'

• not rising far from the ground
• metaphorically - as a condition, lowly, of low degree - brought low with grief, depressed - lowly in spirit, humble - in a bad sense, deporting one’s self abjectly, deferring servilely to others
• Depressed, that is, (figuratively) humiliated (in circumstances or disposition): - base, cast down, humble, of low degree (estate), lowly.

Now, I have a cane that I HATE. And why do I hate it? I’m 32 and I have a cane. If that’s not pride, then I don’t know what pride is. I think it all goes to how I want to be normal. I’m tired of being sick. I went to school today without my cane. My wife asked me to name my cane, and I decided to call it “Abel”. I thought it was fitting. Her immediate thought was that it would help me get around easier… but it is really about Cain and Abel. Abel was a humble person, whereas Cain was not. And for me to humble out, I actually need my cane. AAAHHH, the IRONY. And with my cane, then I am able.

Proverbs 6:1-5
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Proverbs 3:34
He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.

Who gets the gift of grace? The humble get the gift.

James 4:6, 10
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1st Peter 3:8-12
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Proverbs 3:34 humble: (I felt to check this out since it is quoted in the NT twice)
aw-nawv'

• Depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly): - humble, lowly, meek, poor
• poor, humble, afflicted, meek
• poor, needy
• poor and weak
• poor, weak and afflicted
• humble, lowly, meek

Other translations of the scripture:
He makes sport of the men of pride, but he gives grace to the gentle-hearted.
The LORD sneers at those who sneer at him, but he is kind to everyone who is humble.
He has no use for conceited people, but shows favor to those who are humble.

Now, is it possible to be afflicted, weak, depressed, needy, and poor and still be prideful? Yes. And how is this so? It is because the key part hinges on meekness. And what is meekness?

Meek (adj.):

• Showing patience and humility; gentle.
• Easily imposed on; submissive.
• Humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
• Overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.

Now, meekness is essential. I don’t have it. Christ did. When I think of meekness, I tend to think of this scripture first. It hangs in my mind.

Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Luke 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Now, you combine the two stories from Matthew and Luke and the puzzle comes together quite well. Christ was MEEK enough to go. He could have made a case as to why he needed to stay where he was at, to heal other people, to do other things, he wasn’t here to take care Roman soldiers, but the Jews… but the fact is, he started to go. And the centurion was humble enough, so humble that Christ said he had “Great Faith.” The Centurion was meek in himself to send word to tell Christ not to come, but just give word. It was almost a battle of meekness between the two.

(Centurion)
A centuria was originally a division consisting of a hundred things of a kind; and thence came to mean any division, whether consisting of a hundred or not. In military language it meant a division of troops, a company, not necessarily of a hundred, the captain of which was called centurio. The numbers of a century varied from about fifty to a hundred.

How great is it to be meek? The bible says this:

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

Honestly, I don’t know what it means to inherit the earth. I don’t know if I would want this place, to be honest with you. I would much rather be in heaven, without pain, and with the people I love. But Christ says it, so it must be a good thing, in whatever way that it is. And for that, I say a loud AMEN! Johnny Out.