TEXT: Galatians 5:22-23

SUBJECT: Fruit of the Spirit #8: Meekness

"The fruit of the Spirit is...meekness". That's the topic for today. May God bless it to our souls and His glory. For Christ's sake. Amen.

THE MEANING

Our Lord and the Apostles did not coin the word, but they gave it a new and positive meaning. Before, it was a weakness of character, often seen in "yes men", flunkies, and "boot lickers". It was perfectly captured in the movie, 101 Dalmatians. Cruella DeVille, chides her assistant,

"What kind of sycophant are you?"

"What kind do you want me to be?"

It described the kind of person too compliant or too eager to please. To the Greek, it was inconsistent with dignity or self-respect or manliness.

Is that what it means here? Or in the rest of the Bible? Not at all. We know that because our Lord Jesus was "Meek and lowly of heart". And nobody was ever more dignified or manly than He.

And so, what is it? It is a humility toward other people. And the humility is not forced upon you by circumstances, but freely chosen to do others good.

At the Footwashing, our Lord said, "You call Me Master and Lord and well, for so I am". But His Lordship is not used for Himself; it's put into the service of God's people.

That's meekness. Putting yourself second. And doing it without hidden motives and with a good attitude.

THE DUTY

Does the Lord want you to be meek? He certainly does! He says so in His Word--often and unmistakably.

These verses seem to be "blanket statements". Look at the words: "everyone, each, nothing, all men". I can't find any loopholes, can you? Nothing like, "Be meek to everyone...but your husband" or "This applies to everybody, but pastors..." No exceptions! Meekness is a universal duty! At all times, all of you must be meek to all others!

What God teaches us directly, He reinforces with examples--both good and bad.

On the "good" side, we have Moses, called "meek, above all men who were on the earth" (Numbers 12:3). We don't think of him that way, do we? To us, he's strong and heroic! And so he is, but he's also meek.

Few men were more often provoked than he. What the poor man put up with in the wilderness--unbelief, murmuring, idolatry, disloyalty, and many things more. Yet he never turned against his people. He was grieved with them, but never put himself, his needs, or his wants above theirs.

He might have done that. At the foot of Mount Sinai, the people worshiped the Golden Calf and so enraged God that He made an offer to Moses:

"I have seen this people

and it is stiff-necked;

Now, let Me alone that my

wrath may burn against them

and I may consume them...

"And I will make of you

a great nation".

What an offer! From Moses, God will create a new people. But what's the man say to it?

"This people have committed a great sin

But if you will forgive their sin--

but if not, I pray, blot me

out of Your book".

"I'll wipe them all out" says God. But Moses replies, "Please don't. But if You do, take me with them"! What boldness to bargain with God! What meekness to prefer others to himself!

On the "bad" side, we have...the disciples who argue over "Who's Number One in the Kingdom of God".

Or Diotrephes who "loves to have the preeminence among them".

Are these men put in a good light? Does the Lord cheer their ambition? Their zeal for excellence? Their unwillingness to be "second best"? No He doesn't. He condemns them for their pride! If the King is "meek", the Kingdom must be too.

"Meekness" is your duty. All the time. With everyone.

THE DANGERS AND BLESSINGS

What are the dangers of pride? They are many and hurtful. It will ruin you. Do you know why? Because it pits you against the Almighty. And you're not going to win that one! "God resists the proud...God abases the proud".

Pharaoh sneers and God wrecks Egypt. Haman plots and God hangs him on his own gallows. Nebuchadnezzar boasts and God turns him into an animal. Jezebel connives and God feeds her to the dogs. Herod pats himself on the back and God sends a worm to eat him up. Lucifer "ascends to heaven" but God "casts him down to hell".

The list is not complete! Will you be on it? You will be unless you "humble yourself under the mighty hand of God". No time to waste! Do it now!

Over against the proud, God will bless the meek. He will "beautify the meek with salvation" says the prophet. He will "give grace to the humble" adds the Apostle.

David sums it up: "Though the LORD be high, He has respect for the lowly; but the proud He knows afar off".

Your pride also presents a danger to others. If everyone at home or at church or in the community were like you, Paul says, "If you bite and devour one another, beware! Lest you be consumed of each other".

On the other hand, your meekness will be a blessing to other. It will turn the erring brother (Galatians 6:1); it will sweeten family life and build up the church.

The choice is yours: Be proud and a curse to yourself an everyone else. Or humble yourself for the good of your soul and all others. "Choose you this day..." Choose wisely.

THE WAY

How do you become meek? It's easy to explain, but hard to apply. I'll tell you how, but God give you grace to do it.

Here's the first part: Think soberly about yourself.

By nature, you are no better than anyone else. Paul is proud of his heritage and upbringing, yet he says, "We were, by nature, the children of wrath, even as others". The "others" are Gentiles, steeped in idolatry and vice. Paul's no better than they are. And neither are you.

If you've achieved anything in life, it's only by grace. "Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth" says Deuteronomy 8:18.

You're educated? You're cultured? Well mannered? You have a good career? And plenty to live on? If so, God bless you! You're different than most of us. But "Who made you to differ"? And "What do you have that you did not receive"? God made you "to differ"; and everything you have you "received" from Him. By grace. You're no better than the vulgar people you look down on.

If you're a believer and a mature one at that, how did you come to have these blessing? Ephesians 2:8-10 explains quite clearly.

Conversion is "by grace". Faith is "by grace". Good works are "by grace". And what's grace? Unmerited favor. God's blessing on you--not because you're good, but because He is.

"Think soberly about yourself". That's the first half of becoming "meek". The second half is this: Think about Jesus Christ.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart".

Read the life of our Lord over and over and over again. And then, "Go and do likewise".

When He "was reviled" did He "revile"? He didn't. Now, you stop doing that.

When men didn't do what He wanted them to do, did He pout and sulk and murmur? He didn't. Now, you quit doing that.

Did He have rights? He did. Did He demand them? He didn't. Now, you stop demanding your rights.

But surely, when He was right and others were wrong, He had His way, didn't He? He insisted on it, didn't He? No He didn't! At home, He was right and His parents were wrong, yet "He was subject to them". Who pays taxes? The royal family or foreign subjects? Foreigners do; "the children are free". Yet He paid taxes He did not owe. Why? Because He was meek.

"The meekness of Christ" is the chief reason to be meek ourselves.

APPEAL

Let's start doing it! Let's start at home: "Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord". Even when you know more than he does! "Submit" to him because your Savior is meek and you want to be like Him.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord and honor your father and mother". Even when they're unreasonable. For your Savior submitted to his parents--and He always knew better than they.

"Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter against them". "Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath". Why not treat them badly? Because your Savior serves the weaker vessels--and you should too.

Take it into church. We hear a lot about "submitting" to pastors--and that's true. But it's not the whole truth. The other part is this: "Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God". Everyone should seek to serve everyone else. Why? Because Christ serves all His people.

Take it to work with you. Be cooperative and easy to get along with. This is perfectly consistent with "Getting the job done". If you think otherwise, let me remind you of your Lord: "His gentleness has made me great".

INVITATION

One last word, to people who aren't meek. And don't want to be. Our Lord attaches "rest" to "meekness" (Matthew 11:29). If you're restless and frustrated and unhappy, there's a reason for it: You're not meek. You want your way, but you can't always get it.

You never will get it. Read the diaries of powerful men--they're full of anxieties and resentments. Even they can't "always get what they want".

And so, why don't you quit wanting your own way? You can do it--by finding "rest" in Jesus Christ. If you have Him, you won't need everything else. You can be satisfied in this life--with all the knuckleheads torturing you day and night.

You can be "content with what you have". For, if you have Christ, you have it all. He offers a "food" that satisfies forever and a "water" that will quench and unquenchable thirst.

St. Augustine put it this way,

"Lord, Thou has made us for Thyself

And our souls are restless till they

Find their rest in Thee".

For only in Christ are our desires fully met. And only then can we become "meek and lowly of heart". And "find rest for our souls".

God give you that "rest" for Christ's sake. Amen.