Beatitudes: Blessed Are the meek

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

Blessed are the ones
Who know themselves as they are
God’s promise is theirs.
HAIKU

I am a conflict avoider.  It makes me uncomfortable; I find ways to stay out of conflict, ignore it, or (in my better moods) ameliorate it.  But to face it directly – not my gift.  Oh, I’ve grown wiser over the years, and have learned that I must engage with conflict honestly, clearly, and directly at times.  But still, I’d prefer not to have to do it.  Some might call me “meek.”  And maybe I am to some extent in the current usage of this word.  Does this “bless” me in some way?  It doesn’t feel like it.

Meek.  Rhymes with “weak.”  Resonates with spineless.  It implies being shy, ineffectual, a doormat.  No wonder we don’t (I don’t!) warm up to this beatitude at first glance.  It’s meaning, if we are even drawn to explore it, is a puzzle.  “Be strong!  Take heart!”  Is that not the more common thing we are urged to do?  In exploring this beatitude more fully, I’ve entered with these questions, and have learned that something has been lost in translation. 

Who Are the Meek? 

The word “meek” has a different and deeper meaning in the original Greek (the language of the beatitude as written in scripture) and Hebrew (texts from which Jesus drew in teaching this blessing).  The Greek word translated “meek” actually means having an appropriate level of anger in response to a challenging situation: neither being possessed by the anger, nor denying and suppressing it.  I would broaden this to all emotions and feelings in response to external situations.  To be meek in this sense is to fully feel the feelings, acknowledge them, discern an appropriate response; it means not being caught in or attached to the feelings, nor suppressing or denying them.  “Humility” might be a much better English term. The humble are not the self-deprecating, not those with a small opinion of themselves.  Rather, true humility I’ve come to understand is having an accurate and right-sized awareness of oneself – knowing both strengths and weaknesses, both virtues and faults, and the landscapes of both our inner and outer lives.  Furthermore, it is knowing our humanity (which has the same root as “humility”) in our relationships with other persons and with the divine. 

To be meek (humble) is to let go of ego-control (not the same as ego-strength), to let go of having to have one’s own way, to win, or to force a desired result (however “good” it might be).

There is nothing weak about this kind of humility.  It takes courage and hard work to come into the deep self-awareness that makes true humility possible.  The ego resists this in its attempt to protect us (itself) and maintain a one-sidedly positive self-image.  But to face our own demons, to acknowledge we do not live up to our ideals, to own up to the harms we have caused to others – this takes strength.  Equally, it takes inner honesty and strength to own up to the goodness and right action that we do have within us and that is a true part of our being. 

Humility recognizes that what we do accomplish, what we do bring about or create is not by our work alone, or even primarily.  We build on the work of others; we create in community.  And what is true in relationship to other persons is even more so in relationship with God. Indeed, all that we are, all that we do, all that we can be is a gift of God.  This is clearly put in a line from Psalm 100: “It is God who has made us, not we ourselves.”  If this is so, then everything ultimately leads back to God as the source.  Humility follows naturally.

This is well expressed in this piece of a poem by Wendell Berry:

 “For that [a reference to bringing in the harvest]
The hand must ache, the face must sweat.
And yet, no leaf or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled
And left to grace. That we may reap
Great work is done while we’re asleep.”

Our strength comes from this Source.  Humility is ultimately based on a deep trust in God, and this trust, in turn, comes from our experience of God’s love.  Humility is given birth through divine love.  Humility is safe only in the context of this love, given freely.  Without trust in this ultimate love, we tremble at the prospect of the honest and deep inner journey, and fear the sense of undefendedness to which humility exposes us.  As Clarence Jordan (founder of Koinonia Farms, which later spawned Habitat for Humanity) says “The secret to the power of the meek is their surrender to (I’d say, “alignment with”) God.”  The power of the Habitat movement is a testimony to the truth of this perspective.

Inheriting the Earth 

In what way do the humble “inherit the earth?”  Again, there is a “lost in translation” problem with “inherit.”  Nowadays, this word is mostly reserved for an inheritance – financial, material, or genetic -- passed down from one generation to the next.  In the original Hebrew and the culture of that time, to “inherit” meant to receive what has been promised, especially but not exclusively to receive land that has been promised.  In New Testament times this was broadened to mean to inherit or become a member of the “kingdom of God,” a spiritual landscape far broader and deeper than a geographic place.  I tend to think of this as the “commonwealth of God” (since “kingdom” does not resonate well with my American sensibilities).  To inherit the earth, then, would mean to receive the gift of being able to live one’s life as a participant in, as a member of, this commonwealth of God.  When we live in alignment with the love of the divine, we are already at home spiritually in this “kingdom.” Put another way, without humility, it is not possible for us to participate in this sacred commonwealth.  Arrogance (the opposite of humility) has no place there.  It just doesn’t “work.” 

Why is this so?  The more we live out of self-reliance alone, the less open we are to the contributions others can (and do) make to our livelihood and well-being.  We separate ourselves from others and from our Source.  We become isolated.  We work harder and harder to achieve and obtain that which we think fulfills us.  And we are still dissatisfied.  Gratitude eludes us, as we do not recognize our actual reliance on others.  There is no “commonwealth,” only the personal “wealth” of possessions, power, and prestige that we can amass by our efforts.  It is a lonely place.  How much better to cultivate humility and enter as fully as we can into our inheritance of the commonwealth of God.

Ego-control vs Ego strength

My understanding of the ego and its role in our inner lives may provide a deeper perspective.  A strong ego, as many have noted, is essential to our functioning in the world around us.  Yet its proper role is as the “executive assistant” to the chief, the latter being our spirit, our soul, our true Self, or God – however you may want to put it.  When the ego-as-executive assistant is at work appropriately, it reflects a stance of humility, yielding in trust to the chief.  But when the ego seeks to step into the top executive role – the one-in-charge, the decision maker, the controller -- then humility disappears, and we move toward a form of self-reliance that tends toward arrogance.  Our actual power is diminished as we rely only on our own limited and flawed strength.  We “inherit” nothing as all is dependent on us.  We “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps,” we think of ourselves as “self-made persons.”  All this is an illusion.

But when I can set my ego in its intended place and yield in humble trust to the loving One who gives and promises, I am indeed blessed, and the promises of the commonwealth of God begin to show up in my life in confidence, joy, love, and peace.

I learned a chant some years ago that summarizes for me some of the significant aspects of this beatitude.  It goes like this:

We hold this treasure
In earthen vessels.
The power is of God, not of us.

The treasure is the presence, love and faithfulness of the mystery, God.  It is given to us to hold as a gift, not earned, and the One who gives is trust itself.  As earthen vessels, we each have our strengths and limitations; we do good and also harm.  Even so we can be bearers of these gifts.  This is humility, knowing who we are in ourselves, and who we are in relationship to God.  When we are humble in this way we act not in our ego-strength, but in the strength of the God who gives through love. This is an astounding place of strength.

Pause and Reflect

·      As you reflect on this beatitude, what has it meant to you in the past, and has this reflection resonated with you in any ways that are confirming or surprisingly new?

·      I have provided a re-write of the beatitude in my Haiku above.  How would you express this beatitude in your own words, based on your life experiences?

·      In your current circumstances, or the situation today in our nation or the world, what guidance or invitation does “blessed are the meek” have for your way of being and acting?

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