“Blessed Are the Gentle”

(Matthew 5:5)

Introduction: Nearly three thousand years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ went up on a
mountain and sat down to teach His disciples about what it meant to be really happy in the
kingdom of God. Even though it was a long time ago, nothing has really changed. The
way to be happy in this life, and in the next, is still the same, because the Word of God
never changes. Peter writes, “For, ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower
of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord abides
forever.’ And this is the word which was preached to you” (1 Pet. 1:24-25). If you want
to find happiness, true happiness, happiness which doesn’t fade away like the flowers
which are now blossoming on the trees and which will quickly disappear, then you will
need to find it in the way Jesus tells you. Jesus is the eternal Word of God. When He
speaks, He speaks God’s truth. And it is only in the way of truth that you or I will ever
find this happiness.
In a way, the Beatitudes are like the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments
are a summary of everything the Lord wants us to do for Him and for our neighbor. The
Beatitudes are a summary of what we are to be like, if we are to be happy. I don’t think
that it will come as a surprise to any one of you here this morning that these qualities
which Jesus speaks of here are nothing less than the fruits of His Holy Spirit. They are the
evidences of His presence in our lives. This is what the Spirit works in us, if He is in our
hearts. We know that if we have a fever, a stuffy head, a runny nose and a cough, that we
have a cold or flu. These are the symptoms of these illnesses. And we also know that
when our fever breaks, our heads clear, our noses cease to run, and our coughs go away,
that we are getting over that cold. The same thing is true with regard to these fruits. If we
see them in our lives, then we know that the Spirit is working in our lives to heal us from
the effects of sin. Sin is a sickness which actually kills us. It causes us to be born dead.
And because we are born spiritually dead, our lives are filled with the fruits of sin. But
when the Spirit comes into our hearts, He makes us alive again. He raises us from spiritual
death to walk in newness of life. But this is not all. He also works in us His fruits, these
characteristics which we are reading of here. And when we see these things in our lives,
we know that we are being healed by Him. He is making us better from this spiritual
sickness. And if He has raised us to life and is working these fruits in us, then we know
that we are blessed. For if we have received the first-fruits of the Spirit, we also know that
we will received the full inheritance, the blessings which Jesus tells us about here. The
work which the Holy Spirit does in us now is only the down-payment of what God will
give us in the future. He is the engagement ring which is the promise to us that one day the
Lord will come and take us to be His bride.
This morning, Jesus gives to us another one of these characteristics of the Spirit,
where He says,

Those who are gentle are truly blessed.

I. The first thing we need to know in order to understand this is what does Jesus
mean by the word “gentle,” or as the KJV translates it, “meek.”
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A. Does He mean by it someone who is quiet and shy?

1. Not necessarily.
a. Yes, there are times when it is good to be quiet.
b. Jesus did not open His mouth when He was before His accusers. Even though
He knew that they were putting Him on trial on false charges, He did not open
His mouth to defend Himself. But of course, this was to fulfill the prophecy
that He would be like a lamb before its shearers, so that He would be found
guilty and crucified.
c. But there are also time when it is good to be bold and courageous, and to speak
out against sin. Jesus showed a great deal of courage and boldness, when He
drove the money-changers out of the Temple with a whip, or when He publicly
told the Pharisees and Scribes that they were a bunch of hypocrites.

2. Sometimes we should be quiet. But we should never be shy.

a. There are times when Jesus wants us to be quiet and to bear up patiently, such
as when we are being disciplined for our sin. When we do things which are
wrong, the Lord will spank us for them. And whey He does, we should not
grumble or complain, but quietly endure the spanking and try and learn what
He is teaching us. Children, your parents want you to do the same thing when
they spank you. They want you to endure it patiently and learn a lesson. They
want you to learn what you have done wrong, stop doing it, and start doing
what is right. There is a lot of wisdom to be learned from the rod. And,
parents, the Lord will use it to teach you as well.
b. But there are times when Jesus wants us to be bold and to speak out for Him,
such as when Paul spoke out boldly for Jesus in Damascus (Acts 9:27), and
when Apollos spoke out boldly for Him in the synagogue at Ephesus (Acts
18:26). Peter tells us that we should always be ready to make a defense to
everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Pet. 3:15).
c. Jesus is not saying that He wants us to be shy. Shyness is a weakness, not a
strength. Just ask anyone who is shy whether or not they like being that way.
I’m sure that every one will tell you that it is something they are trying to
overcome.
d. Shyness is really another name for fear. People who can’t talk to other people,
or reach out to them, can’t do so because they are afraid. And fear, when it is
the fear of man, is not a strength, but a weakness. The only one we are to fear
is the Lord. And once we really come to fear Him, then we won’t fear anyone
else. Peter writes, “Do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled” (1
Pet. 3:14).

B. If Jesus is not referring to this kind of meekness, then what does He mean here?
1. The word in the Greek generally means to be “gentle, kind, and considerate.”
a. The KJV translates it as “meek”, but again, this doesn’t mean to be weak.
b. It means to be strong, but kind. It means to have a mild and friendly
disposition, but yet be one with inward strength. This is also what true
humility is all about.

2. Again, the best way to understand anything is to see examples of it. And God
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does give us some examples in the Scripture.

a. The Bible says about Moses, in Numbers 12:3, “Now the man Moses was very
meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (KJV).
(i) In the NASB, it says that Moses was humble.
(ii) Now does this mean that Moses was shy? Obviously not. This was the
man who had stood before Pharaoh and had told him to let God’s people go.
And Moses didn’t do this because he was a great speaker. Remember that
Moses had told the Lord that he couldn’t speak well.
(iii) Sometimes we are so afraid to speak to others because we can’t say what
we want to say fluently or with authority. But Moses was able to speak
with authority, because he knew that God had sent him to speak.
Sometimes knowing that God has given us the command to talk and to
witness to others is all that it takes to help us overcome our fears. What
God says is true. And if we believe that it is, it gives us much more
confidence to speak it without fear.

b. Paul was another example.

(i) When he spoke to the Corinthians to admonish them for their sins, he did
so with a meek attitude. He wrote, “Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1).
(ii) And when he needed to come to them to exhort them to repent of putting
up with the man who had been committing incest with his father’s wife, he
wrote, “What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love
and a spirit of gentleness” (1 Cor. 4:21)? Paul was willing to do the first, if
necessary. But he would much rather do the latter.
(iii) Sometimes the rod is necessary when those you are warning are not
willing to change their attitudes and actions. But if they are willing, then a
word of instruction in love and gentleness is all that is needed.
(iv) Children, this is the only reason why your parents need to discipline you.
If you would stop doing the wrong things and begin doing the right things
because your parents ask you to and because you know it is right, then you
would never need to be spanked. The spanking is only meant to get you to
change your mind, so that you will not want to do what is wrong anymore,
but what is right.
(v) Parents, sometimes the Lord will come to us with the rod, and sometimes
in love and gentleness. Even when He uses the rod, there is love behind it.
But the difference is in whether or not we will listen to Him. If we listen to
His Word, and change our ways, then His gentleness is all that is necessary.
But if we will not listen to His Word, He will change our minds with a
spanking.

c. But, of course, the best example is always that of our Lord Jesus, for
everything that He does is perfect and the perfect model of what we should do.
(i) When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He did not do so in a great triumphal
procession, but rather in a humble way, on the back of a donkey. This was
to fulfill what the prophet Zechariah had written so many years before, “Say
to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, and
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mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’” (Matt.

21:5; Zech. 9:9).
(ii) Jesus’ life was characterized by this quality of gentleness and humility.
What man had more authority and power than Jesus? He could have
appealed to the Father at any time in His ministry, and the Father would
have placed at His disposal more than twelve legions of angels at once
(Matt. 26:53). But yet He didn’t, so that He could fulfill that which He
infinitely humbled Himself to do, which was to die for the sins of His
people.
(iii) Jesus also invites all of us here, everyone, “Come to Me, all who are
weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you,
and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Matt.
11:28-30).
(iv) Jesus tells us that if we are willing, we may come to Him and learn from
Him. And He will teach us in a gentle and humble way, and He will teach
us the humble and gently way. All we need to do is look at Jesus, and
follow His example.
(v) And so we have Moses, Paul and Christ for our models. Each of them had
great authority given to them by the Lord. But yet each is an example to us
of how one can even have great power and yet still be humble and meek.

II. Having seen what it means to be meek, now I want you to see why we should be.
A. The first reason is that when we consider our lives, we can’t help but be humble.
1. Remember what we have already seen in the Beatitudes. The Spirit of God helps
us to see our sin. He helps us to realize that by ourselves we are nothing in the
eyes of the Lord. This is called poverty of spirit.
2. But seeing this poverty and emptiness, and knowing that it is because of our sins,
also causes us to grieve. It causes us to mourn over our sins.
3. But if we see our emptiness, and if we are grieving over our sins, how will it be
possible for us also not to be humbled by them? How can we raise ourselves up
with pride, when we know what we really deserve at the hands of God? Our sins
should humble us, and our humility should make us meek.
4. Paul wrote to Titus, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious,
gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish
ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures,
spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.” (3:1-3).

B. The second reason we should be gentle and meek is because this is what the Spirit
works in us.
1. Remember what I read in the Scripture reading this morning, “But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). The word here “gentleness” is from the same word
which Jesus uses.
2. If the Spirit is in our lives, then His fruit will be as well. And if one of His fruits
is there, then all of them are there, because they don’t come by themselves. This
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means that if the Spirit is in our hearts, then we will be gentle and kind.

C. But thirdly, we know that even if the Spirit is there, sin is too, so we will need to
work hard to develop those fruits.
1. It is true that when the Lord saves us, He makes us into a new man. But the old
man of sin is still present, and it still fights against us.
2. And so the Lord tells us to put off the old man, and to put on the new. Paul
writes, “And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on
a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with
one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone;
just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:12-13).
3. Even though the old man has been destroyed by Christ, and we are made new
creatures in Him, we still need to cultivate the graces of the new man. And the
reason which Paul gives is the same one which Christ gives, “Just as the Lord
forgave you, so also should you.” If you have experienced the love and
forgiveness of the Lord for your own sins, then how can you not forgive and deal
humbly with others who sin against you? To not do so would be like the man
who was forgiven a king’s ransom, but who refused to forgiven his neighbor a
day’s wages. The King cast that wicked slave into prison, and He will do so to us
if we do not meekly and humbly forgive our neighbor from our heart (Matt.
18:23-35).

D. Fourthly, the Lord commands us to be humble and meek.

1. Paul writes, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being
diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).
2. He wants us to do the things which make for peace. He doesn’t want us to be at
war with one another. And one of the things which will promote that peace more
than anything else, is when His children clothe themselves with the spirit of
meekness.
3. Ladies, this is what Peter singles out as being particularly precious to God, when
women clothe themselves with gentleness and quietness. He writes, “And let not
your adornment be merely external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry,
or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the
imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of
God” (1 Pet. 3:3-4).

E. But lastly, there are many rewards for having this meekness. Look at what the Lord
promises to the meek.
1. The Lord says that a gentle spirit can make friends out of enemies. Solomon
writes, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”
(Prov. 15:1).
2. He says that a meek spirit can be a means of bringing a brother or a sister to
repentance, “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are
spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself,
lest you too be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).
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3. Meekness can also be a means of bringing the lost to salvation. Paul writes to
Timothy, “And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to
all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are
in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the
knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the
snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:24-
26).
4. Meekness can be a means to other precious blessings: “He leads the humble in
justice, and He teaches the humble His way” (Ps. 25:9). “The Lord lifts up the
meek; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (147:6). And, “The Lord takes
pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation” (149:4).
5. But lastly, and most importantly, Jesus says that it is the gentle who will inherit
the earth.
a. This is a quote from Psalm 37:11, where the psalmist writes, “But the humble
will inherit the land, and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”
b. In the Old Covenant, those who would humble themselves, at least outwardly,
could expect to receive the land of Canaan as an inheritance. But those who
had this humility as a grace from God, could expect not only the land, but also
what that land pictured, which was heaven.
c. The Lord promises to all of His children, to all who have this grace of
meekness, that they shall inherit, not this present world with all its problems,
but the New Heavens and the New Earth, in which righteousness dwells.
d. This should be enough to make any Christian truly happy, for this is what his
heart longs for.
e. Is this quality yours this morning? Are you a person who is meek, gentle,
humble? Then Christ has sealed His promise to you with the fruits of His
Spirit. You can be truly happy, because you have the engagement ring of
Christ.
f. But if it is not yours this morning, in any measure, as far as you can tell, then I
would invite you to come to the One who can give it to you. I invite you to
come to Christ. Those who have this blessing inherit heaven. But those who
do not inherit hell. Don’t remain in your stubbornness and pride. Come to
Christ and let Him break your heart that He might humble you, so that you
might be saved. May the Lord grant you the grace to obey His call to you this
morning. Remember, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the
humble” (1 Pet. 5:5). Amen.