THE MEEKNESS OF CHRIST
Devotion #6 of 13
"I am meek and lowly in heart" -- Jesus
CONTROLLED POWER
Controlled, not restrained!
The word "MEEK," comes from a word meaning gentle, i.e. humble:--meek. Meekness is CONTROLLED POWER. The concept seen here is that of fulfilling an objective. The idea is not that of restraining power that would destroy us, but of using His power to save us! Faith is not intimidated by the power of the Lord, like Israel was at Sinai. Rather, it sees divine power as the source of "all things pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Pet 1:3).
"I am meek and lowly of heart" means, "I am devoted to bringing you to glory, if you will come to Me. My power will strengthen you for the labor of My Kingdom. It is a far more rigorous labor, but My power will sustain you!" See, Jesus Christ is approachable! His "gentleness" makes us great. As it is written, "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great" (2 Sam 22:36). The greatness and power of the Lord does not overwhelm those who come to Him. I can tell you, an Israelite living under the regime of law would find it difficult to conceive of such a thing. Yet, it is the truth!
The world's view incorrect
Aristotle described meekness as the middle position between excessive anger and an excessive lack of anger. His definition, though good philosophically, does not even touch the hem of Christ's garment. Aristotle viewed meekness as a response to environment. Jesus spoke of it as a divinely appointed means of meeting human need. Meekness is not straddling the fence of anger, but the objective and purposeful use of power. This is not a natural human trait.
In the world, power is often perceived as an end of itself. Exceptionally strong people are generally put on display rather than put to work. They are more a spectacle than a blessing. However, this is not the case with the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not ask the common people to come and behold Him perform feats of strength. He is not an entertainer, but a Savior! He tells them to come to Him with all of their labors and burdens, and He will make them strong. He does not think of Himself, but of those He came to save! He invites them under the yoke with Him! He is meek and lowly of heart.