All Saints’ Day 2020
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek
November 1, 2020
Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID
Each year on All Saints, we read the Beatitudes in church. This is the first part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ sermon is perfect in all the principles by which the Christian life of molded. (Augustine). Nine times Jesus declares His disciples to be blessed because of what God has in store for them. He doesn’t make ethical demands of His followers but describes the blessings they would fully enjoy in the new heaven and new earth. This morning, we are going to consider the 3rd beatitude, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
To begin with, we should be reminded of what it means to be blessed. Sometimes people think that this word means “happiness, or good fortune, or pleasure.” But blessedness is far more than that. The word is derived from the Greek word that means “great.” It was usually applied to the person who was wealthy, powerful, honored, not because they were good, perfect, or happy. But Jesus uses this word and gives it a higher and more noble meaning. When Jesus says “blessed are…” He is referring to the condition or state of a person who has been favorably accepted by God and has received His approval. So it this sense, it’s more in line with “saved” or “redeemed.”
So… blessed are the meek. What does it mean to be meek? It means to be humble, to be lowly. Meekness doesn’t refer to an attitude, but to a condition of the soul. We see this particularly in light of Jesus, St. Paul describes this well in Philippians 2:6-7, when he says that Jesus “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” And Jesus Himself later describes Himself in this way in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from me, that I am gentle and lowly/meek in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” This third beatitude then refers to an internal condition of a person before God and known only to Him. The invitation to come to Him is offered by Jesus in His humility, and is shared with those who place themselves under that yoke.
On this day, on All Saints’ Day, we thank the Lord for His mercies shown to those saints who have entered into Jesus’ rest. They are in glory and see God face to face. Their happiness is very great, since they are removed from all troubles of this life. Their joy is not yet completed, as they await the Resurrection of their bodies. But there is no hint of sadness in them, only the joyous expectation of even greater glory to come.
But you are not yet there. But you are as Christ describes you in these beatitudes. The Beatitudes name a present condition and point to a future hope. The present condition, such as meekness, is the result of living in a world broken by sin. And is our world ever broken! You see the signs of brokenness all around you. The political scene has enough of it. So do our personal lives.
While meekness indicates a passiveness before God and the reception of His greatness, there is meekness toward others that has a more active sense of exercising a quality or virtue in this life. This is a virtue that doesn’t come naturally, but the Holy Spirit must work within us. He leads us to the cross to see the meekness of Christ in the face of evil and injustice. And then He leads us to a willingness to take wrong patiently. To a gentleness in dealing with others, of treating others with humility and love, respect and reverence, even when we are treated no better than the world treated Jesus.
“Blessed are they, for they shall inherit the earth.” The world certainly doesn’t believe this. The general concept of meekness is weakness and cowardice. Not the meek but the violent, the sneaky, the ruthless who win over the world. The world will not learn that by the time the violent have done their work, there is little of the earth to inherit. But the Lord says that the meek will inherit the earth. Because the meek, who are followers of Christ, are heirs together with the Son of God, heirs of the eternal kingdom of God. Therefore they shall inherit the earth who do not claim their own sinful works but Christ’s work as their glory. The Psalmist declares the same in Psalm 37:10-11, “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”
This is the fulfillment of the promises going all the back to Abraham, of inheriting the promised land, of being brought and kept there by God Himself. This isn’t talking about a little plot of land somewhere in the middle east, nor America or any other earthly kingdom. Jesus promises a future inheritance of the new creation. For a time, you must be one of the downtrodden saints in this world, since you do not set your heart upon this life. True, you may take comfort and pleasure here and there from the blessings God gives in this world. Yet your heart is set upon things above, and a treasure that does not fade or rust. Your inheritance is in heaven and the life to come.
Because of His death to pay for our sins and His resurrection to give us new life, we have reason for hope! Even when the world seems like it’s spinning out of control, we have reason for hope! Our hope is not in this world. Ultimately, a Christian’s hope is in eternal life. The nature of hope is that you don’t have the fulfillment yet. But the promise is enough to strengthen you and help you carry on. “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25).
The Beatitudes direct our attention to the future – the kingdom of heaven, to the eternal promised land, to Christ’s return and the resurrection of the body, to a new heaven and new earth. A hopeful eternal future makes for a joyful present, no matter current conditions. Are you worried about what is to come this Tuesday for the election? God isn’t. Are you worried about what it is to come with the coronavirus? God isn’t. Are you worried about what is to come with your family, with your friends? God isn’t. The Lord is in charge! He sees a much bigger picture. He’s working out His plan for this world, a plan that centers around Jesus and the new creation.
See the awesome wonder of God who suffers, God who bleeds, God who dies. Then you will also see the future in a cold, still tomb that stands open and empty. The Cross is yours now. Resurrection is your future, the new heavens and the new earth belong to the meek, who humbly receive blessedness from Christ. So be patient in your trials. Do not despair at the burdens you must carry. The momentary troubles of this life are not worth comparing with the glory that is to come. Continue to pray with all the Church of God: Come quickly, Lord Jesus.