Katie taught us that as we study The Beatitudes by John Stott we must remember that these verses build on each other. As we are poor in spirit, we will mourn our sins. As we mourn our sins then we will be meek in our dealings with others.
We started our study with the dictionary definition of meek. It is 1) humbly patient or docile, as under provocation of others. 2) overly submissive or compliant; spiritless ; tame. 3) obsolete; gentle ; kind.
What does our society exalt? Power, self assurance, aggressiveness, and proud, self promoters. Meekness is synonymous with weakness, cowardice, shyness and limpness.
GK Chesterton said "What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place. Modesty has moved from the organ of ambition. Modesty has settled upon the organ of conviction; where it was never meant to be. A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed. Nowadays the part of a man that a man does assert is exactly the part he ought not to assert- himself. The part he doubts is exactly the part he ought not to doubt -the Divine Reason...We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table" GK Chesterton died in 1936. What would he think today?
A Biblical definition of meekness is one that begins and ends with God. You can't say 'Today I am going to be meek'
A meek person:
Trusts God-Psalm 37:3
Commits her way to God-Psalm 37:5
Waits for God-Psalm 37:7a and I Peter 5:7-6
Doesn't fret over the wicked- Psalm 37:7b and Psalm 147:6
Has power to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing back- Numbers 12:1-9
Is teachable and slow to anger Psalm 25:9
Handles conflict with love and speaks with a deep awareness that she is fallible and susceptible to sin and with her utter dependence on the grace of God- II Timothy 2:23-25
Is bold to assert God's rule and proclaim God's word- Proverbs 28:1
A Biblical definition of meekness is synonymous with wisdom.
Two men in the Bible are called meek. Jesus and Moses. The Numbers 12 passage tells about Moses and his meekness
The Ultimate Example is Christ
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls Matthew 11:29
NOW There is a promise with this beatitude - They shall inherit the earth. blessings now and in the future. A person that is truly meek is satisfied and content. The meek hope in what is to come- This gives them strength to continue in meekness when our natural inclination is to defend ourselves or become angry.
FUTURE The meek don't need the vain pleasures of one-up-manship, because God has already made them heirs of the world
After Katie lectured we broke up into our groups. Sonya led our group. I was struck with the study we did from Psalm 37. What impacted me was that three times in that Psalm, verses 1, 7, and 8 we are commanded to FRET NOT. This is not a suggestion but we are commanded. Wow. I hate to admit it but I enjoy fretting.
Thanks KatieM, God really spoke to me through your teaching.
2 comments:
My favorite teaching/understanding of the beattitudes is that no one can fulfill the list. As much as we seek to be meek, righteous, merciful, pure, etc. we never succeed AND it is because of this that we need Christ. He is our meekness, righteousness, mercy, and purity; without him the kingdom of heaven cannot be ours. He is the only One that is Blessed, but he extends that blessing to us.
Good lesson!
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