Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5
If you were to ask the rich or powerful men of the world, “What is the secret to your success?” none of them would say, “It’s meekness—walking in utter humility and not trusting in yourself.” No, these guys are powerbrokers.
We have seen that there is divine favor upon the meek, but the blessing is also attached to a promise: “The meek shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). This is antithetical to what the great men of the world believe. They are not waiting to inherit the earth; they’re trying to take control of the earth. Almost every single war throughout history has occurred because one man wanted another man’s land or resources and tried to take them.
“Where do wars and fights come from among you?” James said. “Do they not come from the lust that is in you? You lust and you covet and you desire, but you do not have” (see James 4:1–2). That’s the human heart. What’s going on in the Middle East today? “We want that land. It belongs to us. We’ve got to kick them out and take the land.” If it’s not land, it’s something else. The world’s mentality is about taking charge.
Inherit the Earth
Jesus said that the meek would inherit the earth, not conquer it. An inheritance is imparted to someone. So many have forgotten that the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. All humanity is really squatting on somebody else’s property. Of course, we know that a final world power will arise and have control over the whole earth, but it is interesting to note that it will be the shortest-lived empire in all history. The Devil will finally get what he wants—control over the whole world—but it will only last a few short years. Why? Because the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, and God will take the earth away from those who have revolted against Him and give it to His people.
Since that is a reality, we don’t have to strive. We don’t have to spend our lives attaining things because the Lord will give them all to us anyway. We are just waiting His time.
M. Lloyd-Jones says, “The meek man … does not assert himself. He does not demand anything for himself. He does not take all his rights as claims. He does not make demands for his position, his privileges, his possessions, his status in life. He leaves everything—himself, his rights, his cause, his whole future—in the hands of God.” Wow, what a picture!
Sojourners
As Christians, we are sojourners, temporary residents, foreigners on the earth. Our citizenship is in heaven. We try sometimes to have the best of both worlds to some degree, expecting to have heaven someday but enjoying our little piece of land here too. It’s okay to have our little piece of land, but we’re not to hold it too tightly, remembering it can so easily slip through our fingers.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were nomadic; they dwelt in tents. It wasn’t because there weren’t any cities to live in, there were plenty of cities they could have settled in, had they chosen to. But instead they dwelt in tents, making a statement that the world was not their home. For they were waiting for “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). We would be wise to follow their example, because as John reminds us, “The world is passing away … but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).