“Blessed Are the Meek, for They Shall Inherit the Earth” — Matthew 5:3-5
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Who are the people that we count as happy, that we want to congratulate?
Judging by what we see on our screens, we would have to say the rich (not the poor); the young and healthy (not the old and sick); the successful and powerful (not the meek); those whose lives are full of joy and laughter (not those who mourn).
The blessed ones in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount are those who are humbled by their sin.
In his Sermon on the Mount, history’s most famous sermon, Jesus turns this way of looking at the world upside down:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:3-5)
The blessed ones, meaning the people whom we should count as happy and to be congratulated, are “the poor in spirit,” “those who mourn,” and “the meek.”
The poor in spirit are those who are convinced of their spiritual poverty and bankruptcy: who know their sin, who know that they have nothing good to offer God that he might reward them. They stretch out their hands to God not to offer him things that he might reward but to receive his mercy and forgiveness and the eternal life that he gives as a free and undeserved gift.
Those who mourn are those who look closely at their life past and present, who see their sin against God and those around them and grieve for that.
The meek are those who are humbled by their sin.
We don’t like to be told by Jesus that we should count ourselves as spiritual paupers.
Jesus says that these are the people who are blessed, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven, because they will be comforted, and because they will inherit the earth, meaning the new heaven and new earth for eternity.
A while ago, someone asked me whether I thought that people who attended the church services I once led in our nursing homes understood the ten-minute messages that I gave. It was a good question! I replied that there are two possible barriers to understanding.
The first is the barrier of understanding the ideas of Jesus’ teaching, which may seem new and difficult. But with some careful explanation people will always be able to comprehend Jesus’ teaching if they want to do so.
The truly enormous barrier is that of accepting Jesus’ teaching, even when we do understand it.
The fact is, we don’t like to be told by Jesus that we should count ourselves as spiritual paupers, that we should grieve and be humbled for our sin.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to all who have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.
But when we do what Jesus says, when we reach out our arms to him who died for our sins and who rose from the grave that we might receive eternal life, and when we reach out for his love and mercy and forgiveness, then the kingdom of heaven is ours, comfort is ours, and the new heaven and the new earth are ours.
This is what it means to be a Christian: to confess our sin to Jesus and receive his forgiveness and eternal life.
This article is adapted from “Blessed Are the Meek, For They Shall Inherit the Earth” at campbellmarkham.substack.com.
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