Blessed the meek, for *they* shall inherit the earth.
Commento di questo versetto
"Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth"
The third beatitude marks a deep advance in the soul's blessedness. Where the first beatitude looks at what we are in God's sight, and the second at our sorrow over the world's condition, this one describes a spirit so schooled in the knowledge of God that it no longer frets against the evil around it, but bows to the Father's will.
A learned lowliness
Andrew Miller sees the meek man as one who has been taught in the school of Christ to meet trouble as Christ met it:
Andrew MillerMatthew 5:5. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. In our meditations on the third beatitude, we find ourselves in happy company with that blessed One who was "meek and lowly in heart." There is evidently, in this third class, a great advance in the soul's blessedness. The heir of glory has been learning in the school of Christ how to meet the troubles of this life, as He met them. This is a great lesson, and greatly needed.
He then draws out exactly what that advance consists in — the exchange of a self-willed spirit for quiet submission:
The great advance in the third class seems to be this: the soul has so grown in grace, that now, in place of a questioning, reasoning, self-willed spirit being manifested in this scene of trial, the disciple meekly bows his head in submission to the Father's will, and learns of Jesus to be meek and lowly in heart; for, after all, in these circumstances it is a question of either self-will or submission.
And he paints what this looks like in daily life:
Though groaning in spirit, and mourning over the wickedness of man, the rejection of Christ by those we love, and the failure of those who bear His name, the man of faith is quiet and humble! he walks with God in the midst of it all, and refers everything to Him. In the lowest murmur of the enemy, or in his loudest roar, he hears his Father's voice; in the smallest injury or in the greatest outrage, he owns His hand; he envies not the world its pleasures, or the wicked their prosperity; all his resources are in the living God.
The meekness of Jesus Himself
William Kelly traces this quality to its perfect pattern in Christ, and notes that it was displayed precisely at the moment of deepest sorrow over human rejection:
William KellyHe was "meek and lowly in heart;" and this was what the Lord said after He had been groaning in spirit, for He knew what it was to have a deeper sorrow than we have spoken of, over the condition of men and the rejection of God that He witnessed here below. He could only say "Woe" to those cities in which He had done so many mighty works ... But at the same hour we find He rejoices in spirit, and says, "I thank Thee, O Father." Such is the blessed proof of matchless meekness in Jesus. The same hour which sees the depth of His sorrow over man sees also His perfect bowing to God, though at the cost of everything to Himself.
Kelly is careful to distinguish meekness from mere passivity or low self-estimate:
Meekness is not merely to have a sense of nothingness in ourselves, or to be filled with sorrow for the opposition to God here below; but it is rather the calmness which leaves things with God, and bends to God, and thankfully owns the will of God, even where naturally it may be most trying to ourselves.
Not weakness, but strength
Thomas McBroom insists that meekness must not be confused with weakness — quite the opposite:
Thomas McBroom"Blessed the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Meekness contrasts with the bold boasting of man, but is far from being a sign of weakness. It was no sign of weakness in Abram when he yielded up his right to Lot, as may be seen from his exploits in the following chapter. Moses was the meekest man in all the earth, but there was none so valiant as he.
Why the earth, and not heaven?
Kelly raises the question directly:
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (ver. 5). The earth — why not heaven? The earth is the scene of all this evil, causing such sorrow and mourning. But now, having better learnt God's ways, they can commit all to Him.
Andrew Miller links the promise to Psalms 25 and 37, and notes that it is the very scene of present trial which becomes the scene of future glory:
Andrew Miller"The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. … The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Ps. 25, 37) These passages no doubt refer to the millennial earth, when the God-fearing remnant shall possess it, in association with Christ as their king of glory. It is not said, observe, that they shall inherit heaven, but the earth. The place of their trial and sorrow will one day be the scene of their rest, their glory, and blessedness. The Christian will possess it in a higher way — as one with Christ, who will then feed the poor with bread.
McBroom draws the same contrast between the present grasping of men and the coming possession by the Lamb:
The land for the people is the cry to-day, and large estates are changing hands constantly. The time is near when in bold apostasy "the wilful king" shall divide the land among his favourites for gain (Daniel 11:39). But at that time the Lamb will take possession and overthrow every opposer. While we wait of that day it is well to be able to say, Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup (Ps. 16).
The yoke of Christ
Miller presses home that this meekness is not produced by effort or by brooding on one's reputation, but by taking up Christ's yoke:
The reason why so few have learnt to meet the troubles of this life as He met them, is, because they are not under His yoke, and learning of Him. They are thinking of their own character; how much they have been misunderstood, how grossly they have been misrepresented, how falsely accused, and how unjustly or unkindly treated. They have not learnt that their own reputation is the last thing they should think about; that now they have only to care for the character of Christ.
Synthesis
The meek man is not the man without backbone, nor the man crushed by circumstance, but the man who has learned in the presence of God to let go of his own rights and reputation and to commit everything — every injury, every disappointment, every apparent triumph of evil — to his Father's hand. He is the one who, like Abraham yielding to Lot, or Moses bearing the murmurings of the congregation, or the Lord Himself thanking the Father at the hour of His rejection, meets provocation with calm submission rather than self-assertion.
And the reward fits the character exactly. The man who refuses to seize and defend his portion in this present scene is promised the very scene itself. The earth, which is now the platform of human boasting and grasping, will one day be possessed by those who were willing to walk across it with empty hands, trusting the Father's will — because the Lamb whom they followed will take it, and they will inherit it with Him.