Meekness is a grace not a work. It is gifted to all who belong to the new creation of the Spirit through union with Christ. This means there is a great irony in the blessing of meekness: God freely gives the meek what they would not grasp for themselves: an inheritance. 

An ancient proverb says: “We must howl with the wolves, because the wolves will immediately devour everyone who makes himself a sheep.”

Such worldly wisdom tickles the ears of all who despise the meekness of Christ’s kingdom. It is despised because unbelievers fear the meek must always be devoured by the world. And therein lies the real problem. Meekness is despised because of an inordinate love or an inordinate fear of the world.

To the unregenerate meekness is of no value. They are persuaded it does not deliver what they really want – the keeping or gaining of the world. But in defense of his elect, our Lord’s third beatitude speaks directly to these fears: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5).

The meek are heirs. Co-heirs with Christ. “If children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:17). This, we might say, is Paul’s exposition of “blessed are the meek.”

Wolves inherit nothing. The meek have title to everything, a title sealed by the royal blood of the beloved and victorious Son. Howl not then with the wolves. Be a sheep. It is always okay to be sheep when Christ is Shepherd. Nothing which rightly belongs to you will ever be devoured for it is kept by God in Christ who, seated at the right hand of the Most High, lives and reigns forevermore.

Here is an entry in the diary of the meek: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” The meek are without a rod. The meek are without a staff. But they are not without the Lord. He has both rod and staff and uses both to bring his flock to everything that is good forever.

In Numbers chapter 12, verse 3, it says: “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.”

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