Matthew 5:5

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5 RSV).

Comment:

This is, of course, one of the Beatitudes—the powerful precepts with which Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. They are guides to understanding how the Power of God works in the world, so that we can consciously work with that Power to realize our greatest good. The first two Beatitudes describe how we begin our spiritual transformation when we feel dissatisfied (poor in spirit) with life as we have been living it. We may feel mournful about releasing old behaviors—that, too, is a good sign, showing that we are, in fact, ready to move forward.

Next, Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." We don't often consider meekness an admirable trait. We consider the meek to be those who do not assert themselves, who avoid conflict of any kind, and who live in a constant state of weakness, always surrendering to stronger forces. But surrender is just what's required as we set out on our spiritual journey. We surrender our own limited power to a Power greater than ourselves, and we recognize that Power can carry us to possibilities we could never reach on our own.

We have been trying to 'conquer the world' on our own power. Now, by meekly surrendering, we "inherit the earth." We achieve our greatest good not by struggling and fighting for it, but by allowing the Power of God within to carry us to the good that is our birthright.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed