Understanding Meekness: The Strength That Inherits the Earth

In the Beatitudes, Jesus makes a statement that often confuses modern readers: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” At first glance, this seems counterintuitive. In our world, we often see the aggressive, the loud, and the powerful as those who get ahead and “inherit” the good things in life.

But Jesus is teaching us something profound about the nature of true strength and what it means to be blessed in God’s kingdom.

What Does “Blessed Are the Meek” Really Mean?

Different Bible translations help us understand the richness of what Jesus meant:

• God’s Word and New American Standard: “Blessed are those who are gentle…”
• New Living Translation: “God blesses those who are humble…”
• Amplified Version: “Blessed are the gentle, the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled…”
• The Message: “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are, no more, no less.”

When Jesus speaks of being “blessed,” He’s not talking about those who have everything the world offers or those who have it all together. Rather, He’s describing people who have space in their lives for God—those who are open to receiving what the Lord will pour into them.

What Does Biblical Meekness Look Like?

A powerful illustration of meekness comes from Genesis 13, in the story of Abram (later called Abraham) and his nephew Lot.

Abram and Lot had both become wealthy with livestock and possessions, but the land couldn’t support both their herds in the same area. Their herdsmen began quarreling. As the elder and the leader, Abram had every right to choose the best land for himself and tell Lot where to go.

Instead, Abram said to Lot: “Please, let’s not have any more quarrels between us or between our herders. After all, we’re relatives. Isn’t all this land yours also? Let’s separate. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right. And if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

Lot chose what appeared to be the best land—the well-watered Jordan plain. Abram, demonstrating meekness, accepted what was left.

Is Meekness the Same as Weakness?

Many people misunderstand meekness as weakness, but that’s not what the Bible teaches. Meekness is better defined as “power under control.”

Think of a powerful horse that submits to its rider, allowing itself to be guided. Or consider a car engine with tremendous power that responds to the driver’s control through the gas and brake pedals.

Meekness acknowledges strength but willingly places that strength under proper authority. For Christians, this means taking the power of our lives and subjecting it under the authority of Christ.

Why Does God Value Meekness So Highly?

The key insight is this: God will GIVE us more than we can TAKE for ourselves.

In the story of Abram and Lot, something remarkable happened after Lot chose the best land and departed. The Lord said to Abram: “Look north, south, east and west of where you are. I will give all the land you see to you and your descendants for an indefinite period of time.”

Lot got the section he chose for himself. But Abram, because of his meekness, received everything from God—including the very land Lot had chosen, which would eventually return to Abram’s descendants.

This pattern repeats throughout Scripture. When we humble ourselves and submit to God’s authority rather than grasping for what we want, God often gives us far more than we could have obtained through our own efforts.

How Does Meekness Transform Our Relationships?

Meekness transforms how we interact with others. Like Abram, the meek person:

• Prioritizes relationship over being right
• Gives others the benefit of the choice
• Trusts God rather than fighting for personal advantage
• Demonstrates confidence that comes from knowing God is in control

When we practice meekness, we defuse conflict rather than escalate it. We create space for others to thrive rather than competing for limited resources.

Why Do the Meek Inherit the Earth?

Jesus promises that the meek will inherit the earth. This seems impossible if we think about meekness as weakness. But understanding meekness as strength under God’s control makes this promise logical.

Those who submit to God’s authority receive God’s provision. Those who trust God’s guidance receive God’s direction. Those who relinquish their own desires receive God’s heart.

The meek inherit the earth because they’re aligned with the One who owns it all. They receive by grace what others try unsuccessfully to grasp by force.

Life Application

The challenge before us is clear: Will we choose to practice meekness in our daily lives? This means:

1. Submitting our strength, talents, and resources to God’s control
2. Trusting God to give us more than we could take for ourselves
3. Choosing relationship over being right in our interactions with others
4. Relinquishing our desires to receive God’s heart

Ask yourself these questions this week:

• In what areas of my life am I trying to grasp control rather than submitting to God’s authority?
• How might my relationships improve if I practiced Abram-like meekness?
• What desires am I holding onto that I need to relinquish to God?
• Do I truly believe that God will give me more than I can take for myself?

Remember, “If we are willing to relinquish our desires, God will give us his heart.” We may not have everything the world can offer or have it all together, but we will possess something far greater—God’s heart in our lives.

Sermon video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEOAjw6ebZc

[Blog post created by Sermon Shots from original sermon content preached by Rev. Kent F. Jackson on July 20, 2025.]