Published by Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit that is essential to the Christian faith. It is a product of recognition and mourning of your spiritual poverty. Meekness is a value that is lost in our aggressive, self-centered culture. Why? It is because people associate it with weakness. This could be due to the fact it rhymes with weakness or the definition is just not very clear. However, meekness not weakness, but the strength or ability to restrain one’s self before others’ needs. Jesus teaches us meekness in the Beatitudes1 (Sermon on the Mount) of putting other’s needs above your own. Jesus demonstrated many forms of being meek right before his crucifixion.
• In Mark 15: 3-52, Jesus was held trial before Pilate. The many priests that were witnessing this accused of him numerous crimes and actions. Jesus could’ve easily destroyed any argument or accusation with a single sentence; however, he chose not to. This was clearly an act of meekness done by Jesus where he did not want to either embarrass his opponents or make them feel stupid.
• In Mark 15: 173, Jesus was brought along into the palace where a group of soldiers were gathering to mock him. They put a purple robe on him and a crown of thorns. Now, in this situation, Jesus was bleeding, repeatedly sworn and mocked at, and even getting beaten. Jesus, being the Son of God, could’ve sent these sadists to their rightful places, yet he did not. He chose to keep quiet and endure this cruel and unfair treatment.
• In Luke 23: 354, the people gathered on the crucifixion site would insult him continuously saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” Jesus, up in the cross, humiliated said nothing. It was as if he let them take over control and abuse him in any way – as long as he puts their needs before his. This was proven – that he was being meek – in the verse before (Luke 23: 34), “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
• Continuing down in Luke 23: 385, there was a sign posted on the stake of Jesus. It read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. It was another kind of ridicule that the soldiers put on. Jesus again ignored this abusive treatment and didn’t rebuke them harshly for their sake.
• Finally, right before his death, in Luke 23: 396, even the criminals crucified beside him would mock him and he would show meekness. In this final of act of being meek, Jesus proved to the world that you must show meekness to everyone as he had done.
Therefore, this is not a quality to ignore just because other people think meekness is weakness. It may appear to them as weakness, but the reality is that it is great strength that is restrained for God’s loving and pure motives.
