Now, the ordinary use of the word is to describe an attitude, or more
properly a disposition, in regard to men, especially in regard to those
who depreciate, or wrong, or harm us. But the Christian conception of
meekness, whilst it includes that, goes far deeper; and, primarily, has
reference to our attitude, or rather our disposition, towards God. And
in that aspect, what is it? Meek endurance and meek obedience, the
accepting of His dealings, of whatever complexion they are, and however
they may tear or desolate our hearts, without murmuring, without
sulking, without rebellion or resistance, is the deepest conception of
the meekness which Christ pronounces blessed. When sorrow comes upon us,
unless we have something more than natural strength bestowed upon us, we
are all but certain, like fractious children when beaten, to kick and
plunge and scream, or to take the infliction of the sorrow as being an
affront and an injury. If we have any claim to this benediction, we must
earn it by accepting our sorrows; then the accepted sorrow becomes a
solemn joy, or almost akin thereto. The ox that kicks against the goads
only does two things thereby; it does not get away from them, but it
wounds its own hocks, and it drives the sharp points deeper into the
ragged wounds. Let Him strike, dear friend, for when He strikes He cuts
clean; and there is no poison on the edge of His knife. Meekness towards
God is, first, patient endurance of His Will.
And, in reference to Him, it is, next, unquestioning docility and
obedience. Its seat is in the will. When the will is bowed, a man is far
on his road to perfection; and the meaning of all that God does with
us--joys and sorrows, light and darkness, when His hand gives, and when
His hand withdraws, as when His authoritative voice commands, and the
sweet impulses of His love graciously constrain--is that our wills may
be made plastic and flexible, like a piece of wrought leather, to every
touch of His hand. True meekness goes far deeper down than any attitude
towards men. It lays hold on the sovereign will of God as our supreme
good, and delights in absolutely and perfectly conforming itself
thereto.
And then there follows, as a matter of course, that which is usually the
whole significance of the word, the meekness which is displayed in our
attitude towards men. The truly meek heart remains unprovoked amidst all
provocation. Most men are like dogs that answer bark for bark, and only
make night hideous and themselves hoarse thereby. But it is our business
to meet evil with good; and the more we are depreciated, the more we are
harmed, the more we are circled about by malice and by scorn, the more
patiently and persistently to love on.
Ah, brethren, it is easy to say and hard to do thus; but it is a plain
Christian duty. Old-fashioned people believe that the sun puts out the
fire. I know not how that may be, but sure I am that the one thing that
puts out the fire of antagonism and wrath and malice in those who
dislike or would harm us is that we should persistently shine upon, and
perchance overcome, evil with good. Provoked, we remain, if we are truly
meek, masters of ourselves and calm and equable, and so are blessed in
ourselves. Meekness makes no claims upon others. Plenty of people are
sore all over with the irritation caused by not getting what they
consider due respect. They howl and whine because they are not
appreciated. Do not expect much of men. Make no demands, if for no
better reason than because the more you demand the less you will get;
and the less you seem to think to be your due, the more likely you are
to receive what you desire.
But that is a poor, shallow ground. The true exhortation is, 'Be ye
imitators of God, as dear children.'
Ah, what a different world we should live in if the people that say,
'Oh, the Sermon on the Mount is my religion,' really made it their
religion! How much friction would be taken out of all our lives; how all
society would be revolutionised, and earth would become a Paradise!
But there is another thing to be taken into account in the description
of meekness. That grace, as the example of our Lord shows, harmonises
with undaunted bravery and strenuous resistance to the evil in the
world. On our own personal account, there are to be no bounds to our
patient acceptance of personal wrong; on the world's account, there are
to be no bounds to our militant attitude against public evils. Only let
us remember that 'the wrath of men worketh not the righteousness of
God.' If contending theologians, and angry philanthropists, and social
reformers, that are ready to fly at each other's throats for the sacred
cause of humanity, would only remember that there is no good to be done
except in this spirit, there would be more likelihood of the errors and
miseries of mankind being redressed than, alas! there is to-day.
Gentleness is the strongest force in the world, and the soldiers of
Christ are to be priests, and to fight the battles of the Kingdom,
robed, not in jingling, shining armour or with sharp swords, nor with
fierce and eager bitterness of controversy, but in the meekness which
overcomes. You may take all the steam-hammers that ever were forged and
batter at an iceberg, and, except for the comparatively little heat that
is developed by the blows and melts some smell portion, it will be ice
still, though pulverised instead of whole. But let it get into the
silent drift of the Arctic current, and let it move quietly down to the
southward, then the sunbeams smite its coldness to death, and it is
dissipated in the warm ocean. Meekness is conqueror. 'Be not overcome of
evil, but overcome evil with good.'