III.    A Servant is Meek

When we hear the word “meek,” we often get a false impression and have a negative reaction. We think this passage means, “Blessed are the weak for they shall become doormats.” In our rough-and-rugged individualism, we think of meekness as weakness, being soft, and virtually spineless. But that is not what Jesus means at all. The Greek term Jesus used for meek is extremely colorful. It conveys the meaning of gentleness and having strength under control – like a powerful horse who has been broken and trained.

It can be used of the person who remains calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere. It carries the idea of someone who possesses tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity. We might paraphrase it: “Blessed are the gentle, or blessed are the kind.” Jesus certainly exhibited this character trait and spoke of himself as “gentle and humble:” see Matthew 11:28-29 “28. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

And what is the promise that goes with meekness? They shall inherit the earth. Rather than the meek being pushed around, I believe that they ultimately win out in this life. Instead of losing, the gentle and kind gain. Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead. It is the meek and gentle and kind who are highly respected. If the meek and gentle servants of God will put their trust in God, then God will guarantee that in the end they will be provided for. Look at how David described that reality in Psalm 37:7-11: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

The ultimate victory will not be won by the wicked, rather the gentle will win. True servants are meek and gentle, they are different from the world, and God will keep His promise to them.

 

• A Servant is Hungry and Thirsty for Righteousness

The true servant possesses an insatiable appetite for what is right – a passionate drive for holiness and for justice. We tend to use the terms “hunger and thirst” rather lightly. We say things like “I’m starving!” or “I’m so thirsty, I could die!” – Yet, few of us have really known extreme hunger and thirst. Hunger and thirst are healthy appetites, which bring joy and satisfaction when they are met, but they are torments and tortures when they are not met. Can we honestly say that we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we understand that God expects that His real servants will be engaged in a pursuit of God’s holiness?

But do we also understand that this includes not just looking upward toward God, but also includes pursing a vertical holiness toward others? Being a servant with righteousness means that we long for and pursue a holiness and justice on the earth. Look at this criticism that Jesus leveled against the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

The Pharisees were pursing one part of holiness – giving a tenth to God, but they weren’t pursing other aspects of holiness – justice and mercy. In God’s mind, the giving of a tenth was not as important as justice and mercy, but both were called for. The point is not to do one at the exclusion of the other, but to do them both. The servant of God is hungry and thirsty to achieve all the righteousness that God desires. That includes a close, obedient walk with God personally – a holy life. And that includes a caring, compassionate treatment of others with real justice.

If we are hungry and thirsty for all of the righteousness that God desires, then God promises that we will be satisfied. A.T. Robertson, a Greek scholar of yesteryear, suggests the term satisfied is commonly used for feeding and fattening cattle, since it is derived from the term for fodder or grass.

• How about that for a picture of contentment?
• If we will hunger and thirst for righteousness, then we will be contented in soul and satisfied like well-fed, hefty livestock!
• A servant with an appetite for righteousness will be filled – That’s God’s promise!
• Normally, we would think that such an insatiable pursuit would make someone so intense that there would be only fretfulness and frustration.
• But that is not the case with an appetite for righteousness, Jesus promises to bring a satisfaction to such hungry and thirsty souls.

Conclusion:

1. Well, we are only halfway through drawing a portrait of a servant, but this is a good place to stop and review what the picture looks like so far.
2. Let’s keep in mind that Jesus is describing how we can be His unique servants and stand out as different from the world we live in.
3. God honors these character traits and offers special rewards for each.

The portrait of a servant looks like this:

• A servant is genuinely humble and absolutely dependent on God.
• A servant is one who mourns and feels compassion toward the needy and hurting.
• A servant is meek and gentle, a person who is strong inside and yet controlled on the outside.
• A servant has a passionate appetite for righteousness in their own lives and justice in the world.

So, what do we want to be when we grow up? Hopefully, each of us wants to be a servant of God. Let’s ask ourselves how well we are doing in living up to this portrait of a servant.

• Which of these character traits do each of us need to work on and ask for God’s help with?
• Let’s concentrate on becoming like this portrait and in the end we will be happy we did!