Blessed are the meek – Part 2

Posted on December 7, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

America will be holding a presidential election in 2012. As a result, political advertisements and discussions fill the airwaves and pixels of the news outlets. It is the way of politics to seek and to wield power and influence. It is not always the wisest voice that holds sway, it is often the loudest.

There are some who feel the church should enter the political process by competing for influence. Not long ago, I had a discussion with a man who was frustrated with our church because we do not band together with other churches to influence local elections. He felt that if we worked together, we could elect candidates favorable to the Christian viewpoint and Christian morality.

Now, I’m all for having candidates who are favorable to the Christian viewpoint. My concern is that by using the normal means of political influence, the church would be in violation of this beatitude.

Remember the Moral Majority? Every time the church has wielded political power, it has turned out badly for all. Based on how some church leaders have behaved over the years, and some of the things that have been said in the political arena, I can understand some of the skepticism of non-believers toward Christianity.

When was the last time you saw a candidate or a political pundit and thought to yourself, “now there is meekness on display.” Meekness isn’t electable. Meekness doesn’t sell airtime or internet advertisements. Meekness doesn’t wield power or influence.

Christianity turned the Roman world upside down, not through influence of elections or by a takeover of the political process, but by individual believers living out their faith in meekness and honesty.

The church’s mission is to make disciples. We are called to live out our faith and teach others why we live that way. We are not called to peddle influence or seek special protection or to organize voting blocks. My suspicion is that those in the church who would seek to influence the political process may be more concerned about their comfort than about accomplishing the task that Jesus has set us to do.

Jesus tells us that the meek will inherit the earth. As believers, we can trust that by living out our faith, by following Jesus’ command to love, by being ready to explain our faith, we can be used by God to accomplish his plan for humanity.

I am not saying that individual believers are not to be involved in politics or the political process. I am also not saying that political candidates should not be open about their faith or their motivation to pursue a particular legislative agenda. What I am saying is that it is not the role of the church and church leadership to be organizing voters or to be pursuing political power.

We are called to accomplish our mission in meekness and humility. The outcome is certain if we do. Why then should we allow ourselves to get drawn into a battle that is not ours to fight?

Jesus told Peter in Matthew 26:52, that those who take up swords will ultimately die by them. The same is true of political swords.

The meek, not the politically astute, not the people of influence, will inherit the earth. Humility wins the day.

Blessed are the meek; they get it all

Posted on December 4, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

This post is number 6 in the Sermon on the Mount Series and examines the familiar Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek.” which is found in Matthew 5:5. The benefit conferred upon the meek is that they will inherit the earth.

The word translated meek (NIV, ESV, NKJV) can also be translated, mild, tame, gentle, kindly or lenient depending on the context. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus uses this word to describe himself where it is translated gentle. One other use of this word is found in Matthew 21:5 which is a quote from Zechariah 9:9, where Jesus is referred to as “humble and mounted on a donkey.” So whatever understanding we have of what it means to be meek should be shaped by what we know of the character of Jesus.

Those of us in western society, and especially those of us in 21st Century America, may struggle with meekness as being the path to inheriting anything, let alone gaining the entire world as an inheritance. In a world of self-promotion, image consultants, spin doctors and press agents, how does meekness fit in?

If we look at the immediate context into which Jesus uttered this statement, we see him speaking these words to a people group under the domination of Rome. Rome ruled much of the world with an iron fist. The Pax Romana was established, and it was maintained, by harsh, brutal domination of the conquered people. The Romans were not known for meekness or gentleness in their efforts at inheriting the earth.

The Jews, as a conquered people, longed for the day when they could throw off the yoke of Rome and be self governing once again. But to what effect is meekness in coming against a brutal Roman regime?

To understand something of what Jesus is expecting of us, let us examine what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus seeks to be relieved of the responsibility of going to the cross. Yet, his ultimate prayers is “not my will be yours.” A defining characteristic of Jesus was that he was dependent upon and submitted to the will of the Father.

Jesus’ connection with the Father and Jesus’ trust that the Father’s plan was perfect allowed him to submit to that plan. In the same way, when I walk in obedience and trust, I can be assured that God will work things out according to his plan. I can surrender control knowing that someone a lot smarter than me is controlling the outcome.

This meekness, this submission to a higher authority, this surrender of control is contrary to the course of action that the surrounding culture prescribes. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this about a Christian living out this proverb in the world today:

“. . . we are reminded at the very beginning that the Christian is altogether different from the world. It is a difference in quality, an essential difference. He is a new man, a new creation; he belongs to an entirely different kingdom. And not only is the world unlike him; it cannot possibly understand him. He is an enigma to the world. And if you and I are not, in this primary sense, problems and enigmas to the non–Christians around us, then this tells us a great deal about our profession of the Christian faith.”

I am challenged by this. Am I living my life in such a way that the people I work with and interact with on a regular basis wonder about my grasp on the way of the world? Do I operate in such a way as to demonstrate my reliance first and foremost upon God and not myself? Sadly, I think that I often fail in this regard.

The stakes are high, a huge inheritance is waiting if we get this right. The whole world can be ours!

Why then, should I stress out about the next sale? Why then should I worry about that next promotion or how I am viewed? Why should I worry about my standing in society or the work place? All the wealth and resources of the world are offered and too often I’m content possessing a few shiny rocks of no real value.

Paul provides some words of encouragement to us as to how to live out a life of meekness. He uses the example of Jesus. They are found in Philippians 2:1-11 and are a fitting close to this post:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The blessing of mourning – Matthew 5:4

Posted on November 18, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

#5 in the Sermon on the Mount Series

Jesus said this about mourning:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

In the introduction to his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis writes:

“When Mr. Ashley Sampson suggested to me the writing of this book, I asked leave to be allowed to write it anonymously, since, if I were to say what I really thought about pain, I should be forced to make statements of such apparent fortitude that they would become ridiculous if anyone knew who made them.”

In the same way, for me to write about mourning is somewhat presumptuous since I have not directly experienced much in the way of grief or hardship. Yet there is a sense, as we read these words pronounced by Jesus, that they are at least potentially applicable to all who read them.

This is another of Jesus’ sayings which seems contradictory on the surface. How is it a blessing to be in mourning? The ancient philosophers considered mourning to be pointless and like those philosophers, we expend a good deal of energy in trying to avoid mourning.

The Greek word translated mourn indicates grief which is “too deep for concealment.” (Vincent) This mourning is indicative of a grief that is at the core of the griever’s being. This is not mere sadness, but a disruption of life which feels as though nothing will ever be the same again.

Jesus experienced such grief and did not seek to hide it. At the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus wept openly. Isaiah prophetically described Jesus as a “man of sorrows” in Isaiah 53:3. Death was not part of God’s original plan and the sense of loss at death is real and Jesus fully experienced that loss. Since Jesus was involved in the creation process, he is the only human other than Adam and Eve who fully understood the loss brought on by our human forebears’ rebellion.

Like Jesus, we should have some sense of the wrongness of much that happens around us. Death and destruction were not meant to be, they are not part of the original plan for humanity. Injustice, cruelty, theft, abuse and substance abuse are consequences of that first sin and are legitimate cause for mourning.

Unlike Jesus, we have to also mourn over our own participation and failure which propagates the wrongness. When we begin to understand and appreciate our role in bringing it about, it is appropriate to mourn. When a 19th Century newspaper editor asked the question, “what is wrong with the world,” G. K. Chesterton summed it up nicely when he responded to the editor with a two word response, “I am.” We’ve lost the innocence of the Garden and the desire to return to it is imprinted on our souls.

Still, while the mourning is appropriate, how is it a blessing? Mourning becomes a blessing when it is used by God to show us our need for the Savior. No politician, no actor, no pill, no group nor any religion can fix what is wrong with me and my world. It is only when I see my sin for what it is, mourn over it and seek help from Jesus, the only one who can take it away, that I can begin to experience comfort.

Notice that there is no definitive time in which the comfort will be experienced. When someone experiences the death of a family member, to expect them to be immediately comforted in the midst of it would be unrealistic and heartless. The sense of loss is very real and the mourning over this loss is appropriate. We can only stand by and weep, there is no better response.

Yes, as believers we can derive comfort from the fact that our sins are forgiven and that God is actively working in us to repair the damage from the fall. That sense of comfort is like a down payment or a movie trailer. It gives us a glimpse of what is coming. Yet, our comfort is tempered by our slow progress in becoming the person we want to and ought to be.

The ultimate comfort is when our work is done and we are by death or rapture taken from this world. In John 14:2, Jesus promises that he’s preparing a place for those who believe and are in relationship with Jesus. When I look at mountains, wildlife, rivers, and fertile valleys, I wonder how spectacular the place Jesus is preparing will be. If the one who infused nature with such spectacular beauty has been working for 2,000 years on a house, I’m certain that it will be worth the wait.

The blessing of being poor (in spirit) – Matthew 5:3

Posted on November 6, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 4 Comments

Matthew 5:3 reads:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NASB)

One must assume that Jesus knew what he was doing when he put this Beatitude first in the list. Blessed are the poor in Spirit. Luke’s record shortens this saying to simply, “blessed are you who are poor” dropping the qualifier “in spirit.”

Most of us spend a majority of our time and energy in an effort to avoid being poor, so this blessing seems to be at odds with our understanding of what life is about. Is Jesus talking about material poverty? Or does the qualifier in Matthew force us to limit our application of this blessing to the spiritual realm only?

The third possibility is that material poverty and spiritual poverty are connected in some way.

The word that is translated “poor” conveys the root meaning of “crouch” or “cringe” and carries the sense of absolute destitution. This is the word used to describe Lazarus in Luke 16:20. To be poor in this sense is to be without resources.

In Matthew 19:23 and Luke 18:24 Jesus indicated that it is particularly difficult for those who are rich to enter the Kingdom of God. Why is this? Certainly it is not because the rich are necessarily more evil than the poor. It is not because God’s grace is insufficient to save a rich man. And it is certainly not because God loves the rich any less than he loves the poor.

It is easier for those with material prosperity to maintain the illusion of control in their lives. They can think that they have achieved their wealth by their own effort and skill, and as a result they may be more likely to think that no-one else’s help is required. They are susceptible to thinking that they are self sufficient.

The good news of the Gospel is that we can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, the precise blessing associated with being poor in spirit. Why do those without resources have an advantage in gaining the kingdom?

To appropriate the good news first requires that bad news is understood and accepted. The bad news is that without the work of Jesus on the cross, I am not able to attain entrance into Heaven. I must first admit my inability to make myself worthy of Heaven before I can accept the offer of salvation from Jesus. To achieve spiritual health, I must first acknowledge my disease and accept the cure.

This is precisely where the poor have an advantage. They do not have any pretense about whether they are in control. They are dependent upon others for their day to day existence. It is much easier for them to acknowledge their need of a a physical and a spiritual savior. Their eyes are not clouded by their material possessions.

I suppose the take-away for those of us in Western Society, who are rich enough to afford computers or access the internet, is that we cannot let our resources inhibit our relationship with God. It is so easy to be distracted in obtaining and maintaining stuff, that we can forget the God who made the stuff possible.

It is my belief that one can have wealth and still be poor in spirit, but it is difficult. Being poor in spirit is to come to terms with our helplessness in the spiritual realm and seeking the one who promised to never leave us (Matthew 28:20).

Throughout the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows us how helpless we really are. If we are honest when reading this sermon, our eyes will be opened to what true righteousness is and we will be forced to admit how far short of the standard we fall.

As we move forward in the study of the amazing sermon, may it cause us to realize our poverty and turn to the one who promises spiritual riches (Ephesians 1:18).

Blessed are the meek – Part 2

Blessed are the meek; they get it all

The blessing of mourning – Matthew 5:4

The blessing of being poor (in spirit) – Matthew 5:3

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