Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit earth”. Jesus gave another wonderful promise but made it conditional. We will inherit the earth if we are meek.
Inheritance was important to the Jews. Under the laws of Israel, all property and possessions went to the sons of the deceased. A double portion was usually distributed to the oldest son. He, in turn, became responsible for the care of his mother and his sisters.
Jesus was the oldest in His family, and He took the responsibility of caring for his earthly mother seriously. On the cross, He passed that responsibility along to John, His beloved apostle.
The land of Canaan was a gift to Israel. According to Numbers 33:50-54, God delivered this land to them for an inheritance. Each tribe received land based on the size of the tribe. They didn’t need a written will. The land was part of their heritage.
The Greeks and the Romans did things differently. The rules were different, but inheritance was very important to them as well.
Paul spoke several times about a new inheritance, a spiritual inheritance. In his description of spiritual inheritance, we see that it happens immediately and is shared equally. It is based on our relationship with Christ (Galatians 3:26,29). Paul said:
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Just as with the Old Law, there are some among us today that cannot inherit this spiritual inheritance. Those are the sinners. Paul said in I Corinthians 6:9-10:
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Paul is very plain about who will not inherit. The people that continue in sin and fail to repent will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Jesus is very plain about those that will receive an inheritance. In Matthew 25:34 and following Jesus said:
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
Kindness is what will guarantee our inheritance once we have become obedient to God’s will. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness is kindness. It is gentleness. It is showing humility. It is caring about others more than ourselves. Meekness is not weakness. Weakness is a lack of courage; meekness is making a conscious choice that shows strength and courage in control. It shows God in control.
Jesus was meek, but He was not weak. He was “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Paul spoke of Jesus as being meek and gentle in II Corinthians 10:1.
In Ephesians 4:1-2 Paul, speaking to the church at Ephesus, said:
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
We are to walk in a worthy manner by being humble, gentle, patient, supporting one another and doing it in love. The more we love, the easier it is to be meek and gentle.
The opposite attitude would be doing things to be praised, being proud of ourselves, or doing it because we are ambitious. This is the way the Pharisees were. They did things just to be seen of men.
The land of Canaan that the Jews inherited was precious to them. Their inheritance of that land is a comparison of the heavenly land, the church, and ultimately heaven that we will receive if we are meek.
Sandra Oliver