Matthew 5:5 - The Meek will Inherit
the Earth
5:3 - the "poor"
were not the physically poor, but those who realized they needed help
spiritually.
5:4 - those who
"mourn" were not those who cried or who had a miserable life, but
those who grieved for the effect that sin had on their lives and in the world.
5:5 - the "meek"
are not the weak and timid, but those who harness the power and authority they
have in this life to serve God's plan and wait
for his return.
"Meek" is "praus" and means:
Meekness is self-control of
power
Meekness is the quality of
having strength accompanied with humility
Meekness is service with out
advancing your own purposes
The opposite of meek is
strong willed, aggressive, harsh, tyrannical
Meek does not mean weak,
fearful or conquered
Meekness refers to behavior
and attitude not to social status
"Inherit" refers
to something that is given to a person as their possession.
Inherit does not necessarily
mean something gained through another person's death.
Old Testament references to
inheriting the land:
This Beatitude, Matthew 5:5,
is from Psalm 37 which was a Messianic Psalm predicting the coming Messiah.
Specifically, Matthew 5:5
comes from Psalm 37:11, 9 and 29.
In the end it will be the
meek, not the self-asserting who receive the kingdom (inherit the earth)
Palm Sunday is a classic
example of this meekness and inheriting the kingdom