October 21, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends. When you hear the word “meek” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Often, people equate meekness with weakness, but the opposite is actually true.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings out this truth when he said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5).
This is the third blessing of the beatitudes, and it follows 1 the blessing of those who have felt their need of Christ, those who have mourned because of sin and have gone through what Ellen White calls “the school of affliction” with Christ (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 14). These then, are ready to learn meekness from the divine Teacher.
“Jesus places meekness among the first qualifications for His Kingdom,” we read in Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing. “In His own life and character the divine beauty of this precious grace is revealed” (p. 14).
It is amazing to consider that “Jesus, the brightness of the Father’s glory, thought it not a thing to be grasped to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:6, 7).
Jesus, the King of Creation, willingly set his rightful glory aside, came to this earth, born into the humblest of circumstances, and lived, not as a king demanding homage, but as one whose mission was to serve others.
And He invites us to follow Him. He says, “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart,” (Matt. 11:29) and “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24).
“He who learns of Christ is emptied of self, of pride, of love of supremacy, and there is silence in the soul,” writes Ellen White. “Self is yielded to the disposal of the Holy Spirit. Then we are not anxious to have the highest place. . . . we feel that our highest place is at the feet of our Saviour. We look to Jesus, waiting for His hand to lead, listening for His voice to guide” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 15).
She continues, “It is the love of self that destroys our peace. While self is all alive, we stand ready continually to guard it from mortification and insult; but when we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God, we shall not take neglects or slights to heart. We shall be deaf to reproach and blind to scorn and insult” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 16).
Perhaps this is what the Apostle Paul is talking about when he wrote, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).
When we do this, Christ’s peace will abide in our hearts. Jesus lived in the midst of conflict and yet He had peace at all times. We are told that “No storm of human or satanic wrath could disturb the calm of that perfect communion with God” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 16). And He tells us today, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27), and “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest” (Matt. 11:29).
The peace of Christ is constant and abiding. It does not depend upon any circumstances in life—how much we own, how many friends we have, where we live, or any other circumstance. When we are surrendered to Christ, He fills us with His peace, and those around us will sense this and realize that we have “been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
When we have the meekness of Christ in our hearts, the spirit of hatred and revenge will be gone. We will, through His strength, follow His instruction to “bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:28).
Then we will truly be speaking the language of heaven and will be ready to inherit the earth—an earth not marred by sin and suffering, but a new Earth where all will be peace and harmony forever! “There shall be no more curse,” we read in Revelation 22:3, “but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him.”
Let’s pray to Him just now. Father in heaven. Thank you so much for the promise of an eternal life of peace and happiness and opportunity to truly live that life here on this earth through your power. Until you take us home to be with you. And so, Lord bless each one who is struggling with some kind of challenge, some difficulty. Help them to be fully at peace with you because you are living in their hearts. Thank you for hearing us in this prayer. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.