Fruit of the Spirit: Meekness

I. Text: Galatians 5:16-23

II. What is meekness?

A. Some translations render it gentleness; means a calm manner or demeanor

B. Some have defined it as power under control

C. A large muscular horse can be tamed and brought under control of a rider.

D. We have the power to destroy others: physically and emotionally.

E. Only the most cruel or sadistic person would purposefully destroy others. We restrain our power to destroy; we harness it and control it. We could destroy another person’s reputation with idle gossip or outright lies but would not do it for it is wrong and does not reflect the meekness of the Spirit.

III. Great examples of meekness

A. Moses

B. Numbers 12:3 – Called the most humble, or meekest, man at that time.

C. If you have studied the life of Moses in detail, you can see his meekness before God and the children of Israel.

D. The context of the passage in Numbers: His brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, challenged his authority.

E. God called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam into His presence and exalted Moses’ place as the leader of His people. When God struck Miriam with leprosy, Moses interceded on her behalf.

F. In Numbers 16, Korah and his followers challenged Moses’ authority.

G. Instead of arguing with them, Moses told them to come the next day and present themselves before God, Numbers 16:1-5. Moses rebuked Korah and his followers saying that they were stepping over their authority and should be pleased with the great work that God had given them, Number 16:8-11. Though Moses spoke out against them, he was reminding them of how God had blessed them and urged them not to rebel against God’s authority. They would not listen and were destroyed by God.

H. Moses put up with the constant murmuring and complaining of Israel as God was leading them to a better place; he endured their short-sighted, selfish whining and lack of faith in God while encouraging them to trust God and follow Him faithfully.

I. Jesus

J. Matthew 11:29 – Jesus describes himself as meek and lowly in heart

K. Jesus had the power to destroy us but came to save us, Luke 9:56. We see His lowliness of mind and spirit when He went to the sinful, the poor, and those rejected by “respectable” religious people. There is nothing above His authority, except the Father, yet He hears our prayers, has mercy on us, and intercedes to God on our behalf.

L. Matthew 21:12-14 – Driving the merchants from the temple

M. Even in cleansing the temple, He was meek and lowly. He exalted His Father and demanded that men respect God’s authority.

IV. The Christian’s meekness

A. Restoring the erring

B. Galatians 6:1 – Restore the erring in meekness

C. Those who are strong should not look down on the weak but bend down to help them up. It is easy for the strong to be impatient with the weak but when we have meekness, we realize that the weak Christian loves God as much as we do and desires to please Him.

D. This meekness should come from a realization that though we may be strong, we will sometimes be weak in certain temptations; that should cause us to be humble.

E. This is why we hate the “holier-than-thou” attitude for the person who has it does not see that they sometimes give in to temptation as well. Matthew 7:3-5 – We can ignore our sins to purge others of sin

F. 2 Corinthians 10:1 - We must reflect the meekness of Jesus in our lives

G. Though Paul had to reprove them for some sinful practices, he loved them and wanted them to be saved. Like Jesus who freely gave of Himself for the salvation of man, Paul put himself on the line, knowing that some of the Corinthians would sorrow at his rebuke but might repent of their wickedness. Our love for others must be such that we would put our close relationships on the line for the salvation of their souls.2 Timothy 2:23-26 – We must do so with a proper attitude Ultimately, if we have the love for souls as Jesus does, we will humble ourselves, keep our power under control, and seek to lead others to God.

H. Enduring suffering

I. The ISBE says that meekness is “generally associated with some sort of oppression.” (ISBE “Meekness”)

J. 1 Peter 2:20-25 – We may suffer for Christ

K. When Christ suffered for us, He did not call angels down to destroy His enemies, He did not plead His innocence, but endured death for us. We may be falsely accused and persecuted for Jesus, Matthew 5:10-12. Hebrews 11:32-38 – Some were driven from the comforts of the world and others were killed because of their devotion to God. When we “take up our cross,” we accept the possibility that we must die for Jesus. We gain this meekness through the promises of God, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12; 16-18. Some people are gentle out weakness and fear, the Christian is gentle because he is strong and confident in his Savior.

V. Conclusion

A. The Christian must be known for his gentleness, Philippians 4:5

B. He must not be known for harshness or rashness which oppose meekness.

C. It takes more strength to retain from attack or retaliation than it does to endure suffering.

D. Meekness, as a fruit of the Spirit, is the characteristic of gentleness and calmness amid the storm of persecution, oppression, and opposition. It is an obvious trait of the Christian so that when he must correct others, he does so with love and humility.