Will the Meek Really Inherit the Earth?

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It sure doesn’t seem so. This “Beatitude” in Mathew’s gospel is arguably one of the hardest to accept because the evidence for the opposite is so compelling.

The arrogant, the strong, the domineering and the imperious seem to have a firm control of all that is going on in the world. This is true in politics, government, sports, business and even, to some extent, the church. The meek are getting hammered.

And this is nothing new. During the lifetime of Jesus, who said these words about the meek - that the meek will inherit the earth - it was true, maybe even more so than today. Herod, called “the Great,” who ruled over the territory where Jesus lived at about the time of Jesus’ birth, was notoriously ruthless. He executed his wife, his sons, many of his political opponents and Jewish leaders. The Bible says he ordered the execution of every male under the age of 2 in and around Bethlehem because he heard that Jesus’ birth signified the birth of the "king of the Jews." He cruelly imposed his will on all those around him.

Also Ruthless

Herod set the pace. Subsequent rulers, including Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist, and Pontius Pilate, who crucified Jesus, were also ruthless. And Jesus grew up in an atmosphere where poor families like his had few rights, where wealthy landowners, government administrators and rulers ruled with “iron fists.” Jesus probably had these people in mind when he exalted the meek.

So, where is the evidence that meekness will get you an inheritance? Well, if you’re looking for concrete, physical evidence, there’s little to none. However, if you’re asking as someone searching for God – especially in the Judeo-Christian tradition – faith can provide the answer.

Ronald Rolheiser
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Writes Canadian theologian Ronald Rolheiser, in his little book, Prayer: Our Deepest Longing: “In the face of long-standing global injustice, we either live in a long-suffering patience with God, or we come to believe that neither God’s promises nor God’s existence holds true.

“…If atheism is just another way of saying, ‘I will no longer wait for God,’ then the opposite is also true: faith is another way of saying, ‘I will wait for God.’ If atheism is impatience, faith is patience.”

Tomas Halik, the Czech priest and theologian who is one of my favorite spiritual writers, wrote a whole book about this subject called “Patience with God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing in Us.” The book’s basic premise is that faith isn't the absence of doubt but that mature faith learns to live patiently with doubt.

He lived these words personally. Under Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, he was prohibited from teaching and worked as a psychotherapist while secretly studying theology. He was ordained clandestinely in 1978 and participated in the underground church. After the triumph of democracy in his country, he was one of the external advisers of Czech president Vaclave Havel, became a professor and world-renowned author and lecturer.

Standing at the Edge of Religious Faith

Halik, according to ChatGPT, “is interested in people who don't fit neatly into the categories of ‘believer’ and ‘atheist.’ He thinks there are many people who are searching, questioning, skeptical, or standing at the edge of religious faith. He compares them to Zacchaeus, the biblical character who climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Zacchaeus was interested in Jesus but wasn't yet a committed disciple.”

God’s intention is not to test us, writes Rolheiser. He/she doesn’t play such games.

“The need for patience arises out of the rhythms innate within life itself and within love itself. They need to unfold, as do flowers and pregnancies, according to their own good time. They cannot be rushed, no matter how great our impatience or how great our discomfort.”

It may take a lifetime for this to sink in, but some things are worth waiting for.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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