The third Beatitude has been misunderstood by many. When it is translated as “blessed are the meek,” some people equate meekness with weakness.
When it is translated as “blessed are the humble,” others make an attempt towards a form of self-imposed humility.
Both of these interpretations miss the point of what Jesus was saying if we look at Old Testament references and place this verse in its context.
Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5.5) are a quote from Psalm 37.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity. (Psalm 37.11)
Similar to the blessing on the poor in spirit, who suffer from exploitative labor practices, the “meek” suffer from the wicked and wrongdoers of this world.
Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers. (Psalm 37.1)
Dallas Willard translates the Beatitude as “blessed are those who have been humbled.” This corresponds to what we learn in Psalm 37. God has a special place for those who have been humbled.
Those who have been humbled by life would do well to read Psalm 37 and apply it to their lives. Below are just a couple of the verses that speak powerfully to those who are oppressed by the powerful.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make your vindication shine like the light
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices. (Psalm 37.5-7)
Rather than taking matters into our own hands, the counsel of the psalmist is to wait patiently for God’s action. We trust God. We commit our ways to Him. We trust in Him.
Those who have been humbled are blessed because God will give them the land. Christians assume that the land does not mean the land of Israel, but rather it is God’s care for them in every aspect of life.
Hunger and Thirst for Justice
In the next Beatitude, both the Hebrew and the Greek word that is translated as righteousness can also be translated as justice.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5.6).
It’s not difficult for us to see that those who have been humbled due to oppression long for justice.
The martyrs in Revelation understood hunger and thirst for justice.
“They cried out with a loud voice, ‘Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?'” (Revelation 6.10).
I hope that most of the people who read my blog do not experience the kind of oppression I’ve written about so far. With that in mind, we can take the traditional meaning of these passages and apply them to our lives.
We can strive to be humble, meaning we listen to God and take His direction. Pride declares that we know better how to live our lives than God. Humility follows God’s direction, trusting that He knows best.
Additionally, we can strive to be righteous. If we live a Jesus-kind-of-life, we will satisfy the hunger for righteousness.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 