Humble, or meek, is the way that Christ self-identified in Matthew 11:29. “For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” There is also the incredibly poetic prophecy of Christ in Isaiah 42:3. “A bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax he shall not quench; he shall bring forth justice faithfully.” Somehow, Christ can bring forth justice so gently that even an already bent stalk or the last little spark on a candle’s wick will not be snuffed out in the process.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines meek as “having or showing a quiet and gentle nature: not wanting to fight or argue with other people.” I wonder if anyone else misses the days when followers of Christ were known for their meekness? When did it become acceptable by Christians on social media to treat “stupid people” (defined as anyone who disagrees with the person posting) with mockery, contempt, and even cruelty?
Numbers 12:3, describes the Old Testament hero Moses in the following manner: “the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men on the face of the earth.” The single incident when Moses took it upon himself to straighten out the unruly bunch of whiners he was leading did not end well for him. If God punished him by refusing to allow him to go into the promised land for lashing out verbally at the people and for striking the rock; how much more grieved He must be by our angry outbursts and name-calling.
Moses was certainly correct in his assessment of the character of the people he was leading. That becomes the problem when we are so certain that we are right and the other party is wrong. Dallas Willard has this incredibly applicable perspective on being “right” from his book Hearing God.
“Indeed, being right is one of the hardest burdens human beings have to bear, and few succeed in bearing up under it gracefully. There is a little placard I have seen that reads, ‘Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change, and when we are right, make us easy to live with!’ A very wise prayer.”
It is also extremely difficult not to retaliate when we are the one that is being attacked. But even angry, accusatory unjust words do not have to change who we are. Just because someone is throwing mud does not mean we have suddenly become a pig and must go wallow in the pigpen. As Thomas `a Kempis states in his Imitation of Christ,
“Don’t have your peace depend on what other men may say about you: whether they interpret your actions rightly or wrongly, you are still what you are.”
What we are is the vessel that holds the light and love of God that he wants to pour out to a hurting frightened world. 2 Corinthians 4:7 reminds us, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, the excellency of the power being from God and not from ourselves. Ultimately, what is at stake in our actions is the very reputation of Christ. To follow him and to be identified with him is counter-cultural to what is considered to be acceptable behavior at the moment. Oswald Chambers says it so well,
“The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not, “Do your duty,” but is, in effect, “Do what is not your duty.” It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. We will not say, “Oh well, I just can’t do any more, and I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist on having my own rights, I hurt the Son of God, while in fact I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I will take the blow myself. That is the real meaning of filling “up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor.
Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.”
The way to give justice in a Christ-like manner is so gentle that it doesn’t break the bruised reed, it is spoken so softly that the last tiny spark of the smoldering wick is not extinguished.
