Kingdom Vision

Matthew 5: The Sermon on the Mount (3)

Pray Psalm 37.1-6.
Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Sing Psalm 37.1-6.
(Neumark: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee)
Let not the wicked make you worry; envy not those who break God’s Word. 
Like dying grass will they be sorry, and fade like every dying herb. 
Trust in the LORD and do His will; dwell in His grace, be faithful still.

Delight yourself in God’s salvation; He’ll give you all your heart’s desire. 
Commit to Him your every station, and His good purpose will transpire. 
Your righteousness a blazing light He will bring forth against the night.

Read Matthew 5.1-6; meditate on verses 5, 6.
How do you think about “inheriting the earth”?

Prepare.
1. What expectations does Jesus hold out to us in these verses?

2. What qualifications does He require for us to realize those expectations?

Meditate.
In verses 5 and 6, Jesus sweeps His hand across the horizon of history, as He teaches us what to expect from this Kingdom life, that is, His priorities for the Kingdom. The whole earth lies before us, and Jesus intends to give it to His followers, that they might fill it with righteousness. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, Paul reminds us (Rom. 14.17, 18), and righteousness is the highest objective of Kingdom-seekers (Matt. 6.33).

We are truly meek when we are like Jesus (cf. Matt. 11.29 where NKJV gentle is actually meek), and we can only be like Jesus when we are in Him—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Believe in Jesus. Trust in Him and fear nothing. Delight in Him above all else. Let the indwelling Spirit transform you increasingly into His image, and you will be meek, and you will bring righteousness into every aspect and to every person of your part of the earth, just as Jesus did in His.

But we must hunger and thirst for righteousness. We must earnestly desire to be like Jesus, so that we will work at attaining righteousness, whatever it takes. And this means desiring Jesus, for only Jesus is righteous.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Meekness is defined as “showing patience and humility; gentle; mild of temper; not easily provoked or irritated; patient under injuries; not vain, or haughty, or resentful; forbearing; submissive.”

And then I asked Search Assist, “Is meekness power under control?”
The answer: “Yes, meekness is often defined as strength under control, where a person chooses to act with gentleness and humility rather than assertiveness or aggression. It reflects the ability to restrain one’s power for the benefit of others.”

All those answers sum up the love of Jesus toward sinful humanity.

And we are called to bear that same characteristic.
Which is, by all attempts, really hard to do.
This is where the Holy Spirit steps in to make all things possible.
Even the seemingly impossible (Lk. 1.37).

“But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Ps. 37.11).

We must hunger and thirst for one thing and that is to be righteous, like Jesus, knowing as we attempt it that we will never reach perfection; but the LORD will rejoice over those who make every effort to be so.

Hunger and thirst drive a person to seek food and water.
Those are not minor inconveniences—they are fundamental to survival.

Ditto for living in the Kingdom—having a hunger and thirst for righteousness are the paramount forces that should drive everything that we do and seek.

“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Ps. 107.9).

He longs to fill us with Himself and His goodness, meekness, and love.
But we must make an effort to seek out nourishment from His Word (Jn. 6.48) 
and Jesus, the satiating Water of Life (Jn. 4.10).

“A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again” (Prov. 19.24).
“Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, since he has no heart for it?” (Prov. 17.16).

People know when they are hungry and thirsty. And if possible, they do something to assuage it.
Do Christians hunger and thirst for the Word of God and the righteousness learned within?

There is a vapidity, an emaciation, to a Christian life that does not feel anything towards the Word of God.
If there is no feeling of hunger or thirst for it, spiritual starvation is on the horizon.
What is causing this lack of need, this slackness toward survival?
Could it be laziness or foolishness as the Proverbs surmise?

May it never be. 

Let our Kingdom vision, our longing for an inheritance, guide us into meekness;
and let our desire for meekness cause a true hunger and thirst to rise up in our souls, 
to be fed by the hand of God. We are promised an overflowing filling if we do.

Reflect.
1. Why do you think meekness is so important?

2. What does it mean for you to “inherit the earth”?

3. Would you say that you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Explain.

Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 5.5, 6

Pray Psalm 37.7-16, 34-37.
The Lord has given you a Personal Mission Field, as the place on earth He intends for you to inherit, in the meekness and power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wait on the Lord; look to Him for guidance and strength; and go forth to serve Him, delighting in the Lord and His peace.

Sing Psalm 37.7-16, 34-37.
(Neumark: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee)
Rest in the LORD and wait on Jesus; fret not at those who practice sin. 
Forsake all wrath till anger ceases; let anxious fears not enter in. 
The wicked perish from the LORD, but they are blessed who heed His Word! 

The wicked man shall shortly perish; his place no longer shall be found. 
The humble will God’s grace inherit, and in His blessings much abound. 
The wicked plot the righteous’ fall: God laughs; He will destroy them all! 

The wicked wield their sword and arrow to cast the righteous to the ground. 
Them they would slay and fright and harrow, but God shall turn their schemes around. 
The little of the just is more than all the wicked lay in store.

Wait on the LORD, His way observing, and He will lift you up on high. 
Those prone to wicked ways preserving, your eyes shall see cast down to die. 
The blameless man shall stand upright, for God preserves him by His might!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

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Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast begins a series of readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter has begun a new series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is studying the Church and why we need it. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.