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Gentleness

GENTLENESS

At their school carnival our kids won four free goldfish (lucky us!) so out I went Saturday morning to find an aquarium. The first few I priced ranged from $40 to $70. Then I spotted it--right in the aisle: a discarded 10-gallon display tank complete with gravel and filter--for a mere five bucks. Sold! Of course it was nasty dirty but the savings made the two hours of clean-up a breeze.

Those four new fish looked great in their new home at least for the first day. But by Sunday one had died. Too bad but three remained. Monday morning revealed a second casualty and by Monday night a third goldfish had gone belly up. We called in an expert a member of our church who has a 30-gallon tank. It didn't take him long to discover the problem: I had washed the tank with soap an absolute no-no. My uninformed efforts had destroyed the very lives I was trying to protect. Sometimes in our zeal to clean up our own lives or the lives of others we unfortunately use "killer soaps"--condemnation criticism nagging fits of temper. We think we're doing right but our harsh self-righteous treatment is more than they can bear.

Richard L. Dunagin.

MEEKNESS

According to Bill Farmer's newspaper column J. Upton Dickson was a fun-loving fellow who said he was writing a book entitled Cower Power. He also founded a group of submissive people. It was called DOORMATS. That stands for "Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timid Souls -- if there are no objections." Their motto was: "The meek shall inherit the earth -- if that's okay with everybody." They symbol was the yellow traffic light.

Our Daily Bread.

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The meek are those who know themselves to be poor in spirit who have learned honestly and from their hearts to regret all the dehumanizing and subhuman things in which they have been involved as wanderers in this lost world and who now in humility want only the will of God. "Moses was very meek more than all men that were on the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3). His meekness was shown in his acceptance of what God ordained including endless battles with those recalcitrant and disappointing people whom he was trying to lead from Egypt to Canaan including even the enormous disappointment of himself not getting into the Promised land.

Moses was a man with a fierce temper -- it was this which had betrayed him during the time in the wilderness -- but when God said in effect "Now look Moses in order to teach the whole world how much loss sin can bring I'm not going to let you enter the land; the people will go in but you won't " he did not curse God in furious protest; quietly if sadly he accepted God's decision. That's meekness. Meekness for a child of God means accepting uncomplainingly what comes knowing that it comes from the hand of God who orders all things. What he sends we accept in faith even if it hurts knowing that it's for our and others' good.

Those who are meek -- that is prepared to forego their rights in this world if that's what God requires of them -- will inherit the earth: they will be made infinitely rich in the future. I think Jesus was referring to the riches of heaven more than to earthly blessings when he spoke echoing Psalm 37:11 of inheriting the earth. Mercies promised in earthly forms in the Old Testament regularly turn out to have celestial content in the New. 

James Packer Your Father Loves You   Harold Shaw Publishers 1986.

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According to Bill Farmer's newspaper column J. Upton Dickson was a fun-loving fellow who said he was writing a book entitled Cower Power. He also founded a group of submissive people. It was called DOORMATS. That stands for "Dependent Organization of Really Meek And Timid Souls -- if there are no objections." Their motto was: "The meek shall inherit the earth -- if that's okay with everybody." They symbol was the yellow traffic light.

Mr. Dickson sounds like he'd be a lot of fun doesn't he? What is disturbing about all of this though is that many people assume that the ridiculous ideas behind DOORMATS and Cower Power represent the quality of meekness set forth in Matthew 5:5. Many even in the church think that to be meek is to be weak. But the opposite is true. What the Bible is talking about is a powerful virtue. The slogan "strong enough to be gentle" comes close to defining it. True meekness is best seen in Christ. He was submissive never resisting or disputing the will of God. His absolute trust in the Father enabled Him to show compassion courage and self-sacrifice even in the most hostile situation.

Now let's apply this to ourselves. When we are meek we will bear insults without lashing out in proud resentment or retaliation. We'll thank God in every circumstance while using every circumstance good or bad as an occasion to submit to Him. Meekness would be weakness if it meant yielding to sin. But because it stems from goodness and godliness it is a great strength.  

Daily Bread.

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A.W. Tozer once wrote The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be but paradoxically he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself nothing; in God everything. That is his motto." 

Today in the Word September 1989 p. 19.

 
The Fruit Of The Spirit - Gentleness
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. The eighth quality which serves to constitute the fruit of the 
 Spirit is "gentleness" ("meekness" in the KJV)
 a. The Greek word is prautes {prah-ot'-ace}
 b. This is a difficult word to define
for there really is no 
 English word that corresponds to the Greek
 c. Also
while "meekness" is a good attempt to translate the word...
 1) There is a common misconception about the meaning of 
 "meekness" itself
 2) It is often used to suggest a form of cowardice and weakness

 but there is no such idea in the Greek word "prautes"
 
2. The purpose of this lesson will be...
 a. To define the proper meaning of "gentleness" ("meekness") as used
 in Ga 5:23
 b. To consider the place this virtue is to have in lives of 
 Christians
 
[We begin
then
with...]
 
I. DEFINING "PRAUTES" (GENTLENESS
MEEKNESS)
 
 A. PRAUTES AS DEFINED BY THE ANCIENT GREEKS...
 1. To describe persons or things which have in them a certain
 soothing quality...
 -- E.g
having a humble and kind demeanor which calms 
 another's anger
 2. To describe gentleness of conduct
especially on the part of
 people who had it in their power to act otherwise...
 a. E.g.
a king forgiving a servant who failed a particular
 task
 1) The king has the authority and power to render
 punishment
 2) But chooses instead to show kindness and forgiveness
 b. Such a king would be praised for his gentle and meek
 behavior
 3. To describe the ability to take unkind remarks with good
 nature...
 a. E.g.
as when embroiled in controversy
 b. Being able to discuss things without losing one's temper
 because of unkind and unfair personal remarks
  4. Most often
to describe the character in which strength and
 gentleness are perfectly combined...
 a. E.g.
a horse obedient to the reins
a watchdog friendly to
 the family owning him
 b. There is great strength present
but it is tempered by a
 gentle spirit
 5. Aristotle had this to say about "prautes"...
 a. "the ability to bear reproaches and slights with 
 moderation
and not to embark on revenge quickly
and not
 to be easily provoked to anger
but to be free from
 bitterness and contentiousness
having tranquillity and
 stability in the spirit." (On Virtues And Vices)
 b. This does not imply that there is never a place for anger
  in the gentle man
 c. Indeed
the man who displays "prautes" is angry "on the
 right grounds
and against the right persons
and in the
 right manner
and at the right moment
and for the right
 length of time." (Aristotle
Nicomachean Ethics)
 d. "he will err on the side of forgiveness rather than on the
 side of anger" (Barclay)
 
 B. PRAUTES AS EXEMPLIFIED BY MOSES AND JESUS...
 1. The example of Moses - cf. Nu 12:3
 a. Though as God's chosen servant he could have rebuked Aaron
 and Miriam
he humbly kept silent - e.g.
Nu 13:1-8
 b. His silence was not from personal weakness
however
for
 consider...
 1) His reaction to the golden calf - Ex 32:19-20
25-28
 2) His pleading with God - Ex 32:30-32
 -- Indeed
Moses was no spineless coward
 c. Rather
his meekness was the result of a humble opinion of
 himself!
 2. The example of Jesus - cf. Mt 11:28-30
 a. Notice His meekness at His trial - Mt 27:12-14; cf. Is 53:7
 b. But it was not due to lack of strength...
 1) His powerful strength had already been demonstrated:
 a) In denouncing the Pharisees - Mt 23:13ff
 b) In purging the temple - Jn 2:14-17
 2) His meekness at the trial was evidence of strength
not
 weakness!
 
[Gentleness (or meekness
KJV)
then
is that virtuous quality by 
which...
 
"we treat all men with perfect courtesy
that we can rebuke without
rancor
that we can argue without intolerance
that we can face the
truth without resentment
that we can be angry and sin not
that we
can be gentle and yet not weak." (Barclay)
 
Again
this quality comes from having a humble opinion of one's self

along with the inner strength to control one's emotions
tongue
and
behavior. Now let's consider...]
 
II. THE PLACE OF GENTLENESS IN THE LIVES OF CHRISTIANS
 
 A. IN PARTICULAR...
 1. We are to receive the Word of God with meekness (prautes) 
 - Ja 1:21
 2. We must approach brethren in error with a spirit of gentleness
 (prautes) - Ga 6:1
 3. We must correct those in opposition with humility (prautes) 
 - 2 Ti 2:24-25
 4. We are to answer inquiries concerning our hope with meekness
 (prautes) - 1 Pe 3:15
 
 B. IN GENERAL...
 1. Meekness (prautes) is necessary for the Christian man who 
 would be wise - cf. Ja 3:13-18
 2. Meekness (prautes) is necessary for the Christian woman who
 would be precious in the sight of God - 1 Pe 3:1-6
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. One who is walking by the Spirit is going to be a gentle person

 even in the most trying circumstances...
 a. Not because of weakness or cowardice
 b. But because of humility
coupled with the inner strength to
 control one's behavior
 
2. Such was the case with our Lord
who at all times demonstrated what
 it means to be "gentle and lowly at heart" - cf. Mt 11:29
 a. Let those who claim to be Jesus' disciples seek to emulate His
 example
 b. Let there be found in us that "fruit of the Spirit" which was
 found in our Lord as well!
 
3. And for any who may not yet be a disciple of Jesus
I encourage you
 to reflect on the words of Him who was "gentle and lowly in 
 heart"...
 
 "Come to Me
all you who labor and are heavy laden
and I will give
 you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
for I am gentle
 and lowly in heart
and you will find rest for your souls. For My
 yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Mt 11:28-30
 
In the expressions of His day
the metaphor of the "yoke" refers to 
becoming His disciple. To learn what is involved in becoming a 
disciple
consider the words of Jesus in Mt 28:18-20...

－－《Executable Outlines》