Dr Paul Allen

Dispute of Jesus and the Pharisees over tribute money (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble [ meek and lowly ] in heart”  (Matt. 11:29a). For most people, meekness means weakness. When we read of Moses , however, we don’t meet a person who was meek—at least not in the modern sense of meekness. There was nothing weak about Moses. He exhibited extraordinary leadership and strength in the face of great difficulties and tests. There was one man, though, who was even meeker than Moses— Jesus Himself. Remember that He said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble [meek and lowly] in heart” (Matt. 11:29a). Yet there was certainly nothing weak about Jesus’ dealings with the Pharisees . On another occasion Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” ( Matt. 5:5 ). Here we see an association of meekness with leadership. What is this meekness that it is so powerful? One ...

Image via Wikipedia "He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. . . . and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded." ( John 13:4-5 )   The Greek word usually translated humility occurs seven times in the New Testament , implying self-abasement and suggesting a meekness of spirit. In Greek literature , it was used to describe a slave's demeaning of himself before his master--an outward prostration, not an inward character trait.   The idea that a master would set aside his status and voluntarily become a slave was probably incomprehensible to the world of Jesus' day. Yet we are enjoined to "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus : Who . . . took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" ( Philippi...