“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30, NLT.
It takes a lot of energy to be aggressive. Like a lion. Always looking for threats to his well being. Fearing those more powerful than you are. Unable to stop to smell the roses, because some threat may be hiding in the undergrowth.
It surprising to use a metaphor of a lion when talking about meekness, but it makes perfect sense when you realize what Jesus had in mind when he used it. The word for “meek” carries with it the restraint used by a wild animal when it is trained. Picture the circus performer who enters a cage with lions or tigers and interacts with them without being harmed or killed. That’s the word!
In the human realm it means that a person allows themselves to be brought under the authority of God. It means not demanding your rights, even though you could. It means walking away from conflict even though you feel like striking out. It means blessing the bad driver rather than flipping them off. Holding your tongue rather than speaking rage or superiority or sarcasm.
I think it is interesting that Jesus invites us to take up his yoke, the yoke of one who is “humble and gentle at heart.” Of all the yokes we could pick up in the yoke store, this one is the lightest and most comfortable. You really don’t realize you have it on. It’s the yoke of one who has learned to put down the burdens of the haughty, the angry, and with a chip on the shoulder.
“Put your sword away,” Jesus told Peter. “Turn the other cheek.” “Go the extra mile.” Bless those who curse you.” “Don’t gossip.” All these are actions of a meek person.
Jesus taught the Master Class on meekness. Not because he was weak. He was the Son of God. It was because he could lay down his rights, as we can.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you taught us to lay down our rights, walk away, speak peace, and in every other way, mirror in our own lives the life you lived. Please help us to subdue the animal instincts we have to protect and defend. Instead, knowing that it is the way of the meek, the humble, the gentle, and the kind that teaches loudest. In you we pray. Amen.