Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matt. 5:5)
THE LUNCH TABLE
The poor in spirit. The ones who mourn. The meek. These are the first 3 attributes of a disciple. God could have chosen a system of ascension to grant us heavenly rewards, but instead, He chose the opposite. His model to go further is to go lower. We know this by looking at his lunch table.
It was a table of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus never had a reputation to uphold before men. The standards of His kingdom have nothing to do with ours. If anything, Jesus came to break our systems to reveal how flawed they are (and how flawed we are). As the Pharisees scoffed at Jesus eating with the rejected class, He told them to go learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Matt. 9:13)
God came down to us because He knew we could never work our way to Him. We don’t have to ascend through good works because He already descended to us. We are His children not because of who we are but because of His desire for relationship with us.
Jesus came to meet us in the chasm of our depravity and fill it with His broken body and poured out blood. He takes the emptiness of mortal life and fills it with life eternal. We no longer obey the broken systems that define who belongs at the table and who doesn’t. We live according to the word of God alone.
At this lunch table of mercy, we find our place. We realize why we never belonged at any other table. We were made for eternity with our Creator. Our place and identity were always meant to be found in Jesus alone. We find rest at this table with our Lord.
THE LOWLINESS OF GOD
Come to me, all 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. (Matt. 11:28-29)
The only description Jesus gave of Himself was being “gentle and lowly in heart.” The God of the Universe wanted to make sure to emphasize His gentleness. Meekness is more than a lowly state of being but also a restraint of power. When we can exalt ourselves over someone else or “be right” in a situation, we don’t. Instead, we lay down our power and submit ourselves to the only One who holds all power. Meekness comes from a place of fulfillment and confidence, not needing anything from anyone but God. Jesus walked in this perfectly. This was His undivided confidence and trust in God.
God’s debut in the flesh was through a broken lineage, a small people group, and poverty. He could have had anything He wanted and taken the whole earth by force. Instead, God wanted the only thing He could never take—love. Love is not real unless it is chosen by free will.
Wholehearted, intimate love was the dream of God’s heart. He displayed this when He planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He could have only planted the tree of life, but for Adam and Eve’s love to be real they had to make a choice. God had to give them over to what they desired… but He had a plan. He planted a seed in the woman that would crush the deceiving head of the serpent. He would obliterate all sin that entices and separates us from Him and give His Son a Bride who would freely choose Him. In the same way Jesus gave His life for us, He will have a Bride who will give her life for Him.
THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD
The kingdom of God is meekness. God only governs through free will. He doesn’t brainwash, manipulate, or add fine print to the bottom of a seemingly good deal. He lays all of His cards on the table, including His own Son, and asks, “Do you believe Him? Do you believe Me?”
Alas! When that day comes, when God dwells with Man, Jesus is going to bring His eternal kingdom down to the earth. Yet again, we are not going up, but God’s throne is coming down. The meek, the lowly, and the ones seated last will be promoted as leaders to govern the earth. They will lead in truth, meekness, and righteousness like Jesus. Every small thing we do in this age will be translated into its true significance in the age to come. That is why what we do now matters.
A NEW COMMANDMENT
Before Jesus left the Last Supper with His disciples, He gave them a new commandment.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (Jn 13:34-35)
The love of God had never been revealed to humanity like it was through Jesus. These 11 comrades were now charged to give away the extravagant love they had come to know—and greater still would they see that love in the days to come. They would be a small group defined by how they loved, not merely a title they held to.
Once you are born again into the kingdom of heaven, you have a seat at the table. Now, you are charged to invite others to the table. We are given the new commandment of Jesus to love as we have been loved. We find our place in His lowliness and meet others in theirs. The gift of God’s love is a treasure no moss can contaminate. It is pure, weighty, and rare in our barren world. The gentleness of Jesus is where we enter in. It is where we drink from the river of God’s delights—a river of mercy—that sustains us all our days.
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
Come, learn what this means.
REFERENCES:
Gentleness of God: Psalm 18:35
The seed: Genesis 3:15, Luke 3:38
God’s kingdom to earth/rule with Jesus in the age to come: Revelation 5:10, Revelation 21, 2 Timothy 2:11-12, Matthew 25:23, Luke 19:16-17, Luke 22:28-30, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, Isaiah 2:1-5
River of God’s delights: Psalm 36:5-9
This is beautiful and very powerful. A raw and naked reading of the humility of the gospel. Putting all of this into practice requires a significant emptying of our egos that only the path of the cross allows us to achieve.
But are we willing to pay the full price? Search for any wicked way in me, Lord, and lead me on the path to eternity.
Lilian - São Paulo - Brazil