The Power of Meekness

Why meekness is not weakness, but a strength rooted in self-control and trust in God.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” — Matthew 5:5

The third Beatitude offers a vision of meekness that confronts worldly values. In common usage, meekness is often misunderstood as weakness or lack of courage. Yet the Greek word “praus” carries a very different meaning. In classical Greek, it was used to describe trained and disciplined strength, as in the case of a wild horse that has been trained to respond to its rider’s command.(1) Scripture affirms a similar understanding, highlighting that meekness does not mean the absence of strength, but rather its right ordering by humility, love, and self-control. As John Stott observed, “Meekness is essentially a true view of oneself, expressing itself in attitude and conduct with respect to others.”(2) In this sense, meekness reveals our true self in the way we relate both to God and to others. It is, therefore, not passive, but disciplined power, governed by the presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

This understanding shows that meekness is not simply a human virtue, but an expression of faith. To be meek is, at its heart, to entrust oneself fully to God rather than striving to secure one’s place in the world by force or self-assertion.(3) This trustful posture of the heart finds vivid expression in Psalm 37, which many scholars see as the background to many of Jesus’ words in the gospel.

“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” — Psalm 37:5

In Psalm 37 the meek are portrayed as those who refrain from anger, refuse to fret over evildoers, and patiently wait for the Lord to act. Such restraint is not a denial of justice but a confidence that God Himself will vindicate His people. Thus, meekness is fundamentally an act of trust: relinquishing control and believing that God’s justice is surer than human retaliation.

Jesus is the perfect example of meekness. Rather than responding to violence with violence, He chose to bear it. This meekness was displayed most visibly in His suffering and death, but it goes beyond the moral example for it was redemptive as well. In submitting to the cross, Christ not only modeled gentleness but also accomplished redemption. He conquered sin and death by refusing to mirror the world’s violence. His meekness is therefore both exemplary and saving, drawing us into the power of His redeeming work (Philippians 2:5–11). In this way, the cross reveals that true meekness is the strength to absorb evil without perpetuating it. Such restraint requires great discipline and reliance on the Savior.

This pattern of meekness is further illustrated in Jesus’ teaching: turning the other cheek or walking a second mile is not natural for us, yet it becomes possible when we rest in the One who is “gentle and lowly in heart.” Far from weakness, Christ revealed that meekness is the deepest expression of divine strength, accomplishing salvation through sacrificial love. As N. T. Wright wrote, “The power that wins the victory is the power of suffering love. The kingdom is not established by the sword, but by the cross.”(4)

Building on Christ’s example, we see that meekness has also been understood theologically as self-control. It is not a denial of emotion or passion but their right ordering. For instance, anger, can be righteous, but when left unrestrained it becomes destructive.(5) The meek, then, are those who have learned to master their impulses, responding with patience and gentleness even when provoked. This kind of disciplined response reflects the fruit of the Spirit described by Paul in Galatians 5:22–23, where gentleness (prautēs, the same root word as meekness) is paired with self-control. It is crucial to recognize, however, that such meekness is not self-produced by sheer discipline; it is a part of the fruit of the Spirit, a work of grace rather than human effort.(6) On our own, we default to retaliation and pride, but by the Spirit’s power the meekness of Christ is formed within us. This Spirit-formed meekness not only shapes our personal conduct but also positions us to receive the blessings and responsibilities God promises to those who are His.

The promise attached to meekness, “they shall inherit the earth,” is somewhat paradoxical. Whereas the world often values strength, aggression, and power as the means to claim land and authority, Jesus declares that it is the meek who will obtain the earth. This promise echoes Israel’s covenantal hope, in which their identity as God’s chosen people was closely tied to the gift of land. In Christ, however, this promise is expanded beyond Canaan to encompass the whole renewed creation (Romans 4:13).(7) Thus, the meek inherit this new creation as the covenant people of God, grafted into Christ and sharing in His kingdom. Ultimately, this promise reaches its eschatological fulfillment. They will not merely possess a strip of land, but will participate in the renewal of creation at the fullness of time (Revelation 21). Yet this inheritance is not only a future hope. Even now, the meek receive the earth as a gift rather than a possession, approaching the world not with exploitation in mind, but with gratitude and reverence in heart. Inheriting the earth entails the responsibility of faithful stewardship. By caring for creation in all aspects of life, the meek live lightly upon the earth, honoring it as God’s creation entrusted to human care. Such a vision of meekness has not only biblical grounding but also deep roots in the church’s theological tradition.

Throughout church history, Christian thinkers have wrestled with this paradox: strength expressed through gentleness. Augustine described it as the virtue that makes the heart teachable before God, writing, “The meek are they who yield to God, and resist Him not; who do not oppose their will to His good will, but follow it. They are teachable, ready to be guided, not proud, not given to their own way.”(8) Building on this interior posture, Thomas Aquinas emphasized how meekness also shapes our outward responses, noting that “meekness moderates anger, according to right reason, in order that it may not be inordinate and harmful; but directed to the good, it is a praiseworthy passion, serving the cause of virtue and of love.”(9) Taken together, these voices remind us that meekness has always stood at the heart of Christian discipleship, not as an optional trait for a spiritual elite, but as a virtue essential to all who follow Christ.

Because meekness has always been central to Christian discipleship, it shapes the ethical life of the church. It calls the Christian community to embody humility, gentleness, and patience in their relationships. In Word and Sacrament, especially in the Eucharist, we learn to receive God’s gifts with open hands, not grasping for control. The liturgy itself is a school of meekness, training the community in trust and receptivity rather than domination. What we learn in worship extends outward into our interactions with one another, cultivating peace within the body of Christ and enabling believers to bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2). Such internal peace becomes a witness that challenges cycles of domination even within the life of the church.

Building on this formation, meekness also carries ethical implications for the wider world. It does not suppress truth or justice but resists the temptation to achieve them through violence. Meekness is resistance to evil without imitating evil. For those suffering harm, it means entrusting one’s cause to God while rightly seeking justice. Therefore, Christians are called to pursue justice by confronting oppression, and advocating for the vulnerable with humility rather than arrogance.(10) In this way, meekness is not passive withdrawal but an active witness, countering a world driven by power and pride. Yet, this witness is born in the places of daily life.

Practically speaking, meekness can be cultivated in everyday actions. It takes shape in listening more than speaking, responding gently when insulted, yielding in small disagreements for the sake of peace, and showing patience in traffic or long lines. We practice it when we choose prayer over retaliation, kindness over sarcasm, and service over self-promotion. These ordinary practices train us to embody the extraordinary meekness we see in Christ. This way of living finds its inspiration in the gospel, where Jesus calls us to turn the other check and to walk the second mile.

“But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.” — Matthew 5:39, 41

Ultimately, meekness reveals itself as a paradoxical form of ruling power. The meek are not powerless, but they wield power in a radically different way. For them, power is seen through humility, patience, and surrender to God’s will. Their strength lies in the freedom that comes from refusing the compulsion to dominate others. This way of life flows from the cross itself, the place where God disarmed worldly powers and authorities (Colossians 2:15). What appears as weakness is God’s victory over sin and death. To be meek, then, is to share in that spiritual and redemptive triumph through Christ. In doing so, the meek resist the world’s false narratives of self-sufficiency and control, pointing instead to the God who vindicates and restores. As N. T. Wright observes, the cross redefines power itself, revealing that divine strength is exercised through self-giving love rather than coercion.(11) In Christ, the meek find both their model and their reward. They share in his victory over the forces of sin and death.

This beatitude is not abstract. It speaks directly to believers who may feel overlooked or powerless. In a sense, it is a word of encouragement. God sees the quiet strength of their faith, their restraint, and their trust. While the world may ignore meekness, God promises that its reward will outlast the earthly empires. The meek will inherit not only tomorrow’s kingdom but the peace and strength of God’s presence today. Thus, meekness is the deepest expression of power made perfect in trust, humility, and love.

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1. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 4.5; cf. W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (London: Oliphants, 1940).

2. John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 48.

3. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, rev. ed. (New York: Macmillan, 1963), 99–100.

4. N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996), 591–592.

5. Augustine, City of God, XIV.9.

6. Stott, 49.

7. N.T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God (Fortress Press, 2013), 1122–23.

8. Augustine, Expositions of the Psalms 36 (Psalm 37), in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 8, ed. Philip Schaff (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 107.

9. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II–II, q.157, a.1.

10. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 142–43.

11. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God. 1134-1136.