What does it mean that blessed are the meek (Matthew 5:5)?

from the old testament

• Meekness is counterintuitive to worldly thinking, as it seems that the strong and evil are the ones who have the most success (e.g., Psalm 73:3–5). However, God doesn’t need the physically strong to accomplish His will and often uses those who are meek to display His greatness.
• For example, of Moses we read that “the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), and yet God used him mightily to free Israel from Egypt, a superpower at that time, and to lead them to the Promised Land.
• Psalm 37:10–11 is likely the Old Testament source for Matthew 5:5, which reads, “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” In that Psalm, David showed that, despite the apparent success of the wicked, it will be the meek—the followers of God—who will ultimately inherit the land.

from the new testament

• The beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–12 describe the characteristics of those in Jesus’ kingdom and the blessings that flow from it. They do not describe how one enters the kingdom but what a citizen of that kingdom looks like.
• The characteristics of the beatitudes are possible because a believer has the Holy Spirit living within us (Romans 8:9), who produces the fruits of righteousness (Galatians 5:22–23). One such fruit is meekness. Meekness, strength or power under control, as a positive characteristic is counterintuitive to the world, since it’s generally the aggressive and wicked who gain the most power today.
• However, unlike kingdoms today that rise and fall, Jesus’ kingdom will be eternal. When Jesus returns (Revelation 19–20), Jesus will not only establish that kingdom, but we read that “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). Believers are blessed because they will reign with Jesus over the world. So, while the wicked may temporarily appear to inherit the world, they will be overthrown, with the world given to the meek, Jesus’ followers.
• Jesus modeled such meekness. In Philippians, it says that “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6–7). As fully divine, Jesus had the authority and power that the position afforded. Yet He meekly humbled Himself by adding a human nature to be fully like us. In so doing, He submitted Himself to the will of God, “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
• The result of Jesus' humility was that the Father “has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11). Those who follow Jesus will share in His inheritance (Romans 8:17), with an authority that far outstrips even the most ruthless and successful individual today.

implications for today

Everything about society says that the goal is to be the strongest, the sexiest, the richest, the most powerful. Those are all about “look at me!” and “see how great I am!” Yet, Jesus said that God favors the humble, the meek, those who have power under control.

That doesn’t mean we are to be weak people, soft on theology or eternal truths. But we are not to be arrogant either. We are to consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3) and live in such a way that points people to Jesus (Matthew 5:16). In short, it’s all about Him—not about us.

Jesus was the ultimate example. Though fully God, He added on humanity, humbling Himself by submitting His will to the Father’s will (Luke 22:42). Even when killed and despite having authority over His accusers, He meekly allowed them to accuse Him (Isaiah 53:7) and crucify Him (John 10:17–18).

Meekness is a characteristic of kingdom citizens because the kingdom’s King is meek. He was not powerless but restrained Himself so He could save others. Let us also be like our King, extending patience and mercy to those around us.