Editorial April 6, 1946 Issue

Is Meekness Essential to Spiritual Growth?

John Randall Dunn

In his Sermon on the Mount. Jesus, the master Christian, enumerates certain qualities of thought unquestionably essential to the gaining of the kingdom of heaven, or spiritualized consciousness. Early in this list he places the rare gem of meekness. As every Bible student knows, the phrase "Blessed are" with which each beatitude begins may be rendered. "Happy are"; and the Abingdon Bible Commentary suggests an even more felicitous reading: "Oh the happiness of." Therefore, one may picture the inspired Teacher of Nazareth exclaiming. "Oh, the happiness of the meek: for they shall inherit the earth!"

Certainly Christ Jesus was challenging the thought of his day, even as his words challenge the thought of our times, when he named meekness as a quality which should be sought after. Has not the carnal mind ever been inclined to think of meekness as weakness, of a meek individual as one who is lacking in force or courage? Someone once facetiously observed that it would be interesting to see how long the meek could keep the earth after they had inherited it! Such concepts show that humanity as a whole has not subscribed to the old English proverb. "Meekness is not weakness;" and it has been the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, who, at long last, has elevated and truly evaluated this precious Christian grace. One of the happiest things she has done is to link the word "might" with some of her references to meekness. When she speaks of Christ Jesus we find such statements as this in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 30. 31): "In meekness and might, he was found preaching the gospel to the poor. Pride and fear are unfit to bear the standard of Truth, and God will never place it in such hands."

What, then, is this meekness with which one may inherit the earth? Is not humility its twin sister? And where can be found a clearer description of true humility meekness, and their accompanying power and might than in these words of Jesus as recorded in John's Gospel (5:19): "The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth these also doeth the Son likewise." Here is the secret of the Master's meekness and might. Because he understood all causation to be God and knew that apart from omnipotence the son could do nothing, but as reflection could do all things, this sublime humility endowed him with supernal power. In the presence of the realization of man's oneness with the Almighty, storms were stilled, disease was banished, and demons were cast out.

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