"The Words of Jesus #8 – The Humble Will Inherit the Earth" by Chris Godbey

[Matthew 5:5 NASB95] 5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Jesus continues a similar thought from the two previous verses, which revolves around us rightly acknowledging ourselves before GOD. We shouldn’t think too highly of ourselves. The word “gentle” could be used interchangeably with the word “humble.” Humility is a characteristic of GOD’s people. It’s difficult to be prideful when we know that “nothing good dwells in (us)” (Romans 7:18), but through Christ God has loved us and accepted us. All praise and glory to His Name!

It is a blessing from GOD to be marked by gentleness and humility. The world may misunderstand our gentleness for weakness, but when Christ returns and establishes His Kingdom, ushering in a new heaven and new earth and we share in that inheritance and in His glory, then the world will know to Who we belong.

The alternative of humility is pride and pride only brings humiliation. Listen to these two examples from Scripture, the second of which is from Jesus Himself.

[Proverbs 25:6-7] “Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.”

[Luke 14:7-11] “And He (Jesus) [began] speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor [at the table,] saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give [your] place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

If you call yourself a Christian, then it is Christ you should be following. When people look at us, they should see Christ in us. Listen to what the Scripture says regarding the humility of Christ our LORD, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Philippians 2:5-11]

Christian, would the people in your life describe you as a humble and gentle?