The Greatest Inheritance
And its yours if you want it.
What do you look for in a good friend?
Certainly a good friend is someone you would enjoy spending a lot of time with.
But let’s go deeper.
What is it about them that so attracts you into their company?
Could it be they are relaxed? Also, of course, they are approachable, easy to get to know. Perhaps it’s the fact they seem more interested in others than they are in themselves. They aren’t out to prove anything to anyone and they treat everyone equally well, not favoring some over others. These sorts also have the ability to talk with children as easily as they can convers with those occupying the highest positions in society. And they have a great, usually self-deprecating, sense of humor that they use to entertain but never to tease or make others feel small.
Now, if you had to wrap all of these characteristics that comprise the attributes of a good friend into one word, what would it be?
There is such a word, unfortunately, over time it has become generally unpopular.
For this reason, allow me to come at this word first from its original Greek, in order to try and see if we can get past some of our built-in biases.
The word is praus.
Its closest English word, as far as I can tell is mild.
Praus, when describing a person, means to be of a mild disposition, which I think fits well into the description of the traits of a good friend.
Another way to get at its meaning is to look at its opposite. The opposite of being praus, is to be nervous, on edge, intense, freaked out, headstrong, harsh, annoying, self-absorbed, and unfriendly.
Unfortunately, the most common word for praus is
meek
which I consider today as being a pretty mousy word.
I think it implies cowering in a corner or seeing oneself as no more important than a worm. It’s letting the bully kick sand in your face. It’s being a milk toast and always going along to get along. No one wants to see themselves in letters of endorsement as being described as meek.
And instead of working toward better descriptions and explanations as to what is meant when Jesus states in Matthew 5:5, the third Beatitude,
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
we instead just meekly allow others to poorly define it while trying not to make any eye contact in its defense – until now.
It’s time to get the meaning right.
Perhaps better words than meek today would be gentle and humble, but even these need to be more accurately understood.
So let’s go there, looking first at the word gentle.
To be gentle, when you stop to seriously think about it, implies an underlying strength or power. Think of a weightlifter holding a sleeping baby in his arms. This is the picture of gentleness. The baby is completely safe and protected.
Now the word humble.
To be humble is the same idea. My favorite picture of true humility is that of a battle horse. Think of a powerful animal who in earlier times when cavalries were a part of warfare could be ridden onto the battlefield with bombs exploding all around and still follow every command by the touch of its rider.
A humble woman or man obeys orders and does not take over the controls themselves, even though they could certainly do so, and might be the safer move. True humility requires massive amounts of self-control.
Now what does the rest of the statement mean?
What does it mean to inherit the earth?
What kind of reward or blessing is that?
It’s the Promised Land; the one flowing with milk and honey. It’s sunlight, air, and water. It’s an earth that cooperates with men and women who humbly cooperate with God and each other.
These descriptions of a promise land flowing with milk and honey are the words Moses used to describe where he wanted to take the people he rescued from bondage in Egypt.
So what exactly does it describe?
Let’s break it down.
It is a peaceful land of abundance. It has a pure water supply and soil that can grow grasses plentiful enough to support livestock (milk) and flowers abundant and beautiful enough to support bees (honey).
Look at how this promise land is described in the Old Testament book of Isaiah later in the history of the Jewish people.
When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the LORD will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Isaiah 41:17-20 (ESV)
So let’s start being proudly meek, ladies and gentlemen, in the best sense of this word.
Also know, if you choose this path to walk, it will lead you into an unimaginably beautiful world. It’s our inheritance.
