Understanding the Beatitudes 3 of 8 by Rev. Christine 3/9/2025

Today continues with the series on the “Beatitudes”, from Jesus the Christ’s sermon on the mount. This week we’re covering the third Beatitude, in Matthew 5:5, it reads “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Each of the 8 Beatitudes begin with the word Blessed, which means happy, joyful or blissful, delighted, content. On the surface the Beatitudes may seem as undesirable or confusing. But, when we understand them metaphysically or symbolically we see these qualities as true spiritual strengths. Jesus is describing how to abide in the Christ consciousness. The Beatitudes are speaking about an attitude of prayer. They are promises of the finished kingdom. These are promises of heaven on earth when one establishes themselves in this Christ Consciousness.

Jesus the Christ is speaking to us of the Kingdom of God and of Prayer. The disciples asked Jesus where is the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is within you. In Luke the word God has been interchanged with the word heaven. Meaning, heaven is a state of consciousness that of love, joy, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, creativity, peace, wholeness, oneness.

This kingdom within us is how our manifested world is established. It is said in the Lord’s Prayer, “On earth as it is in heaven” or in Aramaic as “as in heaven so on earth.” What goes on within us is first established in consciousness, in thought, and then out pictured in our experiences.

We are reminded that this is an inside out world. What we establish in thoughts, beliefs and emotions is then manifested in our outer world as our experiences. Our earthly experiences are created by our mental and emotional states of mind.

Earth is the manifestation of our consciousness. Our body is earth, our belongings are earth, the weather is earth. Atmosphere and attitude have a very similar spiritual meaning. When someone walks in a room they bring with them an atmosphere of their consciousness that others can feel. An angry person can bring agitation to the room. While Jesus the Christ’s atmosphere brought peace and healing to others. I shall rephrase our Beatitude to “Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit all that is good.”

Now for the word “meek.” It is very misunderstood by many. Most people of today find it undesirable, and think immediately of being weak or timid. The Webster dictionary defines it as: Patient, mild, gentle or kind, and not inclined to anger or resentment.” These are inner strengths to be admired.

The ego is to be under dominion of the Christ Mind. The ego as I mean it here, is that part of our mind that believes in separation, or has forgotten its connection with God. Its focus is in observation of the outer world where it has also put God and all power. Feelings of being separate and alone in this world, our ego sense of self lives in fear. Much like “Chicken Little” running about screaming. rather than having self-control, to be calm in the midst of a crisis, and listen for inner guidance before responding.

In Mark, 4:37, there is the story of the disciples being on a ship, with Jesus asleep. There arose a great storm of wind, and the disciples become frightened and awaken him. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea “Peace, be still.” The winds then calmed. And Christ Jesus then asked the disciples “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Now this story is about our inner states of consciousness. The ego of fear must become meek, or submissive to the Christ of Love. It takes a person strong in faith to have dominion over their fears, their emotions, to calm the storms inside themselves. It takes spiritual practices.

Metaphysically when the disciples woke Christ Jesus, they awakened to their own Christ nature and calmed the turbulent seas of emotions within themselves. When the Christ expresses through us, we have power over our internal and external conditions. First our internal inner world becomes still, calm, and then our outer or manifest physical world follows by adjusting its expression. To become peace in the midst of a storm, takes great inner strength – a faith that moves mountains.

In prayer or meditation, we must calm our inner state of being before we can reach that deep inner state of Christ Consciousness, that deep inner silence of pure peace. And, from this inner state, we bring it with us into our everyday living world. In an instant where there were storms it is now calm and peaceful, where there was illness there is health, where there was lack there is abundance. Because where there was separation there is now wholeness and oneness of one mindedness. The inner and outer become one and the same.

Meek is also being teachable, listening to the still small voice within for the one will. Meek is having the courage to walk away from a fight. It is being so single minded that we can walk straight through the fire without harm.

When we are meek, the spirit of God is in charge. What greater strength can we have? And, so Jesus offers in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Christ Jesus offers to take our burdens for he is gentle, kind and patient. The true inner strength gives no power to the outer appearance. Go within, rest, be at peace in God, and in the quiet all is lifted into the nothingness from which it came, and peace prevails.

Meekness is also an attitude of receptivity, a willingness for the Divine Will as my will – Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,” shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” When we listen to the still small voice within and obey its guidance this is surrendering the ego’s will for the will of God.

Then in Matthew 26:39, Jesus the Christ says in prayer before his arrest, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you Will.” Meekness is a willingness to surrender to God. Having confidence that God’s way is the better way. Remembering always that “of myself I can do nothing, it is the Father within that does the work.”

One of my favorite authors, John Randolph Price tells us in his book “Spiritual Philosophy for the New World.” where he also gives us the 60 day non human diet, writes, “Meekness means nonresistant to the good of God. By surrendering all to me, you will reach the point of possessing nothing – nothing that can bind you to error, to the false, to the unreal.

And it is at this point that one will realize that we have everything, that you are so whole and complete that nothing can be added. Do not worry about anything. You have already been given the Kingdom, which means there is no lack in your life. In striving to get, you are denying the Kingdom, denying that which you already have. Live in the constant attitude of having, which is knowing the truth, and you will be free.” (The end)

As part of Price’s “60 Day non-human diet” we are reminded when rehashing the past to say often “I have already turned this over to God. This is non of my business.” Let us affirm: I have already turned this over to God, this is non of my business.”

Our free will is the daily choice to surrender our will for the greater good; to be in alignment with the one true will. This is a daily task done in prayer and meditation. Consciously and constantly choosing “God’s will be done.”

When one gets overly emotionally caught up, and can’t see through the fog of mis-perception: Danger appears to be lurking everywhere, barren deserts lie all around, mechanical things mysteriously break down, every traffic light is red, the computer crashes, can’t find the keys, or betrayed by our best friend. Nothing seems to be in sync. Meaning, we’re not in the flow of life. Then we are reminded, “Come to me, all you who labor and carry burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and meek in my heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We then surrender our will by turning to God within through prayer and meditation. This brings us into a receptive state of mind to receiving inner guidance and new ideas.

Surrender to gain all. What do we surrender but our fear, our lack, our greed, our attachment, and our out of proportion ego for the greater will which appears as calm and gentle. The silent are strong, open minded and teachable. What do we gain, we inherit the earth. By surrendering all our willful and inharmonious ways, we have gained the greater good – our true inheritance; dominion of the earth – all is calm, peaceful and harmonious.

Emmet Fox tells us in his book “The Sermon on the Mount”, “That when you possess the spiritual meaning of this text you have the Secret of Dominion – the secret of overcoming every kind of difficulty. It is literally the Key of Life. It is the Jesus Christ Message reduced to a single sentence. This gnomic saying is actually the Philosopher’s Stone of the Alchemists that turns the base metal of limitation and trouble into the gold of comfort or true harmony.”

In Psalms 37:11, we have a matching scripture, “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Peace is the one thing that we all truly desire more than anything else. This scripture promises that when we put aside our immature ways, we shall be at peace, a great peace that is beyond all understanding.

I find the 23rd Psalm as the promise of fulfillment to the 3rd Beatitude. First I’ll share it in its known form. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

The following translation is from Glenda Green’s book Love Without End; Jesus speaks. “Love is my shepherd, I shall not want. Love makes me to lie down in green pastures, Love leads me beside the still waters. Love restores my soul. Love leads me in paths of righteousness. Though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for my rod and my staff is love. Love prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and fills my cup to overflowing. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of love forever.” Amen.

In summary, daily we give all cares to God, surrendering them over, lifting them up in consciousness. Then we turn within to the Silence, where the Christ consciousness resides, and abide in the presence of God - the presence of love. When we return from prayer, we carry this inner spirit and strength within us throughout the day to meet all that concerns us with the attitude “This is none of my business, for I have already given this over to God.” Then affirm “The Christ goes before me making the crooked roads straight.” Standing strong in faith - “God’s Will is done.”

We shall now rephrase this beatitude to “Joyous am I gentle of spirit; now being of one mind I have gained dominion over my thoughts and emotions, and their physical manifestation.”