Sunday, February 3, 2013

Inheriting the earth

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." -- Matthew 5:5 (RSV)

A person who inherits something doesn't get it on his or her own efforts, by earning it in any way. Rather, when you inherit something, you get it by virtue of the relationship that you have, or had, with the deceased. Presumably, the relationship was special enough for you to warrant the deceased giving you something of value. In a way, the depth of the relationship is indicated by the value of that which the deceased gives you.

Again, we're seeing that a key characteristic of the meek is that they have a deep relationship with God, a relationship so deep that their inheritance is the entire earth! Some translations say that they will inherit "the land," which commentators interpret as meaning the greatest gift of all, the Promised Land, the Kingdom of Heaven! But it all hinges on that deep relationship with God, which roots the one beloved by Him and bears the fruit of meekness in all our dealings with others.

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