“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Meekness means a calm temper, someone who is not easily provoked. It is a special humility that is considerate and gentle. It does not mean weakness. The greatest leaders among God's true people were meek, that is, strong, but not swaggering: "the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3 KJV). Meekness is a ‘self-control’ quality that Christians are instructed to learn and develop. Jesus, while physically and psychologically strong, was also meek. The Lord was not proud, not arrogant, not abusive. He always had “power under perfect control” - a true rendition of meekness. Meekness is a necessary quality in a good teacher because all of the knowledge in the world is useless if an abrasive manner causes people to walk away with their hands over their ears. Teachers of the Gospel cannot afford to be obnoxious; the stakes are too high, for everyone. Be bold, be forceful, always proclaim the whole Truth regardless of who likes it or not, but don't be deliberately offensive. "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. In meekness instructing those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26) Since this Beatitude is probably a reference to Psalm 37, a reliable way for finding out what “meekness” means is to examine how this characteristic appears within the context of Psalm 37... “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” (verses 1-7)