Those Who Inherit the Earth – Matthew 5:5
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 26, 2011
This sermon expounds the third Beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount: 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.' The pastor distinguishes true meekness from weakness, showing that the meek are those who trust God, remain humble and gentle, yet are neither cowardly nor dishonest.
The sermon opens with the Vietnamese proverb 'Good land attracts birds,' using the image of people seeking a better land to build their lives. The pastor draws on a Wall Street Journal article about 22,000 people who mistakenly received letters announcing they had won U.S. green card lottery spots — including a Cameroonian doctoral student and a Russian young woman — to illustrate how high a price people are willing to pay for the hope of a better homeland.
The second section traces the theological history of land, beginning with the Garden of Eden in Genesis. God created the land first, then gave it to humanity unconditionally as a gift with multiple purposes: to teach humanity about God's wondrous creation, to instill responsibility and stewardship, and to cultivate moral discernment. After Adam and Eve sinned, the ground was cursed with thorns and toil. Even the Promised Land given to Israel required warfare to obtain, and the people were warned not to forget God once they had settled and prospered.
The central section focuses on the meaning of meekness (nhu mì) in Matthew 5:5, drawn from Psalm 37. The pastor distinguishes genuine meekness from weakness: the meek person is not timid, cowardly, or falsely humble, but rather someone who is angry at the right time, toward the right person, in the right manner — citing Aristotle's definition. True meekness is inseparably linked to trusting God, delighting in Him, committing one's way to Him, and waiting quietly for Him, as Psalm 37 teaches.
The pastor holds up Jesus Christ as the supreme example of meekness and humility (Matthew 11:28-30), who was simultaneously bold enough to drive merchants from the Temple and confront the Pharisees as hypocrites. Moses is presented as the clearest Old Testament example — a man who stood before Pharaoh to demand freedom for God's people, yet interceded for his own sister Miriam when she spoke against him out of jealousy.
The sermon closes by calling the congregation to understand that the land God promises — whether the millennial reign or heaven — is governed by Jesus Christ. Those who wish to inherit that land must meet the Kingdom's condition: living in genuine meekness, trusting God fully, and committing every step of life to His care.