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Bur Solomon wro re, "For in much
wisdom is much grief: and he rhar
increasech knowledge increaserh sor–
row" (Eccl. 1:
18).
Christ was called a " ... man of
sorrows, and acguai nred wic h
grief ..." (Isa.
53:3).
I3uc why ?
Because of che cvi l of man. Because
of sin.
When all mankind wenc the
wrong way afcer God had rcvealed
che right way ro him, God "... saw
char rhe wickedness of man was greac
in che earrh, and char evcry imagina–
cion of rhe rhoughts of his hearr was
only cvil conrinually. And ir repenrcd
[made sorry] che Lord rhar he had
made man on che earrh, and ir grieved
him ar his hearr" (Gen.
6:5-6).
Yes, rhe One who bccame Chrisr
was made mournful, and sorry, when
He saw che wrctchedness, che sick–
ness, poverry, squalor, war and deatb
man was bringing on himself. And so
ir is wirh a rrue Christian. Even
rhough Chrisr wanrs us
to
have a
more abundanr life, He also inspired
Solomon
ro
write, "To every rhing
rhere is a season, and a rime ro every
purpose under che heaven ... a rime
ro weep, and a rime ro laugh; a rime
ro
mourn, and a rime ro dance ..."
(Eccl.
3:1-4).
Yes, blessed are they who mourn
now. For rhey shall
be
comforred.
They will experience great joy and
happiness defying descriprion in che
Kingdom of God. Many mourn
because of persecurion! Bur do mosr
modern Christians receive any perse–
cu rion wharsoever for accepring rhe
" modero " popular conceprs of
"Ciuisrianiry"? Cerrainly not! But
Jesus said, " ... In che world yc shall
have tribularion: but be of good
cheer;
1
have overcome che world"
Qohn
16:33).
No, rather rhan suffering persecu–
rion, being given cause ro mourn,
mosr professing Chrisrians roday have
come ro believe che exacc opposire.
They feel, insread, rhar "belonging ro
a Church" or "having sorne fai th"
wi ll give rhem bercer standing in che
communi ry, resulc
in
berrer business
PLAIN TRUTH November 1972
relarions, makc rhem an accepred,
inregrated pare of communiry life.
This, roo, is a direct oppositc from
che Bible ceaching.
" Blcssed Are the Meek"
There is a difference berween being
meek and being
tvtak.
Jesus was
MEEK
but not weak! Even chough He was
weakened physically when suffering
che terrible beacings and Jashi ngs
prior ro His crucifixion (Paul said,
" For chough he was crucified rhrough
weakness, yer he liveth by che power
of God ... "
JI
Cor.
13:4),
Jesus was
physically srrong and healrhy
rhroughout His earchly life.
Remember, Chrisr never sinned.
He obeyed perfecrly che physical laws
of God which regulare health and
srrcngrh, as well as the spiri cual laws.
Whar does ir mean ro be really
meek?
Look for examples in modern
Chrisrianiry. Where do you find very
much gentleness, kindness, yield–
edness? To be meek means ro yield
rarher than cause an argumem or
rrouble.
Ir
means ro be humble, ro be
lowly in spirir and attirude. A cruly
meek person will be Chrisrlike in
characrer.
Jcsus said, "Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me, for
I
am meek
and lowly in heart ..." (Mart.
11 :29).
Paul was inspired ro wrire, "I rhere–
fore ... beseech you that ye walk wor–
thy of rhe vocarion whercwirh ye are
called, with all lowliness and
meekness,
wich longsuffering, forbearing one
anorher in !ove ..." (Eph.
4: l-2).
A
truly meek person will nor try ro
j
ustify che self, ro feel che self is "ber–
ree" rhan orhers,
ro
"ger even" wirh
orhers. Rather, a meek person will be
imirating Christ.
Do
Yo u HUNGER for
Righceousness?
Jesus said, in che nexr of che
"bearirudes," "Biessed are rhey which
do hunger and rhirsr afrer righteous–
ness, for rhey shall be filled" (Matt.
5
:6).
Jusr what is righreousness? Ir is
ro be
right
rather than wrong.
le
is ro
fo llow rhe right way, rarher than rhe
wrong way, which seems "rigbt" ro a
man.
But more than that, what is rhe
Bible definirion of "righreousness"?
Ic's rhis: "All chy commandmenrs
are righceousness" (Psalm
ll9: L72).
The perfecr, holy, Ten Command–
menrs of God are righreousness.
In chis same fifth chaprer of Mar–
thew, Chrisr said, "Think
not
rhar
r
am come
ro
desrroy che law, or rhe
prophecs:
1
am
no!
come ro desrroy,
but ro fulfil" (verse
17).
And yer,
haven' t you always heard che cxact
opposi ce? Haven 't you always heard
Jesus carne
ro
do away with che Law?
Why have you heard chis? The
Biblc doesn'r say so - rarher, ir says
che exacr opposire. Norice ir. "Who–
soevcr rherefore shall break one of
rhese least commandmenrs, and shall
reach men so, he shall be called rhe
Jeasc in che kingdom of heaven: Bur
whosoever shall do and reach them,
rhe same shal l be called great in che
kingdom of heaven" (verse
19).
Chrisr was ralking abom che Law
of God; and in che same brearh, in
rhe same rhoughr, He explained He
was talking abour rhe way ro be righ–
tcous. "For
I
say unto you, rhat
except your righreousness [doing and
reaching God's Laws] shall exceed che
righreousness of che scribes and Phar–
isees, ye shall in no case emer inro che
kingdom of heavcn" (verse
20).
Chrisr said, "Nor every one thar
saith unro me, Lord, Lord, shall entcr
into che kingdom of heaven; bur he
that doerh che will of my Father
which is in heaven" (Man.
7:2l).
Jesus inspired Paul ro wrire, "Cir–
cumcision is nothing, and uncircum–
cision is norhing, bue [on che orher
hand, that which is imporranr is] che
keeping of the commandments o( God"
(1 Cor.
7:19).
This does not say sorne
supposed "new commandment" of
Jesus Chrisr. There is no way around
ir. There is no "spiricualizing" chis
plain scarement away.
Larer, we read in I Corinthians
13
rhar wirhour God's !ove we are norh–
ing. Unless we have real )ove in our
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