THE BEATITUDES # 3

 

HEY! YOU HAVE BANANAS IN YOUR EARS…

 Didn’t you hear me??

What?

You have bananas in your ears!

Oh – I didn’t hear you because I have bananas in my ears.

 

Welcome to Monday with a mission –

Today’s mission is to talk about the third Beatitude.

Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5

 

And what exactly does having bananas in my ears have to do with the meek?

 

WELL, I’M GLAD YOU ASKED…

 

When my husband was a young college student his pastor at the time came into the sanctuary with bananas stuck in his ears.

That was the conversation- “hey you have bananas in your ears – and – I didn’t hear you, I had bananas in my ears” –  that went on between the pastor and a member of the congregation.

Now, my husband remembers that visual connection between the pastor with bananas in his ears and the message he delivered that day, quite a few years ago, probably over 50 years ago .

The message is one that we can store in our minds and hearts to remind us of what being “meek” is all about and what it is not.

Do you have bananas in your ears when it comes to God’s Word and what it truly means?

And then what the world wants us to believe it means?

SO, the opposite of meekness is defined by Merriam-Webster as egotistic, pompous, haughty, and aggressive.

With this being the opposite of meekness, I would certainly WANT to be labeled as meek, wouldn’t you?

I would want to stay as far away from being egotistical, pompous, haughty, or aggressive as I could.

A picture of meekness isn’t being a doormat or silent in the face of injustice.

 

TAKE THE BANANA OUT OF YOUR EAR AND LISTEN TO THE LOVE AND KINDNESS THAT CHRIST SHOWED THROUGH HIS BOLDNESS.

 

That boldness continued with the Disciples – such as in Acts 4:31

“When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.”

That tells us to NOT to retaliate when wronged. We go to God in prayer and then – we take the bananas out of our ears – as we listen to His guidance.

Not necessarily hearing, but feeling, and knowing. The banana is a vision of a plug so to speak. A plug that the world would like us to keep so they can “use” God’s Word against us. Like – Doesn’t your Bible tell you to be meek?

GO, PREACH TO THE WORLD…

 

The Disciples were told  in Mark 16:15

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

 

As we go into the world and preach the news of Jesus Christ we will experience the egotistical, pompous, haughty, and aggressive people who have a banana in their ear.

Meekness does not mean to stay quiet when there are injustices or sit back when we know of abuse or a list of many things that our being quiet could result in unnecessary trials.

Acts 4:29-30 says

“And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

As we live this life that God has planned for us, we can speak with courage because our greatest desire should be to live a life that brings glory to God.

 

Our life can be filled with trials but when we walk through those trials without a banana in our ear and show our love for Christ in all we do we can be humbled to walk with “meekness” in knowing we will live with Christ and inherit the earth.

2 Corinthians 3:12 says –

‘Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness,”

We can behave with great boldness and walk with meekness as we –

diffuse a fire before it gets out of hand –

find joy in Christ –

speak up with love and kindness –

trust in God’s plan –

and – have a servant’s heart.

 

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of everything we need. Yes, everything. Let us be found meek, meek with the boldness of standing for Christ and bringing glory to God in all we do.  In Jesus Name AMEN