Session 2: Meekness isn't weakness

So, what is going on here?  Was Jesus really advocating that the world belongs to timid, submissive men?  Of course not.  Paul tells us that 'God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline' (2 Timothy 1:7).  Yet, the average western church has defined good Christian men as being ‘nice guys’.  We ask our men to be the socks and sandals type: meek, mild-mannered, well-read, nice men who wouldn’t say boo to a goose.  That is not what Jesus intended. 

The world selects its leaders very differently - preferring highly charismatic, aggressive, driven men who will stop at nothing to achieve their version of success (not all of course).  But we have seen where that gets the world - both in the Bible and thereafter - financial crashes, wars, famines, climate emergencies and so on.  Certainly, this was not God's will either.  

So what went wrong?  Well, the answer lies in the simple fact that our our western culture  hasn't understood the true meaning and origin of the word used by Jesus in Matthew 5:5.   That's because our English language does not have an adequate word to translate it.  The early Greek translation for the type of gentleness Jesus was describing was 'praus', which has a very unique meaning.  We settled for 'meek'. 

Oh, what a different world we would live in if the majority of men pursued 'praus' character. Nations would prosper, communities would thrive, wives would flourish and children would bloom.    So let's get into it what Praus means.  

The meaning of praus

For too long, the world has taught us that meek = weak. That's because our western culture hasn't understood the true meaning and origin of the word used by Jesus.  If they did, all men would aspire to meekness, such is its power. 

​In the early Greek translation, that word was 'Praus', and it was most commonly used by the warriors of Ancient Greece to describe the process of taming wild horses and transforming them into ‘war horses’. 

In their wild state, these horses were physically impressive, but their strength and power was used recklessly.  They were slaves to their emotion, making them aimless and needlessly aggressive.  

To turn them into war horses, the Greek warriors put them through a rigorous conditioning process.  Very few came out the other side.  Some died, others broke down.  All but a remarkable minority failed to master their emotion, leaving them unable to control their great strength and power.

The elite minority of horses who became a war horse, were  described as – you guessed it - 'praus' or 'meek'.  

​The praus horse was just as strong, powerful, fast, fearless and impressive as it was in its former wild state.  But now it had all of this immense strength under control.  All of its power was bottled up and used for a greater purpose. 

Revered and respected by the toughest of warriors, these horses channelled their immense power at the slightest touch of their rider.  

The praus horse was a brave, courageous, fearless beast, that performed incredible feats for their master.  Wars were won on their backs.  These horses stood apart from their peers, distinguished by the fact they learned to master themselves, bringing all of their immense strength and power under control.  

That’s what Jesus meant when he said, "blessed are the meek".  He wasn’t telling people to lie down and take abuse.  He wasn’t telling people to be ‘door-mats’.  He wasn’t demanding people remain silent in the face of injustice.  He was telling us that the world would belong to the remarkable few that managed to control their power and use it in a way that brought the Kingdom to any situation. 

That’s why the Praus movement exists.  To develop great men with immense strength, contained and controlled for the betterment of others. 

Blessed are the praus men for they will inherit the earth. 

You know the drill. Click through to read the relevant scriptures for this session. Then come back and answer the following questions:

• Now you understand the meaning behind the word 'praus', how does that change things for you?

• Why do you think Jesus said the people who can control their great strength are more effective than those who cannot? Why might they 'inherit the earth?'

• How did David demonstrate praus character in today's scripture?

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:1-22