Throughout His life Jesus Christ continuously reminded us with His words and His actions that He was meek and lowly of heart. People tend to conflate meekness with weakness, not least of all because the two words rhyme. But more importantly, there is the assumption that in an occasion where one's strength and power is questioned, the appropriate response is always a display of force. It is true that strong people often can't resist showing off their strength at every opportunity, but meek people keep their strength harnessed and held in reserve for the exact right moment. For every time that Jesus turned the other cheek and refused to take the bait when he was offered insult after insult, it might have been easy for those around Him to forget just how strong He was. But for anyone who was present when He chose to lay bare His power, Mighty is the only possible way to describe Him. When He cast out the money changers from the temple grounds, overturning sacks of coins and scattering livestock, none of the guards that the merchants and the temple undoubtedly employed dared to stand against Him. When all of the most learned scribes and Pharisees and lawyers used all of their learning and sophistry and laid their most cunning traps, the Savior cut through them like He wasn't even trying. Jesus faced down a screaming mob that tried to seize Him and throw Him off a cliff but they could not lay their hands on Him. A whole platoon of soldiers staggered back in terror from a single unarmed man. Even the winds and the seas obeyed this Mighty God and death itself could not resist His command. Like Atlas of Greek mythology, Jesus Christ bore the weight of the world upon His shoulders and He did not flinch. However powerful the forces arrayed against us may seem, Jesus Christ is far, far mightier. Let us therefore go forth with faith and not fear, because our Savior has strength enough and to spare to help us overcome any obstacles in our way.
