Once upon a time, so the legend goes, there was a man named Xenophon who loved horses. He loved horses so much that he wrote an entire treatise “On Horsemanship.” (This part is true. You could stop reading this and go buy it on Amazon, right now.) This little manual digs deep into the selection, training, and care of horses—including horses trained for war. Legend has it that, when it came to war horses, Xenophon used the word “meek” to describe these dangerous beasts. Therefore, “meek” means “power under control.”
Anyone who has ever heard a sermon on “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5) has heard that “meek is not weak.” This rhymes, which is satisfying. Unfortunately, it is based on a fairy tale. The legend simply isn’t true.
Xenophon does use “meek” words (noun, adjective, adverb) a handful of times,[1] but the only time he specifically calls a group of horses “meek,” they aren’t war horses. After being at the grind all day long, work horses tend to congregate and just stand there sedately. Or, as Xenophon puts it, “meekly.” This is hardly the picture of restrained ferocity that the legend requires. In fact, Xenophon also refers to other animals as “meek”—like farm animals and fish. No “hidden superhero” vibes, here.
Meekness has nothing to do with whether someone has power or not. It’s concerned with something else. So what gave this legend legs? Put “meekness and war horses” in a search engine, and AI will weave this tale anew. It’s everywhere. Why did we embrace “meekness is power under control” so enthusiastically, sources un-cited?
Fear.
“Why did we embrace ‘meekness is power under control’ so enthusiastically, sources un-cited? Fear.”
We want “meekness” to mean “power under control” because we are terrified of being powerless. We believe there are things we cannot afford to lose, and that it is up to us to protect them. These beliefs are, of course, both false and fundamentally un-Christian. But rather than being honest about them so Jesus can deal with our fear, we’d rather hedge our bets. Sure, unrestrained brutality is unsavory, but we’d like to keep some restrained brutality in reserve just in case we need it. God may not show up, so we need to make sure we don’t lose.
We need power.
Yet there is paradox and deep irony in the nature of power. Webster defines “power” as “influence” or “the ability to produce an effect.” Most often, we view power as the ability to coerce someone into doing something they wouldn’t otherwise do. We have “power” if we can impose our will on someone else. We could call this “Empire power.”
Empire power can look successful. It often “produces an effect.” But forcing our will on others makes them feel power-less. This increases alienation and hostility. They, in turn, search for a way to exert power over us. This increases the danger we are in which, ironically, increases our fear. Empire power actually makes us feel less safe. That’s why Empires are compelled to accumulate power endlessly.
“Empire power actually makes us feel less safe. That’s why Empires are compelled to accumulate power endlessly.”
Yet there is another way to exert influence or have an effect—one that isn’t about coercing anyone to do anything. “Kingdom power” (as in, the Kingdom of God) is rooted in trust in God. It is motivated by love, not fear. And it is not about forcing; it is about giving. Kingdom power can transform others because, when they see us empty ourselves for them in love, they realize that we are not a threat. Their fear diminishes, and we can actually come together. It may sound pie-in-the-sky, but Kingdom power actually has better long-term results than Empire power could ever dream of.[2]
Kingdom power involves approaching people entirely differently. We could characterize this approach as “meekness.” In fact, Xenophon does use “meek” words several times to describe how trainers approach their horses. “Meek” is not the horse. It’s the horse whisperer. A horse is a flight animal. If you come at it hard, it’s going to bolt. Instead, you have to be as slow and comforting as possible. As a friend who has worked with horses a bit told me, “You have to be 100% gentle.”
“Gentle” is how we often translate “meek”—for instance, in the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). The few New Testament examples we have of people being gentle or meek are teachers (Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:25) and submissive wives (1 Peter 3:1-4). Both are trying (and succeeding) to exert influence, but there is no element of coercion whatsoever. If power is simply influence, the New Testament holds out meekness as a radically different kind of power.
“Meek is not the horse. It’s the horse whisperer.”
However, not everyone who is meek is choosing it as a strategy. The poor “people of the land” in the Old Testament are occasionally described as “meek” (Psalm 76:9). That’s not a decision they made. They couldn’t exercise Empire power if they wanted to. They had none. In the Empire’s eyes, they were most definitely “weak.” The defining characteristic of “meekness” is, in fact, that someone is NOT exercising Empire power. They are not trying to control or dominate anyone. Jesus tells the powerless meek that they are a step ahead because they don’t have that temptation.
The irony is that, for those who deliberately choose meekness, meekness is not weakness. Those who choose meekness are immovable because they have no fear. They are grounded in a reality that Empire power can’t touch. Their treasures are not in this world, and they trust that a loving God is watching out for them. Moreover, the worst possible consequence—that they could die—is, in fact, the greatest victory of all.
Jesus is their meek example (Matthew 11:29; 21:5). A guy hanging on a cross isn’t forcing anyone to do anything. Instead of exercising Empire power to coerce others, he exercised Kingdom power to give himself entirely. And that exercise of Kingdom power is what brings healing to the world.
“A guy hanging on a cross isn’t forcing anyone to do anything.”
If your “gut check” is to balk at any of this, if you want to respond, “Yeah, but . . .,” just ask yourself—what are you afraid of? You are the skittish horse. Let the Meek One approach you and begin to guide you. Only by bringing your fear to Jesus can you trade Empire for Kingdom and discover that the meek “shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
[1] Kudos to Marg Mowczko for tracking down Xenophon’s use of prau- words— “The Greek Word ‘Praus’ and Meek War Horses,” Marg Mowczko, July 20, 2020, https://margmowczko.com/meek-warhorses-praus/.
[2] I won’t flesh this out more because it is a main point of the chapter on “Meek” in my book Sermon on the Mount: 40 Days of Learning the Ways of the Kingdom.
