阅读经文 

当我们听到温柔或顺从这个词时，我们可能认为它与软弱的意思相同。我们可能会想到我们工作场所里一个从不为自己出头的人，或者一个紧张的学生，每当老师叫她的时候就会脸红。我们可能认为温柔意味着在别人面前表现得像个受气包。而谁想成为这样的人呢？

然而，温顺实际上是指在做出选择时，把别人放在自己前面。我的一个朋友将温顺描述为克制的力量，为了他人的益处而放下你的利益、你的权威或你的力量。

耶稣呼召我们要像祂一样顺从。耶稣与天父原为一，但祂却离开天上，成为一个无助的婴孩。耶稣让自己经历出牙期和青春期、忍受饥饿和干渴、包容争吵的门徒和不舒服的床。当耶稣被逮捕时，如果祂愿意，祂本可以倾泻祂的愤怒，摧毁整个罗马帝国。但祂却选择接受嘲弄和殴打，忍受被吊在十字架上的剧痛，接受死亡。耶稣表现出顺从，使你和我能够从罪中释放出来，使我们能够与神和好。

作为门徒，我们现在蒙召去像耶稣一样生活。祂呼召我们向自己死，背起我们自己的十字架。祂呼召我们放下我们的力量和特权，把别人引向基督和祂的国度。

When we hear the word meek, or meekness, we might think it means the same as weakness. We might picture a guy in our workplace who never stands up for himself, or a nervous student who blushes whenever a teacher calls on her. We might think that being meek means acting like a doormat around others. And who wants to be like that?

Meekness, however, is actually about making the choice to put someone ahead of yourself. A friend of mine describes meekness as restrained strength, laying down your rights, your authority, or your power for the sake of another.

Jesus calls us to be meek as he is meek. Jesus is one with the Father, and yet he left heaven and became a helpless baby. Jesus subjected himself to teething and puberty, hunger and thirst, bickering disciples and uncomfortable beds. When Jesus was arrested, he could have poured out his wrath and destroyed the entire Roman Empire if he wanted to. But instead he chose to accept the taunting and beating, the excruciating pain of hanging on a cross, and death. Jesus displayed meekness so that you and I could be free from our sin, so that we could be made right with God.

As disciples, we are now called to go and live like Jesus. He calls us to die to ourselves and to carry our own cross. He calls us to lay down our power and privilege as we point others to Christ and his kingdom.