How to inherit the Earth

By Thomas Guenther and ChristianWeek | July 25, 2011

In a word, How to Inherit the Earth is an interpretation. There's a ton of discussion concerning Jesus' teaching, who He was and what was He really had to say about poverty and submission when He said, â€œBlessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Author Scott Bessenecker explains meekness, obedience and Christian servitude as pillars the Kingdom of heaven; it's not about flashy power-ties and overfilled mega church parking lots.

Bessenecker claims the church - timeless and universal - should be filled with people looking not to get rich with every material blessing they desire, but seeking qualities Jesus exemplified with His life, such as submission to authorities and servant leadership. Followers are rare, writes Bessenecker, but the powerful, charismatic, trend-setter wannabees are a dime-a-dozen. The radical followership, as Bessenecker calls it, is the voluntary surrender of our own sense of entitlement.

Anyone looking to understand the phrase about living â€œin the world but not of it" should read this book. Bessenecker offers a radical view of the Christian life that is decidedly against the mainstream. His suggested way of life, in my opinion, won't work for everyone because not everyone is called to poverty. There are wealthy Christians who serve God very well with their money. I believe poverty is a calling. But what Bessenecker is talking about is so much more than voluntary simplicity. Submission, in all its facets, is his true goal.

Jesus submitted to God, to His disciples and to the authorities that hated Him; He was obedient to the grave and beyond. If submission was what Christ chose, we, as His followers, are called to it as well. That part of Bessenecker's message is practical.

Open this book and be willing to learn; no one can fill a cup that's already full. Then apply submission to your own life; at work, home, driving, watching TV. Everyone can kneel and give of themselves - Jesus did.