The Heart of Jesus is Gentle and Humble

When I was graduating from high school, my parents wrote a beautiful note of encouragement to me.  They exhorted me to be strong, yet gentle.  I remember pondering how one could be both strong and gentle simultaneously.   

I still recall their advice these many years later, so they certainly made an impression.

In chapter 11 of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs His followers, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

It's clear from the number of times that gentleness is mentioned in the Bible that it is an important Christian virtue.  Numerous Biblical writers speak of gentleness, and it is a common theme in the Apostle Paul's letters and epistles.  

• When writing to the church at Philippi, Paul said, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."  (Philippians 4:4-5)
• Paul reminded the Galatian church that, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."  (Galatians 5:22-23)
• To the church at Colossi, Paul said, "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)
• Paul told the Ephesian church to "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2)
• When writing to Titus, Paul instructed him, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone." (Titus 3:1-2)
• And, when writing to his disciple, Timothy, Paul exclaimed, "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." (I Timothy 6:11)

In our day (and perhaps in every age before us), gentleness is sometimes confused with weakness.  That is probably why, at 18 years-old,  I had to spend time pondering how a man can be both gentle and strong at the same time.

Recently, I was reading a Bible study for young people that defined gentleness this way: "Gentleness is controlled power." (Quoted with permission from https://ministrytoyouth.com/) 

For example, gentleness is knowing you have the wit to abuse someone with your words, but choosing to use kind, encouraging words instead.  Gentleness is recognizing that you may be cleverer than others, and choosing to use your mental strength to help them instead of manipulating or controlling them.  Gentleness is possessing the power to harm or oppress a person or group of people, but choosing to heal or lift them up instead.

Gentleness is controlled power, rather than weakness.  

We see gentleness when we see two boys quarreling, but they restrain themselves from getting physical.

We see gentleness when we see frustrated spouses, siblings, parents, or children who manage their anger without becoming violent or hurling insults at one another.

We see gentleness when we see someone pick up a baby bird that has fallen from its nest, when we see a mother or father caring for their newborn baby, and when we see a big brother or sister helping a younger sibling.  

We see gentleness when we see a teacher or professor spending time tutoring a struggling student, a business executive patiently coaching an aspiring worker, a friend providing a strong shoulder to cry on, a priest or pastor listening to someone's heartfelt confession of sin.  

We see gentleness when we observe a physical therapist helping an elderly or disabled patient, a first-responder rendering aid to someone in crisis, or a soldier carrying his comrade-in-arms off the field of battle to safety.  

These are all examples of "controlled power," rather than weakness.

Jesus lived out this virtue according to the Four Gospels.  Jesus was sometimes stern with His audience and could be very direct at times, but we see beautiful depictions of Jesus' "controlled power" when He is called to pass judgment on the woman caught in adultery, when He is asked by Martha to condemn her sister Mary, when He meets the adulterous woman at the well, when He meets with Nicodemus at night, and when He calms the tumultuous sea.  Likewise, when two of Jesus' followers ask to call fire down upon an inhospitable town, Jesus rebukes them.  

The premise behind God's instructions in the Old and New Testaments to protect orphans, widows, the hungry, and the helpless is for each of us to recognize the gifts, talents, privileges, position, and power that we have over other people and to use those things to bless rather than to curse, to give rather than take, to raise up rather than to crush, to encourage rather than criticize, to treat honestly rather than exploit, to feed rather than starve, to heal rather than hurt, and to protect rather than ignore.  

It only makes sense then, that Jesus, as Son of God, would have a heart that is gentle and humble.  God incarnate (God living in a human body) is "controlled power," for God has the power to judge and destroy, but has instead offers us His grace, mercy, and love.

We should take Paul's words to heart then, when he says, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."  (Philippians 4:4-5)  In saying this, Paul is telling us to have a heart like that of Jesus: a gentle and humble heart.