Gentle Jesus! Is he really meek and mild?

 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22.

Dear Friend and Reader,

 Did you ever recite the children’s prayer?

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,

Look upon this little child.

Pity my simplicity

Suffer me to come to Thee. Charles Wesley.

 When we think of Jesus, his gentleness and self-control are foremost. He showed it by his lovingkindness. We respond to his gentleness when he invites us to rely on him.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.” Matthew 11:28,29.

  Jesus not only said he was humble, but he lived it.

At dawn Jesus appeared again in the temple courts among the gathering, and he sat down to teach them. The law teachers and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group…

"Teacher, this woman committed adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?"

They were using this question as a trap to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. When they kept tossing questions at him, he straightened up.

“Let the one among you free from sin cast the initial stone at her.”

Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

The listeners departed gradually, the eldest first, until Jesus stood alone with the woman. He arose, fixing his gaze on her.

 “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

       “No one, sir.”

“Then neither do I condemn you. Leave your sinful life.”

(Selected from John 8:1-11.)

The law teachers and Pharisees considered this woman trash. Yet, whatever Jesus wrote in the dust condemned them. He set them straight without speaking. He knew the law better than anyone because his Heavenly Father had written it with his finger on the stone tablets which Moses received on Mount Sinai.

To Jesus, she was defenceless and broken. She was a sinner among sinners, but Jesus came to save the lost, and he rescued her from stoning. He offered her grace and mercy when he, the only righteous person in the situation, had the right to condemn her. He didn’t condone her sin, but he advised her to leave it behind. Did Jesus impress her so much that she trusted him to change her lifestyle? Although John, the author, doesn’t reveal how she reacted, she must have warmed to his gentleness and the dignity he gave her.

A friend and I discussed whether Jesus was gentle in his dealings with men. He rebuked these Pharisees, and yet he showed gentleness toward humble men seeking pardon.

His disciple, Peter, denied Jesus three times. I wonder if I would have done the same in the circumstances, given Peter’s life was threatened by his association with Jesus. Yet, after the resurrection, Jesus called Peter to apostleship. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him more than the other disciples, not because he craved Peter’s love, but because he had forgiven Peter, and he was transforming him into a humble, obedient apostle who would minister to the young church. Although Jesus could have condemned Peter and the fleeing disciples, he gently rebuked Peter and accepted his repentant heart. Apart from Judas, they all repented and gave their lives to his service.

And what about children? Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Ancient Israelite elders blessed individuals by placing their hands on their heads. Genesis 48:14-15.) These parents recognized Jesus was gentle, trustworthy, and he preached love and kindness. Jesus’s blessing and prayer confirmed it.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:13-15.

Although a rebuke may be appropriate in some circumstances, gentleness sweetens the sting.

When Paul wrote to the Galatian church, he gave this advice:

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him with gentleness.” Instead of condemning or shaming publicly, their role involved leading the offender to repentance. It is so easy to heap shame, to feel we are better than others, and to believe we would never fall into similar sins. But humility and self-control applied with gentleness reap repentance and peace. Jesus praised humility and condemned pride that elevates us above others and denies God our genuine worship. He washed his disciples’ feet, knowing they would desert him, ever the gentle servant while remaining the King of kings.

 

As we conclude this blog series, I have discovered Jesus revealed every fruit of the Holy Spirit throughout his life and ministry. He is altogether lovely, our glorious Lord Jesus and Savior. Have you discovered his beauty? Do you marvel at his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? When his character influences us, he guides and blesses us, and we will influence those around us. If you don't know Jesus, you'll find him in the Gospels. Maybe, start with John's gospel. 

Yes, the world needs love, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. John 3:16. If you call out to him in humility and repentance, he'll never cast you aside.

Blessings in his name, and we will meet again when you return to the blog. 

With love and prayers,

Janet