Fruit Of The Spirit: Gentleness

INTRO: I remember first holding Eleanor, my first thoughts were full of love and pride, my second thoughts were “I’m gonna break this thing if I’m not careful.” and that was the first few months! “Fragile Handle with Care” — you candle it gently, or gingerly, very carefully.

(PPT) Gentleness = prautes, it carries with it the sense of humility and meekness.

Gentleness in our world is associated with fragility, and even weakness.

Gentleness goes directly against the way the world works.

From a majorities perspective if you’re gentle, you’re weak or cowardly.

To be successful in this world, the world says you must have certain traits or virtues like power and aggression, not being afraid to go get what you want and hustle and grind to get there. Our culture values the powerful, those who assert their will and step over or step on whoever you have to in order to get to the top. And so from a worldly perspective, who wants to be meek? No job interview would go to well when you say your best quality is your gentleness...Why? Because we don’t understand gentleness as a biblical virtue, one that originates with and is exemplified in Jesus.

It doesn’t come down to you having to choose being powerful or being gentle and weak.

(PPT) Because gentleness doesn’t mean no power, it means know how to apply it just right. Its application in the right way, at the right time, in the right amount.

To be gentle is not to be weak. God wouldn’t call you to be weak in mind, body, or spirit. A weak person wouldn’t be able to stand for the truth and live contrary to the world, and that’s what we’re all called to do.

Illustration: One of the best illustrations of gentleness that I’m sure you’ve heard is how a horse is bridled and trained. Instead of running wild and rampant, it’s brought under control and is useful. Before when it was wild, it wasn’t useful to you, but when trained and made to be gentle it can be. BUT that doesn’t mean the horses strength and power is done away with. Instead it’s harnessed and used at the appropriate times in the appropriate ways. The same is true for disciples of Christ. Once you’re brought under control of Jesus, you still are who you are and what you can do can be useful for God instead of worldliness.

When I stop and consider that, I think of Paul.

Paul was an extremely zealous pharisee. He even describes the life he lived prior to Christ in Philippians 3. He was a cut above the rest, very capable, very smart, very actionable...but used for all the wrong reasons and in the wrong way.

A harmful wild “horse” brought under control, and then that ZEAL was used in the right way for God.

Titus 3:1–2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, demonstrating all gentleness to all men.”

Gentleness in Jesus

The world sees victory one way, but God sees it another.

Jesus’ triumphal entry looked vastly different than the cultures parade of victories. Matthew 21:5, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”

They wanted someone who would ride in a warhorse, not a donkey. They wanted someone who would carry a sword, not a cross. They wanted someone that would take things by force, not turn the other cheek and go the extra mile. They wanted someone who would defeat the Romans and others, not be killed by them...

The one who could’ve called 10,000 angels did not - He didn’t to the powerful thing that brought immediate relief, he did the immensely more powerful thing which was defeating the power of death. When you look at the cross, you shouldn’t only think “someone died for me”. There is way more to it than that. Colossians 2:15 “Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.” He was victorious though to the world He looked like He was at His weakest.

And Jesus invites into that same way of living.

Christians who are tamed and under divine control have a confidence and humble spirit that successfully makes known the Gospel and Christ in a power happy world. We don’t have to be mousy or weak, in fact we have to be the opposite.

Matthew 11:29 “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.”

tired. worn out. burn out from oppressive religious tradition. This invitation was for those that had been burdened with the harshness of the Pharisees legalistic view of the law.

Being faithful to Jesus is more than just saying “I’m a Christian”. There must be action, in fact the invitation is to continually walk with Jesus. Remember also Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit.”

Whats a yoke? Sometimes used negatively, Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

But here its used positively. It’s something that is often used to refer to something as oppressive...but Jesus is different! Why a yoke then? Because there is still an expectation of you and I in our lives.

The good news is that His isn’t a burden, and He’s there with us! He nor the yoke is harsh and burdensome. He’s gentle. The invitation is instead to walking next to Jesus, being yoked with Him.

Notice how Jesus dealt with people.

How did Jesus handle the woman at the well?

She jested at Him, accused Him, she herself was a morally appalling! But Jesus didn’t say “you’re just a lost cause”, He gave her gentle but pointed responses and showed genuine interest in her well being, telling her that He cared and wanted to offer her the key to eternal life!

How did He handle the crowds who pressed Him seeking the miracles? He sat them down, fed them, taught them, because he had compassion for them in their lost and misdirected walks.

Jesus didn’t judge the stumbles, He judged the walks. Jesus knows we’re going to stumble, that’s why 1 John 1:7 says “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

With them and many others, and of course with us, Jesus teaches us and turns us away from our failures in a gentle way. He doesn’t say “you know if you feel like it”. He stepped on toes and hearts when He needed to, He spoke softer to those that needed it, and He was wise in how He dealt with each individual. There is a level of wisdom and social awareness that plays into being gentle.

We as the Church follow the example of Jesus - He is in the people buisness, so we are in the people business. I need to learn how to deal with people then in the best ways I can, and everyone is different and has different needs! But thank God He’s the one growing us in maturity and wisdom then.

How Is There Gentleness In/Through Us?

When we’re yoked with Jesus, things in our life will start to look different! The way we talk, the way we listen, the way we react to people and situations...and if there is not a noticeable difference in our life in these ways and more then we need to take a serious evaluation of our walk with Jesus. Because when we walk with Him its inevitable that you will be continually growing in a God-ward direction!

Ephesians 4:1–3 “Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Gentleness is directly tied to how we walk. Not just what we believe, but how we interact. How we correct. How we confront. How we lead.

Avoidance isn’t gentleness! In fact, gentleness is part of a response to someone or something that is threatening in some way.

Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, even if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each of you looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

2 Timothy 2:24–25 “And the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to the full knowledge of the truth,”

There have been many who continually teach and do wrong things as it pertains to the Church. But you know what I also have personally seen? I have seen people teach things that are wrong and advocate for something that isn’t right, not because of defiance to God, but out of an honest mistake and lack of knowledge that is easily course corrected with the right approach, and I’ve done that and seen others do that too. But in the same situations I’ve seen those with a simple and honest misunderstanding lashed out against by members of the Church, confronted in harsh and angry ways, and because of that discouraged from any participation and even chased away — and that is wrong.

I’m not discouraging passion and real conversations. But I’ve heard a foolish excuse before saying “well they’re just passionate” — no, they’re mean and speak hatefully. And God calls us to be wise and gentle, knowing the right things to say and the right manner to say them. You can’t always say things in a soothing tone, but if you’re only tone is one that your face turns red then you’re in the wrong...we’re only as spiritually mature as our weakest fruit.

(PPT) Gentleness is a sign of maturity. So much in fact that it’s mentioned in Paul’s direction for what an Elder of the Church needs to be. In 1 Timothy 3:3 “not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money;” pugnacious or violent your version might say means quick to be combative, easily ready to be a overly argumentative and a hotheaded bully. There are too many adults that are overgrown bullies and not humbling themselves to be tempered by God.

I’ll admit, the combative nature is me to a T. And so I’ll tell you how I humble myself and shoot for gentleness. I take Proverbs 29:11 to heart that says “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” And you hold it back until you know for certain after thinking it through and thinking through every possible scenario you can come up with “This is how Jesus would respond”, and you take a breathe, and gently respond in the right manner.

Gentleness matters. In fact, it’s make or break when it comes to unity in the Church. Which is part of the reason Paul is inspired to write in in Galatians 5 as part of the fruit of the spirit. Because in 5:15 he warns that we don’t devour one another, but instead deal with one another by what is pleasing to God and what Jesus Himself as shown us.

Are you contributing to the unity of the Church? Or are you threatening to it? Make the decision to not just follow Jesus and become saved at baptism, but make the everyday conscious decision to keep walking with Him.