Untitled Sermon (2)

Gentleness

Gentleness Is Not Weakness

We will begin by considering the fact that gentleness is not a weakness.

“Gentle Jesus, meek and humble.” Jesus is often portrayed as gentle in poems and songs.

Yet his “gentleness” some may think of it as a weakness.

In Matthew 21 we discover that there is strength in his gentleness and gentleness in his strength.

In Verses 1-10, we see the meekness of a King riding through town on a donkey.

During this time Kings used horses to parade in the towns square because horses were taller and stronger. The King sat above the crowd and not with them. Maybe we can see it as a posture of pride. You don't see eye to eye with someone when being in a high place.

Riding on a donkey they are much smaller and maybe Jesus saw it as being among the people not above them when we all know he truly was but a humble King who truly is for his people.

We see His strength through his meekness.

the very next verses 10-17 we get to see Jesus in a different light.

He is in the temple and seeing the corrupt collectors in His righteous anger he overturned tables and rebuked them declaring to them “My house shall be called a house of prayer” and exposing what they have made it “a den of thieves”.

Right after this the blind and the lame came to Him and he healed them.

Gentleness for the weak.

Having condemned the wrong use of the temple He now showed them the right use of it.

Next, we will talk about being gentle with our words.

Proverbs 15:1 says a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This verse suggests that there is power in gentle words.

I am still amazed at my husband's gentle response when I am angry. His tender words defuse a potentially explosive situation. He for sure brings balance to me. I grew up in a rough environment.

anger was always something shown in our family, gentleness was not.

on the other hand, my husband grew up in a Christian home his mother is the most gentle person I have ever meet.

She bears the fruit of the spirit of gentleness. That is something my husband learned and now operates out of himself.

I'm still growing in it.

The New Bible Commentary: Revised says this the Hebrew suggests a harsh word is one that hurts… Gentle speech is healing, life-giving; twisted speech can crush people.

Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

A gentle tongue speaks truth and life but a piercing tongue kills the soul.

This makes me think of plants.

They say if you speak to your plants they will grow.

If our words have the power to help a plant grow imagine what our words can do to one another.