There Is No Law Against Gentleness

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Matthew 11:25–30 NIV

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal 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.”

Who Wants To Be Gentle?

Of all the Fruits of the Spirit, gentleness is the one that I have worked hardest to avoid.

When I walked into a Marine recruiter’s office in 1997, I don’t recall stating a desire to receive training in gentleness!

Upon joining active duty as a chaplain, it was to my horror that I was introduced to a squadron as “a gentle Marine.”

If you know many Marines, “gentle” is not the way we prefer to be introduced!

I’ve also heard, “I can’t believe you were a Marine!”

And the hits just keep on coming...I’ve been referred to as a Golden Retriever, Mr. Rogers, sweet, and a whole litany of other words and phrases I don’t particularly like!

Some of you may be entirely comfortable with gentleness.

The world has much to learn from you.

Many of us have not experienced gentleness in the Godly ways it shows up in Scripture.

We have instead struggled with the sense that gentleness is the art of getting bulldozed by other people and learning to like it.

It never asserts and always defends or defers.

It never wins and always loses.

It has no boundaries and would be powerless to enforce those boundaries anyway

In a word, many of us have tended to see gentleness as weakness.

It has no backbone, no courage, no ability to defend, never dissents, always gives in, and cannot fight back.

None of these characteristics define Biblical gentleness.

In fact, in Scripture and throughout Greek, Christian, and Jewish history, gentleness was defined as a great strength.

We start this morning with the reminder that we have the privilege of gentleness in Galatians 5:22-23 and in Matthew 11:29.

Gentle Strength

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

And Again...

Matthew 11:29 NIV

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.

The root word for gentleness in both passages today is praus.

Depending on context, it is defined as “gentle, meek, humble, considerate, not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance...”

We consistently find the gentleness and humility of God in Scripture.

Perhaps you’ve struggled over the idea that Jesus seems gentle and compassionate, but the same is not true of God in the Old Testament.

On the contrary, we read in Isaiah 40:11:

The Father

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Have you ever thought of God carrying us close to His heart?

Very often we tend to think of God as stern and thundering.

Reality is the opposite...

In 1 Kings 19 we read this interaction between God and Elijah, the prophet:

1 Kings 19:11–13 (NIV)

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

It’s almost as if God is saying, “You expect me in the mighty displays, but I am as close as a whisper.”

God doesn’t show in the mighty wind, or the earthquake, or the fire.

Where is he?

1 Kings 19:12

And after the fire came a GENTLE whisper.

God the Father is gentle, and we shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus is therefore gentle.

The Son

Matthew 11:29 NIV

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.

Even in rebuke, Jesus demonstrates gentleness...

We read in Matthew 23:17:

Matthew 23:37 NIV

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

This gentleness is demonstrated consistently as the church is learning to live out the teachings of Jesus:

In fact, Paul is attacked by the Corinthian Church for modeling gentleness in person while being bold in his letters. In 2 Cor 10 we read:

Early Church

2 Corinthians 10:1–2 NIV

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

Ah, the old “timid” canard.

Remember the “gentleness is weakness” canard we began with this morning?

The Corinthian Church apparently made the same error.

They assumed that because Paul was mild in demeanor, that he was also weak.

Arrogant people often have a way mistaking humility and gentleness for weakness.

It’s likely that a few people in the Corinthian Church took issue with this statement in Paul’s first letter, found in 1 Cor 4:21:

1 Corinthians 4:21 NIV

What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

Some leaders in the Corinthian Church didn’t take kindly to that statement, hence the second letter response.

As I was working through these passages, it seemed to me a bit like the early church version of “I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT TO MY FACE!”

I’m imagining a social media war.

Maybe if Paul had added some emojis to his letters...A smiley face here, a shocked face there, or a “just kidding, lol...”

In seriousness, re-examining Paul’s tone has led me to think a bit differently about some of his more difficult writings.

We tend to read a harsh spirit whenever we come across something that hits home.

Perhaps that’s more a matter of the voice we have within ourselves than the voice Paul directs toward us.

Indeed, beyond any individual sin of commission, Paul most strongly and firmly rebukes hypocrisy, arrogance, and judgement of others.

This is why Paul exhorts us in Eph 4:1-3:

Ephesians 4:1–3 NIV

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Benefits of Gentleness

That’s all well and good, but perhaps you’re wondering how gentleness is of any practical benefit in this world.

Jesus died on a cross.

Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually executed.

All true. I would firstly point you to the reminder that much of the Christian life is distinguishing true life from false promises of life.

In Matthew 16: 24-26 we read...

Matthew 16:24–26 (NIV)

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

We tend to think of this denying as one in which we give up our physical bodies.

In my own life it has been more about giving up the sense that I am justified in my judgement, arrogance, pride, and condemnation toward others.

It is true that some people will mistake this transformation as weakness.

Did the people who executed Jesus mistake his gentleness for weakness? They did.

Those who have sipped from the cup of gentleness and humility will tell you that it is actually the greatest of all strengths.

King Agrippa

For example, the Jewish historian Josephus, born in AD 37, gave an account of Agrippa, King of Judea from AD 41-44.

In the first sentence of the following passage he uses praus, the same word Jesus uses for gentleness. We read:

But Agrippa’s temper was mild [praus], and equally liberal to all men. He was humane to foreigners, and made them sensible of his liberality. He was in like manner rather of a gentle and compassionate temper...However, there was a certain man of the Jewish nation at Jerusalem, who appeared to be very accurate in the knowledge of the law. His name was Simon. This man got together an assembly, while the king was absent at Cesarea, and had the insolence to accuse him as not living holy, and that he might justly be excluded out of the temple, since it belonged only to native Jews…So the king sent for him; and, as he was then sitting in the theatre, he bade him sit down by him, and said to him with a low and gentle voice,—“What is there done in this place that is contrary to the law?” But he had nothing to say for himself, but begged his pardon. So the king was more easily reconciled to him than one could have imagined, as esteeming mildness a better quality in a king than anger.

King Agrippa’s reign was short, but the strength of his reign was gentleness.

Indeed, as he was dying Agrippa confessed the real strength of gentleness.

“I am bound to accept of what Providence allots as it pleases God.”

As it pleases God...

King Agrippa trusted God, and as a result he trusted that God would bring about the best result.

He could afford to be gentle because he did not fear end results.

It reminds me a lot of Jesus.

Benefits of Gentleness

Inner Peace

Draws People Toward Us

Josephus continued writing that the people loved King Agrippa so much they made the error of thinking him a god.

Immediately after they make such declarations, King Agrippa fell ill.

On his deathbed he tells his friends...

“I whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But ; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.”

No Law Against Gentleness

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Where there is patience and humility there is neither anger nor worry. - Francis of Assissi

Even in the military, gentleness can win