In the last post, we laid out the assertion that Christian living is based in the character of God. We live in accordance with the way Christ lived while he was on Earth and we seek to develop our character and lifestyle after God’s character.
Therefore, if we want to understand how to be meek and gentle, as Jesus prescribes in Matthew 5:5, we must understand gentleness in the character of God.
Here we must also guard against approaching theology without nuance. That is, we cannot make blanket statements about God’s character, neglecting His whole character in favor of one or two attributes. So, to be clear, God’s gentleness and meekness does not “cancel out” His holiness, justice, and jealousy. God is a being that we cannot simplify and understand comfortably. He is knowable because He has revealed Himself but His character is complex and multi-faceted.
God’s Gentleness in the Old Testament
Another misconception that we must steer clear of is that God’s character is different in the Old Testament versus the New Testament. He is the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Old Testament often speaks of God’s justice and holiness. But His gentleness is also apparent.
One passage in particular that speaks of God’s gentleness is Isaiah 40:11, which says, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.“
This verse paints the image of a caring shepherd gently leading his flock and it’s a beautiful picture of God’s gentle care for His people. Furthermore, the connection with meekness is made with the phrase “gently lead”. This Hebrew phrase is also used in Exodus 15:13, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” Here the gentle guidance of God for His people stands right next to His strength.
As we said in the last post, meekness and gentleness do not denote weakness but rather the controlled use of power for the good of others. In this case, God, who holds all authority over everything, is using His strength to gently guide and lead His people.
The Gentleness of Christ
There are many other accounts of God’s gentleness in the Old Testament and we may return to them in future posts in this series. But now, we turn to the New Testament to see meekness and gentleness in the character of Jesus.
Perhaps the most obvious account of this is when Jesus describes his own heart in Matthew 11:29. He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Keep in mind that when Jesus says he is “gentle” he is using the same word from Matthew 5:5 that is translated as “meek”.
Dane Ortland has written a fantastic book on the subject of Christ’s gentle heart for sinners and sufferers. I highly recommend reading it for a beautiful view of Christ’s tender love for his people.
Christ’s meekness, that is, his controlled use of power for the benefit of others, is also on display in other passages in the New Testament. Philippians 2:5-7 tells of the voluntary humbling of Christ, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.“
Again, in Matthew 26:53-54, we see Jesus controlling his power when he addresses Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” He chooses to hand himself over, despite having the authority and power to destroy his persecutors.
In 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul claims to entreat the Corinthians by the “meekness and gentleness of Christ”. (The root of the word for meekness used here is related to praus, used in Matthew 5:5 and Matthew 11:29.)
A Gentle God
So we see that, in both Testaments, God describes Himself as “gentle”. Christ refers to his heart as “gentle and lowly”. And Paul points to Christ’s laying down of his life voluntarily. These accounts all help to paint a picture of an all-powerful God who nonetheless doesn’t beat His creation over the head with His authority and power. Instead, He powerfully leads them with tender care. He controls His power and uses it for the benefit of His creation. His character is the basis for our living.
Coming up next in this series: an exploration into how Scripture speaks of meekness in human life.