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.
–Matthew 11:29

Our “Fruit of the Spirt” for Sunday is one of those words that can’t help but be said with an intonation that defines the word.

“Gentleness.”

Anytime we say gentle or gentleness we tend to do so as though we are instructing a toddler who is petting a bunny or chick for the first time… “Gently.” There is a special care and concern that is generated with gentleness.

But gentleness is also a deceptive little gift of the Spirit. The wrong way to interpret gentleness is to understand it as submissive, weak, passive, or subservient.

In worship on Sunday, we will look at three passages of scripture to better help us understand what Jesus and the Holy Spirit have in mind for gentleness: Matthew 11:28-30, John 10:14-18, John 21:15-17.

Jesus declares himself to be gentle and humble of heart. He also refers to himself as the good shepherd. Two hymns we will sing Sunday, “Gentle Shepherd,” and “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” identify a certain fragility and care needed when dealing with God’s people.

There is quite a chasm of understanding between a Savior who welcomes children and blesses them or speaks of rescuing a lost sheep stuck in a thicket with a Jesus who curses the fig tree or turns the tables in the temple.

Gentleness is not docile. When dealing with Peter in John 21, he repeats himself 3 ways, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” There must be something more to the act of serving otherwise why would Jesus repeat himself. Our delivery matters, how we love, is important and the fruit of gentleness will remind us of this on Sunday as we worship in the chapel or on YouTube.

Brett