Gentle Giants

Galatians 5: 22-23 –

‘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. ‘

The man walking towards me on the pavement was a giant, built like a brick outhouse, a really intimidating figure. He was leaning slightly to one side as one of his massive arms stretched down - to hold the hand of a very small girl skipping along beside him. She was laughing, looking up, and as they drew close I could see the gentle playfulness on his face as he spoke to her.

That guy is a perfect picture of the next fruit of the Spirit: gentleness

True gentleness comes from power under self-control. (I said yesterday self-control encases all the fruits of the Spirit – like one of those nets you get round oranges in the supermarket.)

Being gentle in the Spirit is not being ‘wet’, allowing anyone and anything to walk all over you. It requires great strength and self-control. 

Jesus is the perfect example of a gentle giant. He was co-equal in the Trinity when the universe was made (Colossians 1:16); all power was given to him by the Father; he could calm storms and raise the dead. He also gently touched the leper, lifted a small child onto his lap, washed his disciples’ feet.

But, you might object, what about Jesus in the temple overturning the money changer’s tables and driving them out with a whip? Was he ‘gentle Jesus’ then? Put another way, was he ‘power under control’? Yes! Given the blasphemy, fraud, injustice being perpetrated in God’s Holy Place and given the power and judgement rightly his, Jesus could have annihilated the sinners with one breath. That he didn’t (and still doesn’t) is a mark of his divine gentleness.

The only statement Jesus ever makes about his own character is ‘I am gentle and humble of heart.’ (Matthew 11:29)

And he calls us to be like him.

Intention – as we walk daily with the Divine Gentle Giant we want to learn from him how to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit that is Gentleness.

Prayer – Please make me gentle, Lord.