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gentle and lowly

Writer's picture: Hannah ElizabethHannah Elizabeth

I recently started reading the book, “Gentle and Lowly, The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers,” by Dane Ortlund. This book does a beautiful job of explaining the nature of Jesus’ heart, through the Scriptures found in Matthew 11:28-30.  


Matthew 11: 28-30, “28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (NIV).


We know that Jesus is Holy, all powerful, miraculous, and exalted. We know he is compassionate and kind, but do we know that Jesus is gentle and lowly?


The words that Jesus used to describe Himself, are gentle and lowly


“Christ, after all, is the one whom ‘God has highly exalted,’ at whose name every knee will one day bow in submission (Phil. 2:9-11). This is the one whose eyes are ‘like a flame of fire’ and ‘whose voice is like the roar of many waters’ and who has ‘a sharp two-edged sword’ coming out of His mouth and whose face is ‘like the sun shining in full strength’ (Rev. 1:14-16); in other words, this is one so unspeakably brilliant that His resplendence cannot adequately be captured with words, so ineffably magnificent that all language dies away before His splendor. This is the one whose deepest heart is, more than anything else, gentle and lowly” (Ortlund 24).


What a Savior. How lovely is He.


This allows us to understand a characteristic of the person of Christ that is so often overlooked- His gentleness and lowness of heart.


I was reading Matthew 12, a passage of Scripture I’ve read many times, but this time I came to understand the Word differently.


When Simon Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus replied to him, “18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven” (v. 18-19). 

This is an incredible honor that Jesus is choosing to bestow on Peter, one of His closest friends. This statement shows Jesus’ love and trust of Peter. However, what I never realized is that Jesus spoke this blessing over Peter, before Jesus rebuked Peter, and before Peter denied Jesus three times.


Jesus rebukes Peter in Matthew 16: 21-23, “21 From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, ‘Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!’ 23 Jesus turned and told Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns’”(CSB).


After that, we see Peter promise to never deny Jesus. Matthew 26:33-35 states, “33 Peter told him, ‘Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.’ 34 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ 35 ‘Even if I have to die with you,’ Peter told him, ‘I will never deny you,’ and all the disciples said the same thing” (CSB).


Then we see Peter, in the same chapter, deny Jesus three times, in verses 69-74. 


My immediate reflection is, why would Jesus tell Peter, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it,” if Jesus knew that Peter was going to fall short? When Jesus promised to build the church through Peter, He knew Peter was going to fall short, He knew Peter would soon after be rebuked by Him, and Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times after being betrayed. Why didn’t Jesus pick someone else? 


Because He delights in showing mercy.


Micah 7:18 states, “He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy” (KJV). 


Do you know that God delights in showing you mercy? Do you know that He rejoices when you come to Him with a repentant heart? 

When you are weary and burdened, go to Him. He is gentle and lowly in heart. You will find rest for your soul. His yoke is easy and His burden is light, because He carries it for you.


You may think that you are too far gone, or you’ve messed up too many times. Maybe you’re like Peter, and you’ve been rebuked and denied Jesus. Don’t let the enemy feed your heart this lie. In the same way Christ knew His plan for Peter, He knows His plans for you.


Plans where you abide in His abundant love for you. Plans where you find rest for your soul. Plans where you come to know Christ as gentle and lowly, experiencing His unending mercies over your life.


Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends, he walked the earth with him day after day. He witnessed the miracles of Jesus’ first hand and still fell short. The same mercies that Christ had for Peter, He has in abundance for you.


His invitation remains open today, come to know Him as gentle and lowly.


You may be struggling to forgive yourself- don’t let the enemy speak defeat over the victory of what Christ has already done on the cross. Accept His invitation to know Him today and receive His mercies that will never fail.


I pray your eyes will be opened to accept the invitation for forgiveness, compassion, unending mercies, and renewed life in Christ. I pray you would come to know Jesus as who He says He is, gentle and lowly in heart. I pray you would come to know that His heart is always for you, with a love that is beyond comprehension. 


I speak the mercies and character of Christ over each and everyone of you. 

Thank Him for who He says He is.


As always, with love and prayers. And in Christ, 

Hannah Elizabeth



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3 Comments


Jay Webb
Jay Webb
Oct 15, 2024

This is awesome :)

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grace.eilertson
Oct 14, 2024

i love that book!! love this

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rdhhays
Oct 14, 2024

Awesome word! Thank God for his mercy! ❤️

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