2025.07.27 | Gentle Jesus

“Gentle Jesus”
A sermon preached at Eden United Church of Christ

in Hayward, California,

on Sunday, July 27, 2025, 
by the Rev. Brenda Loreman.
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture:  Luke 19:1-10
Copyright © 2025 by Brenda Loreman

As I consider all the fruits of the Spirit that we’ve been exploring this summer, I’m willing to bet that most of the fruits of the Spirit are qualities or characteristics that we consciously desire to have or embody in our lives. We often work to have or show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and self-control. And the general population usually holds these up as admirable and desirable qualities. But the fruit of “gentleness” feels like an outlier. I rarely hear about people asking for more gentleness in their lives or praying for gentleness. It’s a quality that many people probably equate with weakness, frailty, or powerlessness.

But if we read the Bible carefully, and especially if we examine the examples seen in the behavior of Jesus, we see that gentleness is a virtue to be admired and emulated.

The Greek word that Paul uses in Galatians is praütēs [prah-OO-tays], which is the noun form of the word praüs, which means “gentle.” Sometimes this word is translated as “meek” in some passages. For example, in the sermon on the mount in Matthew, Chapter 5, Jesus preaches, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The Greek word used here for “meek” is praüs. So the verse could read, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” Right from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus upholds the characteristic of gentleness as admirable.

Later, in Chapter 11 of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus describes himself in one of my favorite Bible verses: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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.” 

For Jesus, gentleness is not an outlier. It is instead at the center of his ministry. Gentleness is not weakness—it’s strength. It’s not frailty—it’s fortitude. It’s not powerlessness—instead, it is the foundation of the power of Jesus. 

We see the power of this gentleness in action in the story of Zaccheus. Zaccheus was a rich man, but he was also hated and marginalized by his community because of his status as a chief tax collector. In the first century, local tax collectors like Zaccheus were tasked with collecting Roman tariffs on transported goods, and therefore had a less-than-virtuous reputation in their communities. While the mere fact of Roman tariffs could have upset those living under Roman occupation, many tax collectors earned their wealth—and their bad reputations—through over-charging. This seems to be the case with Zacchaeus.

But Jesus doesn’t approach Zaccheus, hiding out in the sycamore tree, with hateful or angry words, as his neighbors might have. Instead, Jesus approaches him with gentleness and kindness. Instead of offering him harsh words and criticism, Jesus offers Zaccheus table fellowship and an invitation into relationship. And the result is a changed heart for Zaccheus. Gentleness is what changes hearst, not hostility and cruelty.

Jesus wasn’t always gentle; he gets mad! He overturns the tables of the moneychangers. He gets angry, when righteous anger is what’s needed. But his characteristic mode of being is gentleness.

It is a challenge, in this time that feels so hostile and unkind, to move through the world as Jesus did, to respond to the hatred and cruelty with gentleness the way he did. But it is what Jesus asks of us. And, like so much of what he asks of us, it isn’t easy.

Ignatius of Antioch, an early church father who was martyred for his faith sometime in the first half of the second century, had a deep understanding of how to live with gentleness in the face of hostile oppressors. His words echo through the centuries, offering us an image of how to follow in the way of Jesus. He writes:

“In response to their anger, be gentle 
In response to their boasts, be humble
In response to their slander, offer prayers
In response to their errors, be steadfast in the faith
In response to their cruelty, be civilized
Do not be eager to imitate them
Let us show by our forbearance that we are their brothers and sisters
And let us be eager to be imitators of the Lord”

Amen.