The Meekness And Gentleness Of Christ

by CAPEWELL, P. | Category: N/a | Oct 2002

I have been interested recently in the expression in 2 Corinthians 10:1, 'the meekness and gentleness of Christ'. In an article of that name,(1) James Martin defined meekness as 'love suffering' and gentleness as 'love serving'; meekness as 'love in repose', gentleness as 'love in action'; meekness as 'love bearing evil', gentleness as 'love doing good'. I've looked at the meekness and gentleness of Christ in some of the closing scenes of His life in which Peter also features prominently. It's not intended as a character assassination of Peter, but to show up these characteristics of his Lord.

Meekness

Many Bible students suggest that the words 'meek' and 'meekness' indicate not just a person's outward behaviour, but 'an inward grace of the soul', the exercises of which are first and foremost towards God. 'It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting'. Being primarily an acceptance of God's dealings, it also manifests itself to others especially in the face of insult or injury, recognising that such hurt may be allowed or employed by God for His glory. It is difficult to translate into English, for our terms meekness and mildness usually seem to have a connotation of weakness. The Greek word definitely has no such thought. It was demonstrated by the Lord Himself and commended to His followers as the fruit of inner strength. A person is not, as is commonly suggested, meek because he cannot help himself. The Lord was meek, yet had the infinite resources of God at His command. Meekness is the result of controlled strength and is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest.

Gentleness

Vine says that gentleness denotes fairness, moderation, sweet reasonableness. Of the adjective, Trench says that it denotes, 'seemly, fitting; hence equitable, fair, moderate, forbearing, not insisting on the letter of the law'. A gentle person knows when to apply the law and when not to apply it. His first concern is not to stand for his legal rights, but to bring Christian love to bear on a situation.

Peter seems to fail frequently in those closing days of His Lord's earthly ministry: twice in the upper room, when he missed the opportunity to wash his Lord's feet and then protested that the Lord would never wash his feet; in the garden when, three times, he was supposed to be at prayer and when he drew the sword; and three times when he denied his Lord in the high priest's court. Other disciples failed in some of those respects; Peter in all of them, but he served a Man who was both meek and gentle.

In the upper room

Peter, who, with John had seen the unusual sight of a man bearing a pitcher of water, and had followed him to the house, failed to see his opportunity to wash the Lord's feet. Meekly, without remonstrating, the Lord set aside his garments in a little cameo of His greater stoop from heaven's glory, and began gently to wash their feet. The meekness and gentleness of Christ was expressed by love in repose, then love in action.

A sudden silence must have fallen over the group, as the Lord passed from one to another in this lowly ministry. Then, Peter, ashamed and indignant, made his second mistake. He protested mildly. '"Lord, are You washing my feet?"' (John 13:6) and then added more vehemently, '"You shall never wash my feet!"' (v.8) It's a strong word, 'never': the absolute negative. The Lord, who had listened with such uncomplaining meekness to their quarrelsome aspirations of greatness, stooped then in gentleness and explained to Peter the distinct necessities of bathing for 'union' and washing for 'communion'. How meekly and gently the Lord turned around Peter's strong assertion that the Lord would never wash his feet. What He'd taught them in word earlier when He'd said, 'Take My yoke upon you ... for I am meek' (Mat.11:29 RV), He now showed them in deed.

Up Olivet

We move now to Olivet, the scene of Peter's next mistakes, to witness again the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Three disciples, including Peter, are taken deeper into the shadows of the olive trees and asked to watch and pray. Returning to them, the Lord found them sleeping, and, addressing Peter, He asked, '"Simon (the name suggestive of his weakness), are you sleeping?"' Disappointed, and alone, He went back to His lonely spot a stone's throw away and, in an agony of blood-like sweat, He poured out His plea a second time. Finding them asleep a third time, how was He now going to respond? The hireling would have fled, but the Good Shepherd stands over them watchfully, 'Sleep on now, and take your rest' (Mark 14:41 RV). What a choice time, in His hour of agony and loneliness, to fulfil His promise of Matthew 11:28, '"Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"' (same word). How meek and gentle of Him to oversee their own refreshment as the motley mob headed by Judas approached the garden to seize Him!

The apostles all misread the situation, and Peter in particular. He was no coward. He would fight like a lion, if the Lord permitted it. '"Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."' In that quiet, yet authoritative manner, the Lord ensured that there would be no unseemly struggle which Peter's impulsive act might otherwise have prompted.

In the High Priest's court

The band, their Captive in their midst, headed back to the city. John gained entry into the palace of Annas, but, not discovering Peter, and sure that he was waiting outside, went back and spoke on his friend's behalf to the maid. She admitted Peter who joined the group at the fire and stood and warmed himself. There followed the denial to the portress, to another maid and to those who said that his speech gave him away. While he was denying his Lord the third time, the cock crowed a second time and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. The word means he could see him clearly. Not a long stare, that's a different word. But the look broke Peter. Why? Perhaps because Peter remembered that look. It was the same way in which He first looked at him. John (1:42) uses the same word of that first encounter. Andrew 'brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone)'. Peter had let his Lord down; he'd been anything but a stone, more the old quicksand Simon.

That's where the writers leave him. A penitent man weeping bitterly, wailing out aloud. Does his Lord leave him there? Not at all. 'For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again' (Prov. 24:16). No-one else mentions it, but Mark, in whose writings scholars say they can see the unmistakable influence of Peter, in recounting the early morning visit of the women to the tomb, recalls that the young man sitting in the tomb said to them, '"Go, tell His disciples - and Peter."' Peter had failed Him in the garden and in the judgement hall, but still the Lord remembered him tenderly and sent him an individual message. The meekness and gentleness of Christ! Then, with added grace, we read in 1 Cor.15:3-5 'Christ ... was seen by Cephas.' That private meeting is confirmed in Luke 24:34: '"The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"' How gracious! How wonderfully meek and gentle!

On the beach

We come finally to the night's fishing and the breakfast on the beach. The most striking thing about that breakfast is the change in Peter. We recall again the proverb that a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again. How grateful Peter would be that the Lord had lovingly extended the limits of forgiveness from Peter's seven times to the Lord's seventy times seven! The Lord's meekness and gentleness during the experience of the past days had taught him some important lessons. He had learned his own weakness. There was no boastful statement about his love or his courage, or about being better than anyone else. He didn't even use the same word for 'love' in his answer as Jesus used in His question. Jesus asked, "Do you love (agapao) Me?" meaning devoted, self-giving love. Peter answered, '"I love (phileo) You"', meaning, 'Yes, I love You as a friend.'

David says in Psalm 18, 'Your gentleness has made me great'. We can follow Peter's life now through the early chapters of the Acts as he's at the helm of the work, firstly, dramatically, with the Jews, and then gradually, gently, among the Gentiles in Acts 10. How had the change come about? Surely, with true humility, Peter would say the same thing as David, the Lord's 'gentleness has made me great'.

(1) Needed Truth, 1956 p.75

CAPEWELL, P. | Oct 2002
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