We can hardly be surprised by the fact that the gentleness of God shines through in the life of the incarnate Son. He is truly the one who is gentle and lowly. In all his dealings with people in every circumstance of life – right down to his concern for his mother at the cross – his gentle spirit is manifest in his heart for others.
The much-loved hymn, ‘I greet thee who my sure Redeemer art’ – included in the Strasbourg Psalter of 1545 and attributed to John Calvin – contains the lines,
Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
No harshness hast Thou, and no bitterness
These words have often drawn comment, or been quoted because they point to a divine attribute we can easily overlook.
They stand out in part because, if they were indeed penned by the great French Reformer, come from a man who has been caricatured as harsh and austere. This is a misperception, if ever there was one! Any true glimpse of Calvin – not least as husband and father, let alone as a pastor-theologian – reveals him to be kind-hearted, loving and patient. His gentleness of spirit and deep compassion for those under his care shines through consistently.
The words of this hymn stand out even more because they speak of the God whose voice ‘thunders…is powerful…is full of majesty’ and ‘breaks the cedars’ (Ps 29.3-5). He is ‘mightier than the thunder of many waters’ (Ps 93.4). He is the One before whom all the earth ‘trembles’ (Ps 96.9). Yet he is gentle and tender in his dealings with people generally, but especially with those he has redeemed and made his very own.
He is indeed great and terrible, to be feared above all other gods; but this only serves to accentuate the wonder of his gentleness and deepen our loving reverence for him. More than this, it provides a vital perspective on his dealings with us – especially when we find ourselves in the midst of seemingly harsh providences.
It is striking to see the range of images the Lord uses to press home this aspect of his character. In Deuteronomy he speaks of his ‘everlasting arms’ that are round about and underneath his people (Dt 33.27).