Back to His Heart
Do you ever have those moments when you encounter something about faith that takes you back and makes you feel like you’re a beginner? Moments where you ask, “How I could I have not known this?”
I had one such moment recently. A friend recommended a book, “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortlund. As soon as I saw it and its subheading, “The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers,” I knew I needed to read it. After reading the opening pages, I focused on an observation the author makes: there is only one place in the whole of the Gospels that talks about Christ’s heart. That was totally new to me, but I did check and Ortlund is right. The only time Jesus talks about His heart is in Matthew 11:29, where Jesus says:
“I am gentle and humble in heart.”
Of all the things we could have in Scripture about Jesus’ heart, this is the one we have. Jesus, from the inside out, is gentle.
Today, we associate the heart with feelings and emotions. However, from a Biblical understanding, the ‘heart’ is the seat of the will. It is where decisions are made. If our lives are a ship, our hearts are the bridge. It is our internal command center, and the only explicit description Jesus gives about his heart is that it is gentle and humble.
Think about that. The fundamental heart-attitude of God-made-man is not one of posturing or confidence, not determination or intrigue, not self-righteousness. Jesus does not choose to be gentle at times because it suits Him and what He’s trying to accomplish. His heart itself reflects tenderness and vulnerability.
There are times we are so wrapped up in our lives and the things we are doing that our attention is drawn away from drawing near to Jesus. Most of us have learned to harden our hearts and resist vulnerability and gentleness. It is a tough world and, in response, we learn to toughen up and guard our hearts—walling-off our need for connection. Yet, those heavy burdens were never meant for us. They are part of a fallen and broken world riddled with heartache and suffering.
If you want to find rest, turn to the One who is gentle and tender in His very heart. I know I need to. If you’re tired of your hardened and fractured insides, come near to His heart. Listen to its beat. Let Him show you His kindness and give you rest for your soul.
