Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers

Who is Jesus? It seems such an obvious question. Many of us have been reading and hearing about Jesus since we were children. We know Jesus. We know all about him. We know every miracle, every sermon. We are experts in the incarnation, his transfiguration, his crucifixion and his glorification. Let me ask you another question: when was the last time your heart was flooded with the love of Christ? That is a very different question. Maybe it has been some time since you felt Christ’s love. If so, ‘Gentle and Lowly’ is for you. As Ortland says in the introduction: ‘This book is written for the discouraged, the frustrated, the weary, the disenchanted, the cynical, the empty. Those running on fumes.’ I would also say that if you haven’t picked up a book in a long time, ‘Gentle and Lowly’ might be the book to get you back into the reading habit again. I found it easy, gripping and encouraging. I genuinely felt excited every time I picked it up.

In this book Dane Ortland takes us on a beautiful journey in to the heart of Christ, a place some Christians have rarely been. They know all about Christ rather than knowing him.  Over twenty-three short Christ-centred chapters the author shows us the love of Christ for weary sinners. Starting with Matthew 11 v 28-30 the author shows us that Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart. Contrary to so much of what we may have experienced from other Christians Jesus’ entire disposition towards sinners is gentleness and love. As Ortland says: ‘Jesus is not trigger-happy. Not harsh, reactionary, easily exasperated. He is the most understanding person in the universe. The posture is most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open arms.’ The book continues with text after text that shows Christ’s deep, deep affection for sinners. Ortland humanises Jesus and makes him glow with love for wretched sinners and rank outcasts. I found myself becoming reanimated as Ortland graphically described Christs earthy ministry and his constant proximity to sinner. As Ortland said: ‘Jesus walked the earth rehumanizing the dehumanized and cleansing the unclean. Why? Because his heart refused to let him sleep in. Sadness confronted him in every town. So wherever he went, whenever he was confronted with pain and longing, he spread the good contagion of his cleansing mercy. Thomas Goodwin said, “Christ is love covered over in flesh.” Picture it. Pull back the flesh on the Stepford Wives or the Terminator and you find machine; pull back the flesh on Christ and you find love.’

This book is so easy to read and works well as a devotional. Ortland beautifully weaves in the best of the Puritans: Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Richard Sibbes, John Bunyan and Jonathan Edwards. Reading this book has inspired me to go back to books such as ‘The Heart of Christ by Thomas Goodwin which like ‘Gentle and Lowly’ is heart warming and beautiful. 

Reading this book felt like a Sabbath rest. My soul felt warmed, restored and my love for Christ was rekindled. I felt deeply humbled at Christs love for me and felt encouraged to go to him more often confident that he is ready to receive me through his atoning sacrifice on the cross. As Ortland says: 'Jesus Christ is closer to you today than he was to sinners and sufferers he spoke with and touched in his earthly ministry.  Through his Spirit, Christs own heart envelopes his people with an embrace nearer and tighter than any physical embrace could ever achieve.' 

The book is also a great inspiration to mission. Ortland inspires us to offer Christ to others: ‘The cumulative testimony of the four Gospels is that when Jesus Christ sees the fallenness of the world all about him, his deepest impulse, his most natural instinct, is to move towards that sin and suffering not away from it.’  There is nothing that inspires evangelism more that believing in Christs love for sinners

If you are discouraged, frustrated, weary, disenchanted, cynical, and empty this book is for you.  You can order it from Free Church books here.