Strength Under Control
Gentleness in the light of Jesus' example.
And so we come to the fruit of the Spirit that is gentleness. Let’s get right at it: Gentleness is not the absence of strength, but the refusal to weaponize it. In this way, Jesus is the absolute epitome of gentleness.
One place there this is clear was in the garden on the night of Jesus’ arrest.
This is a moment of extreme tension. Betrayal has already occurred. Armed guards arrive. Fear, adrenaline, and desperation are likely thick in the air. One of Jesus’ disciples responds instinctively - violently. A sword is drawn. An ear is severed. Blood is spilled.
And Jesus stops everything.
In Luke’s version, he tells us that Jesus says, No more of this!, and then does something extraordinary. He touches the wounded man and heals him, a servant of the very people who have come to arrest him.
This is not weakness. This is not passivity. This is gentleness in its truest form.
Matthew’s version helps us see just how much power Jesus is restraining. He tells Peter that he could call upon the Father and receive more than twelve legions of angels. Jesus is not lacking options. He is not cornered. He is choosing restraint. He is refusing to let violence - however justified it may feel - define the moment or the mission.
Gentleness, here, is moral clarity combined with disciplined power. Jesus rebukes the violent act without humiliating the disciple. He refuses escalation without denying the injustice. He heals without demanding repentance first. This is strength under control, authority exercised for restoration rather than domination.
And this is why gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit.
The Spirit does not form people who lack conviction or courage. The Spirit forms people who have learned to hold power without letting it rule them. People who can speak truth without cruelty. People who can confront injustice without becoming its mirror image. People who can absorb harm without passing it along.
In a world that equates loudness with strength and force with effectiveness, Jesus stands in and shows us another way. The gentleness of Christ does not deny reality. It refuses to let violence have the final word.
This is the life the Spirit is forming in us. It isn’t that we lose strength, but that we gain perspective and an understanding of how to shape it. Gentleness, then, is not weakness at all. It is Christlike power, healed and healing, in the hands of love.
Matthew 26:51-54
One of those with Jesus reached for his sword. Striking the high priest’s slave, he cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword. Or do you think that I’m not able to ask my Father and he will send to me more than twelve battle groups of angels right away? But if I did that, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this must happen?”
Prayer
God,
Thank you for Christmas Eve. It’s such a mysterious and beautiful night. Thinking on gentleness seems to make sense today. Make me gentle like Jesus.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
Love how you frame gentlenes as 'strength under control' rather than weakness. The Garden scene really does capture that perfectly, especially the part where Jesus heals the servant's ear after Peter cuts it off. That moment shows restraint isnt about lacking power but about chosing not to escalate even when you have every reason and ability to. It's a tough standard to live up to in everyday frustations where retaliation feels so natural.