What are you known for? Your wit, appearance, talent, or success? Perhaps you’re known for your sharp tongue or short fuse. Or maybe it’s for your biblical knowledge and wisdom. 

But none of these things (not even the positive ones) are mentioned by Paul as noteworthy. Rather, in Philippians 4:5, he says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

Gentleness. The Greek word is hard to translate but it implies “generosity, goodwill, magnanimity, bigheartedness, forbearance, mercy toward the failures of others, charity toward the faults of others.”

One way to understand what gentleness looks like is to look at the life of Jesus. In Luke 7, we see three examples of gentleness in action. The first encounter is with a Roman centurion – a gentile - who asks Jesus to heal his servant. 

The second encounter occurs when Jesus’ journey is interrupted by a funeral procession. A local widow had lost her only son.   

The third encounter was potentially the most embarrassing for Jesus. While seated at a dinner in the home of a prominent citizen, a woman, known to be a prostitute, comes in, sits next to Jesus, and bursts out crying.

How did Jesus handle each of these encounters? And what can we learn about how to make gentleness known to all?

• Your gentleness becomes evident when you aren’t too narrow to engage those who are different from you.

Jews would never associate with Gentiles, but Jesus went out of His way to help Roman soldier. 

• Your gentleness becomes evident when you aren’t too important to reach out to those who are below you.

It wasn’t even the “important” person who needed help. It was a servant. Yet Jesus healed him. To be gentle is to love and serve the “little” people.

• Your gentleness becomes evident when you aren’t in too much of a hurry to care about those who have needs beyond you.

When Jesus saw the grieving widow, His “heart went out to her.” See, people mattered more to Jesus than His schedule. In fact, the needs of people were not seen as interruptions in His schedule, but part of His schedule. So, Jesus stopped, spoke to the woman and raised her son from the dead.

• Your gentleness becomes evident when you aren’t too proud to embrace those who might be embarrassing to you.

No one was too low in the social pecking order for Jesus to associate with. In fact, knowing how seldom such people were cared for, Jesus seemed to intentionally seek out the last, the least, and the lost, unconcerned about what it did to His reputation.

What do you do when you encounter those whose mere proximity to you would be embarrassing?

None of these people to whom Jesus expressed gentleness ever served to advance His position.  But His action certainly enhanced His profile.  People were filled with awe and praised God.  Moreover, a servant, a widow, and a prostitute were transformed.  

I ask you again: What are you known for? I pray it will increasingly be said that your gentleness is evident to all.

Text: Philippians 4:5; Luke 7

Originally recorded on January 18, 2009, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN