
He Can Deal Gently
"He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward..."
Heb 5:2a (ESV)
Heb 5:2a (ESV)
Hebrews 5:2 shows us how Jesus deals with His people: gently.
As our great high priest, rather than dealing with us out of frustration, He deals with us in our ignorance and waywardness gently. Some of our sins are committed out of ignorance; some of our sins are committed deliberately. In either case, Jesus deals with His people who turn to Him not with harsh judgment that we so rightly derved but with gentleness and care that only grace can give. Rather than turning from Him which only leads to judgment for our sin, we must turn to Him which leads to forgiveness for our sin.
John Owen writes on Hebrews 5:2, "[Jesus] is able, with all meekness and gentleness, with patience and moderation, to bear with the infirmitites, sins, and provocations of his people, even as a nurse or a nursing father bears with the weekness...of a poor infant."
And Dane Ortland summarizes, "Our sinfulness runs so deep that a tepid measure of gentleness from Jesus would not be enough, but as deep [as] our sinfulness runs, ever deeper runs his gentleness." Unlike the high priests of Israel who were "sinfully weak", Jesus as our great high priest is sinlessly meek, gentle in dealing with sinners who turn to Him.
As our great high priest, rather than dealing with us out of frustration, He deals with us in our ignorance and waywardness gently. Some of our sins are committed out of ignorance; some of our sins are committed deliberately. In either case, Jesus deals with His people who turn to Him not with harsh judgment that we so rightly derved but with gentleness and care that only grace can give. Rather than turning from Him which only leads to judgment for our sin, we must turn to Him which leads to forgiveness for our sin.
John Owen writes on Hebrews 5:2, "[Jesus] is able, with all meekness and gentleness, with patience and moderation, to bear with the infirmitites, sins, and provocations of his people, even as a nurse or a nursing father bears with the weekness...of a poor infant."
And Dane Ortland summarizes, "Our sinfulness runs so deep that a tepid measure of gentleness from Jesus would not be enough, but as deep [as] our sinfulness runs, ever deeper runs his gentleness." Unlike the high priests of Israel who were "sinfully weak", Jesus as our great high priest is sinlessly meek, gentle in dealing with sinners who turn to Him.