8.18.2026 - Matt Hekman

 August 18

Today we see the gentleness of God in one the almost countless examples given in the gospels. Jesus perfectly embodies all of the attributes of God, so the gospels are the right place to look when we want to see what perfection looks like.

Let’s read our passage for today – Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus shows the leper care as the great physician, healing him from his affliction. But if we look more closely we see the gentleness of God shining though in at least a couple other ways.

Jesus’ gentleness extends beyond acceptable boundaries. To touch the unclean is to be unclean. And we know that Jesus was able to heal with merely a word. Consider the centurion’s daughter, for instance, Jesus wasn’t even nearby and he healed her in an instant. But Jesus gently addresses more than just the physical disease. It’s a safe assumption that the leper was not enjoying any physical contact whatsoever for as long as he had been afflicted. Imagine how he felt when Jesus reached out to touch him.

As the body of Christ, we as individuals, and as the church, have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ. Figuratively and literally, we can be the ones to gently restore brokenness in people. We might be called to act like Jesus, crossing some boundaries to show gentleness and the love of Jesus to those who need it.

Jesus doesn’t leave it here though. He goes beyond physical healing and touch. He sends the man away with instruction to formalize his restoration and to re-engage in corporate worship. Jesus gives him not just restoration of health, but restoration of his relationships – of his life.

Jesus gently does the same with us when we come to him. He sees us in our need, he reaches out to fix what is broken in us, and he calls us to become a part of his body, the church.

How then do we act gently as Jesus does here? Where are the places we can reach out and be the hands of Jesus? Where are the boundaries we can cross for the glory of God? Who can we gently exhort to be restored to a thriving relationship within the church body? Consider today how you can embody the gentleness of God to those around you.