When studying our Savior, we often focus on his person and work—his life as the sinless God-man, his earthly ministry, his death and resurrection—but how often do we consider his heart? It’s the difference between asking “what did Christ do?” and “why did he do it?” In Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund turns our eyes to glimpse “the heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers.”
Ortlund draws heavily on the thoughts of the Puritans, especially Thomas Goodwin, but also the writing of Spurgeon, Edwards, and others. Each short chapter “take[s] a Bible passage or a bit of teaching from the Puritans or others and consider[s] what is being said about the heart of God and of Christ” (15).
Ortlund does a good job of clarifying that love is not at odds with truth. Rather, “a healthy Christian life is built on both the objective and the subjective sides of the gospel—the justification that flows from the work of Christ, and the love that flows from the heart of Christ” (183).
As Ortlund shows, understanding Christ’s heart gives us the right perspective to live in truth. Which of us hasn’t tried to clean ourselves up a little before coming to Jesus in repentance? Yet by touching lepers and eating with tax collectors, we see Christ moving toward the unclean and despicable. Christ delights to help those who know they need him. Similarly, “fallen humans are natural self-advocates.” (92) But understanding that Christ advocates for us frees us to rest from our self-defending ways.
While the book primarily focuses on knowing the heart of Christ, it also tells us much about the Spirit and the Father. It is the Spirit who “makes the heart of Christ real to us” (122), and the heart of Christ reflects to us the heart of the Father. Ortlund spends several chapters looking at the heart of God in the Old Testament; even in the midst of law and judgment, we see that God’s heart loves his sinful people and delights in showing mercy.
Ortlund, a Presbyterian, writes from a strong Reformed perspective. For most of the book, Ortlund does a good job of navigating sticky theological difficulties by staying close to the wording of Scripture. However, several references to Christ suffering in hell clearly go beyond what the Bible says. Also, one mention of eternal security merits warning for failing to clarify that those who live in sin are not saved (something Biblicists from both sides can agree on).
Nevertheless, Gentle and Lowly is an excellent read. Ortlund shows us the loving heart of Christ—and in doing so refreshes our desire to know God, not just with our head, but with our heart also.