Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Dane Ortlund. 2020. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy] [3 stars] [christian nonfiction, theology, devotional]
First sentence from introduction: This is a book about the heart of Christ. Who is he? Who is he really? What is most natural to him? What ignites within him most immediately as he moves towards sinners and sufferers? What flows out most freely, most instinctively? Who is he?
I read this book twice--back to back. Why???? This is not typical for me, at all. Mostly I reread it because I spent so much time confused. Confused about if any particular sentence (or paragraph, or chapter) was true or false, biblical or unbiblical. Perhaps that might sound a little harsh. Often when people talk about distorting scripture they mean it's really been stretched and twisted and warped and is completely off. I think what I mean about this one is much more subtle, demure even. I think in some places certain scriptures are becoming the whole prescription through which the author views the whole Bible. And no one verse is really supposed to have that much hold that you don't take a more grounded big picture approach to all of Scripture. This book also seems to push a few extremes. The narrative has a shock factor to it. Which also puts me on edge slightly. If this book offers something so new and life-changing and shocking, it implies that Christians have been getting it wrong for thousands of years.
Perhaps this book uses a shocking approach to wake people up--to engage with readers in a way that most other theology wouldn't. To wake and shake the mental slumber, to get readers to think and consider, to ponder.
This book is heavy on Puritans and the Word of God. The book seems to hold an incredibly high view of Scripture. It is not dismissive of Scripture. Which makes it even more confusing because you naturally want to believe that their interpretation of Scripture is correct. I imagine that there are many places where they do in fact get it right. But still there's something unsettling about a few of their positions, interpretations, takes.
So the one verse that they use as a prescription to interpret the entire Bible--Genesis to Revelation is Matthew 11:29. I love that scripture in context. It's a wonderful passage of scripture. But to view the entire Bible and say that that one verse sums up everything--EVERYTHING--that the Bible has to say about the heart of God is a bit too much for me. The author says something to the effect that the Bible only talks about the heart of God [of Jesus] in one place. And again that doesn't sit right with me because I strongly disagree. SO much about God is communicated throughout all of Scripture. And this one verse is far from the only place where Jesus' heart is on display.
The topic of this one is how does Jesus feel about sinners and sufferers. I think the answer to this is revealed in many, many, many places. Of course the book doesn't just cover Matthew 11:29. Each chapter focuses on a single verse or single passage. OR perhaps in certain cases a particular book by a Puritan (when the Puritan is covering one passage or verse).
Again, I think there are probably many true statements in this one. But there are a few that have me uncertain and questioning. If it was just a matter of easily discerning THIS is true THAT is false, the book would not be confusing. It's this weighing doubt where I truly don't know if my instincts are right or wrong.
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