Session 10 · Psalm 27:1-4
The Beauty of the Heart of Christ
What if Jesus is more attractive than demanding?
Book reading: Chapter 10: The Beauty of the Heart of Christ
Many of us think of Jesus mostly in terms of what he asks of us. Chapter 10 of Gentle and Lowly invites a different angle: his beauty. Ortlund draws on Jonathan Edwards’s children’s sermon about the loveliness of Christ, and asks where that loveliness comes from.
Psalm 27 is a fitting place to think about it. David begins in danger: enemies, armies, war. Yet he says, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Then he narrows down all his desires to one: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.”
Look at the verbs. Dwell. Gaze. Inquire. David’s one request is not mainly for relief from the army outside the tent. It is to look at God and enjoy him. And the word he uses is beauty. David is not drawn by duty alone. He is drawn by loveliness.
Ortlund connects this to Matthew 11:29, where Jesus describes himself as gentle and lowly in heart, and to Psalm 50:2, which speaks of God’s beauty shining out. The chapter argues that the glory of Christ is what draws us to overcome sin. This turns our usual approach upside down. Many of us try to fight sin by gritting our teeth and thinking about rules and consequences. The chapter proposes that the stronger move is to see something better, to have our affections captured by Christ so that sin loses some of its pull.
The chapter also notes that Jesus shows extremes toward sin and toward sinners. He is severe against sin because he sees what it does to people. He is tender toward sinners because he sees what they are. These two do not cancel. Together they make up a heart that is both pure and kind, and that combination is what is so attractive.
This does not mean obedience is optional or that Jesus makes no demands. It means the demands make sense when they come from someone this good. A person who has gazed on his heart will find that obeying is less like paying a debt and more like following someone you love.
If your emotions feel flat or you struggle with numbness or depression, don’t force a feeling. Start small, and bring that struggle to a pastor, counselor or trusted friend. Beauty is often noticed slowly. Ask for eyes to see.
Key idea
The beauty of Christ’s heart, tender toward sinners and severe against sin, is what draws us to love him and to leave sin behind, more than demands alone can.
Questions to consider
- When you think about Jesus, do you more often think of what he demands or of what is lovely about him? What do you think that does to your desire to obey?
- David’s “one thing” was to gaze on the beauty of the LORD. What would your “one thing” honestly be right now, and how does Psalm 27:4 reshape it?
Journal prompt
List three things about Jesus’ character in the Gospels that you find genuinely attractive. Write a sentence about why each one draws you.
Practice
1. Set a timer for five minutes. 2. Choose one short Gospel scene, such as Jesus welcoming a person others avoided, and read it slowly. 3. For the full five minutes, think only about what is attractive about Jesus, and not about what he asks of you. Whisper a thank you for one thing you notice.