A Malaysian Church Pastor's Encounter with the Gentle and Lowly Jesus

Up from Rock Bottom

As Aaron laid on his couch at 3:00am for what felt like the millionth night in a row, he fought the voices inside his head: “Aaron, just jump off your balcony.” But that night, he finally realized he couldn’t listen to that voice any longer.

He had been living in sin, and knew something needed to change. So he picked himself up off the couch and went to his desk to dig through a mountain of papers until he found it. There, at the bottom of the pile, he grabbed a book he truly believed he would never open. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to read something. At the time, he had no idea the impact it would make on his life.

Over the following week, Aaron read Gentle and Lowly from cover to cover during his 3:00am wake ups, and what he read about who Jesus is changed his life. What he found was that, as he continued to read, the voice that had plagued him grew quieter and less frequent until it disappeared altogether. God met him in his little apartment in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The words of Gentle and Lowly served Aaron in one of the lowest moments of his life, underscoring the vital need for accessible, biblically sound resources for pastors like him.

Donors to Crossway have responded to this need by providing pastors like Aaron with access to essential theological books in places where few are available—even for those already leading congregations. These pastors often balance demanding ministry with daytime work, and they desperately need good resources to aid them in their work.

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Jesus: “Gentle and Lowly in Heart”

Though a pastor, Aaron’s daytime work to support his pastoral ministry landed him as a digital marketing agency owner. In simple terms, that means he educates businesses to constructively connect with students via social media. He’s just in his late 20s, but the Lord has already been working on his heart for several years to invest in God’s people. “Early in my 20s the Lord revealed to me the needs of the youth in my city. I started out by bringing youths together to worship and study the Bible.”

Aaron came to faith as a teen himself. Though he had grown up in the church and regularly heard the gospel preached, it wasn’t until the age of 17 that he committed his life to Jesus. “There was a switch in my mind and heart when suddenly I realized that God loves me beyond everything else. And at the time, I decided I would commit to this person called Jesus.”

But even then when he committed his life to Jesus, he didn’t know have a full understanding of who Jesus is. “I never felt emotionally like Jesus loved me.” This is what made the words of Gentle and Lowly so life-changing for Aaron.

I didn’t know that Jesus said he is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29), so I just read and read this book. And I think when I read it, something changed in my heart and even in the atmosphere of the room that first night—I could literally sense it. I now understand that Jesus is so gentle toward a sinner like me. Actually, Jesus is also being very humble by standing with me in my suffering. He’s there with me. He’s present. He is my help in times of need, and through that book, I felt his peace in my room. After reading the book, I found I could sleep.

At the time he read Gentle and Lowly, Aaron had been the pastor of his small church plant for nearly three years. But this pivotal moment in his faith changed the way he pastored his congregation. He learned that the way to treat his people was the way Jesus would treat them, and that is in a gentle and lowly manner. As Ortlund states in the book, “Jesus deals gently and only gently with all sinners who come to him, irrespective of their particular offense and just how heinous it is.”¹

With a confidence that he could walk away from his own sinful practices and be forgiven through the blood of Christ, Aaron could also move forward with assurance to do the same in his care for his congregation: “Right after reading that book, I was given this perspective of Jesus as gentle. It has really helped me in terms of my ministry to my church. I am called to treat people with gentleness.”

Pastors are given a unique and weighty role of reflecting the heart of Jesus to their congregations. And though they will inevitably do so imperfectly, by showing gentleness and lowliness of heart through their care for others, they are reflecting who Jesus is.

Jesus Culture

Aaron’s experience is at the heart of publisher Massimo Gei’s desire to properly equip pastors and church leaders throughout Malaysia with biblical resources to shape their own understanding of Jesus and his Word. Massimo is confident this will naturally overflow into their care for their congregations. The director of Gospel City Network, a pastor, and church planter, he understands the need for good resources. But these are difficult to obtain in Malaysia, so he founded Greenhouse Publishing in response to the need. He has been praying the books would bring this kind of life change in their readers.

We talk about how the gospel needs to be central not just in our preaching but our overall ministry design. It is the culture we want to embed. It’s the same culture that Aaron wants to build in his church—not a culture where people feel ashamed but where people are lovingly corrected. It’s not saying that there isn’t sin present, but it is a call to correct in a loving way. What Aaron experienced in his own life is a great example of this. He came out of sin in a way that helped him realize he was able to bring that to Jesus. And because he didn’t feel the shame and the guilt anymore through the knowledge that Jesus is humble and gentle, he was able to confess, leave the sin behind, and change.

Crossway resources are intended to do just this—help believers to know and love their Savior in new ways and become more like him as a result. These truths are valuable in both the United States and beyond, which is why the Global Ministry Fund was created. Through this fund, donors support book and Bible distribution to believers worldwide, especially in locations of need like Malaysia.

As Aaron continues to immerse himself in biblical resources, his understanding of Scripture deepens, equipping him to offer gentle and humble care to his congregation. In doing so, he serves as a living reflection of Jesus, ensuring the gospel’s reach extends, and Jesus’ name resounds throughout the world.

Pray for the Lord to guide Aaron as he does outreach to those searching for answers. Pray that these people would find their answers in Jesus.

Pray for the resources published by Greenhouse Publishing to reach new people with the gospel so that more can come to know Jesus as gentle and lowly in heart.