Love Is Kind | God Is Kind Series

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Love is Kind | God is Kind by Rev. Shine.P Thomas

What is it to be Kind?

Do people look at us as kind people?

Joke

A wealthy man was going for his evening walk when he saw two men eating grass by the roadside. He stopped by and asked them, ‘Why are you eating grass?’ ‘We don’t have any money for food,’ the men replied. ‘Oh, well, you can come with me to my house,’ instructed the man. But, sir, I have a wife and two children with me!’ ‘Bring them along!’ he replied. Suddenly the other man asked, ‘Sir, I have a wife and six children.’ ‘Bring them as well’ replied the rich man. As they were walking to the rich man’s house one of the poor guys said: ‘Sir you are so kind and merciful. Thank you for taking all of us with you.’ The wealthy man looked at them and replied: ‘I’m glad to do it. You’ll love my place where the grass is almost a foot tall.

What comes to your mind when you think of the word ‘kindness?’ Do people look at us as kind people? Can kindness be practiced in a self-centered world?

We are doing a series on love based on 1 Corinthians 13, and last week we saw the importance of love. This morning we are going to study on the subject ‘kindness.’

1 Corinthians 13:4

Love i patient, love is kind. Paul tells us that love is patient and love is kind.

Webster’s dictionary defines kindness as favor, mercy, sympathy, compassion, goodness of heart etc. So kindness is basically an expression of love or love practiced in action.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus demonstrated love expressed in kindness.

Luke 10:30-35

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

When you closely study this parable, we find when it comes to peoples’ need, when it comes to exhibiting kindness people react differently.

Man’s Response when it comes to Expressing Kindness

1. The selfish and unfriendly people

People are selfish and unfriendly when it comes to others needs. The robbers in this story represent the selfish and unfriendly. Such people are only interested in what they want. They will climb the latter of success regardless of whom they have to step on doing whatever it takes to get what they want. They say, “If I want money and position then I will do whatever I want to have it.”

James 4:1

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? Such people are quarrelsome; they fight to fulfill their desires.

2. The indifferent

The priest and the Levite represent the next two types of people. While one would expect both of these to have offered to help because of their religious standing, they passed by.

The indifferent type of people lacks a heart of compassion. The indifferent won’t attack you when your down, but they won’t offer you a hand to get up either. They ignore you and just pass by minding their own business, they do not want to take risk, they have the ‘I can’t help it’ attitude. They say, “If I stop to help, I’ll be late for work. I can’t give because I do not have enough.”

Expressing kindness is not all that easy. We all come across situations on a regular basis where we can be kind but many times we do not capitalize those opportunities and behave like ordinary people.

Illustration

A couple of months back Glory and I took our children on a train ride from Cantonment to Majestic and came back in bus just to give them a change and also to teach them difficulties of people without a vehicle. As we were standing in the Majestic Bus Station platform my eyes went to a man who was begging. A lot of people were waiting for bus and I was observing the attitude of people towards a needy beggar. Ninety-five percent of the people did not bother him, they did not even notice the beggar; they were so busy and preoccupied. Some saw the man but hardened their hearts. Yet others felt compassionate, checked their pockets, and did not have a rupee coin, so they did not bother. A very few of them threw some changes to him. Do you see how people react to a needy man?