Date: March 2, 2003
Text: I Cor 13:4; II Samuel 9:1-13; Luke 10:29-37; Luke 15:11-32
Title: Intentional Acts of Kindness
Theme: Love Is Kind
Speaker: Rev. Joanna R. Loucky-Ramsey
Location: First Baptist Church of Potsdam
The story is told that, at the end of World War I, Herbert Hoover, who would later become the President of the United States, led the Allied relief efforts in Europe. The efforts of these valiant soldiers kept hundreds upon hundreds from starvation, and a new
word entered the Finnish language; they made a verb out of Herbert Hoover’s last name. In Finland, “to hoover” means “to be kind, to help.” If they made a verb out of your last name, what would its definition be?
The German philosopher Nietzche hated Christianity for encouraging kindness. He accused Christian love of draining strong people by making them kind, driving them to waste their energies on lepers, cripples, and oppressed people. Thus, love weakened the strong of the human race by turning them toward kindness. Were we to rid the world of faith in Christ, and thus of love, he prophesied, we might again produce supermen. The strong could get stronger and the weak would die out.” (Smedes) This kind of “survival of the fittest” doctrine that Darwin popularized spawned such murderous regimes as Naziism.
Yet lest we get too quick to judge, we should admit that our American culture doesn’t exactly put a high value on kindness. Just let a girl call a boy “nice” and watch him wince as though nothing could be worse. Don’t we say “nice guys finish last”? Some picture this quality of kindness as almost a serene indifference, a mushy fuzzy thing. We tend to associate kindness with boring blandness and weak tea. Okay for grandmas and little children, but not for real men!
It’s even becoming something less than a compliment to call a girl “nice.” The November 1998 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine contained an article entitled “Why Nice Girls Need to Be Mean” in which the author stated: “women who try to be kind all the time have a hard time exerting themselves when they need to. Being firm can make their position more believable and stronger than if they are habitually kind. Sometimes you have to stop being sweet and start getting mean.”
Yet according to I Corinthians 13:4, kindness is one of the first qualities of genuine love. When God gives directions on how to love, he rates kindness near the very top of the list. “Love is patient, love is kind.”
I recall a story about how the wind and the sun were arguing about which of them was strongest. “Look,” said the Wind, “I’ll prove to you that I am more powerful. See that man down on the earth? Let’s each exercise our power, and whoever can make the man shed his coat fastest will be acknowledged as the most powerful.” “Fine,” the Sun replied, smiling. “You go first.” So the Wind howled and scowled and he huffed and he puffed and he pulled out all the stops but the harder he tried, the more the man pulled his coat closer to him to shield himself from the cold. Finally the Wind died down, exhausted from his efforts. Then the Sun began to shine, gently but persistently, until the man began to unbutton his jacket one button at a time. Before long, he had shed
not only his coat, but happily rolled up his shirtsleeves as well. The Wind had to admit he was beaten. Selfishness and unkindness are like that Wind; while there is a certain kind of power in them, they do not have the power of love and kindness, which can open the hearts of people just as the sun’s rays can cause people to shed their overcoats.
God’s kind of love is not wimpy. While God demonstrates kindness to sinners, he doesn’t paper over our sin as though it doesn’t matter. Kindness sometimes confronts and challenges; it reaches out not to pat the shoulder of one stuck in a ditch, but to pull him out of his predicament, for kindness understands that it is not a loving thing to watch
someone destroy his life and do nothing about it. In his book A Gardener Looks at the Fruit of the Spirit, Philip Keller speaks of kindness by reminding us that it is the kind physician who lances the boil, drains off the poison, cleanses the wound, and so restores
the patient. It takes a strong man or woman to do what is best for others in the face of fierce resistance and opposition.
Now and again you might see a bumper sticker which urges you to “practice random acts of kindness”. And yet kindness isn’t “random” or irrational; on the contrary, it is very intentional. It is motivated by the desire to meet people’s needs and glorify God!
David practiced intentional acts of kindness toward the first king of Israel, Saul, sparing his life when he could have killed him, even though Saul had tried to kill David several times. Saul knew that God’s favor had passed from him to David and that David would
one day replace him on the throne, and resented David’s popularity with the people. Yet in spite of Saul’s animosity toward him, David always sought to honor him as God’s anointed ruler of the nation. Once Saul and his family were removed from power and
defeated in battle, David might have been justified to take revenge on whoever was left of Saul’s descendants. But instead he practiced intentional acts of kindness toward them, motivated by the desire to meet their needs and thereby give glory to God. Let’s pick up the story in II Samuel 9.
2 Sam 9:1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?" 2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "Your servant," he replied. 3 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is
still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."
Back in 2 Sam 4:4 we learn that the boy was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan’s death on the battlefield came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth. NIV
When David learned that the grandson of his arch-enemy was still alive, he asked, 9:4 "Where is he?" Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." Now the name “Lo-Debar” meant “no pasture”; it was a barren, desolate, out of the way
place – where Mephibosheth had gone into voluntary exile after the death of his father and grandfather.
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "Your servant," he replied.
Imagine what Mephibosheth must have thought when the men arrived and told him that the king wanted to see him. His grandfather Saul had sworn to kill David, and had pursued David all over Palestine. Now with his father and grandfather both dead, what would King David’s intentions be toward him? Perhaps he would kill him to get rid of any potential threats to his throne and to solidify his hold on power in the kingdom. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mephibosheth feared for his life. But listen to the way King
David spoke to him:
7 "Don’t be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" 9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, "I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants
are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Then Ziba said to the king,
"Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of
Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet. NIV
Nothing which Mephibosheth had done or could ever do made him deserving of such kindness; this extraordinary kindness was an act of pure grace on David’s part.
So it is with God’s grace toward us. When we were undeserving, when we were helpless, when we were far away from God, God’s grace came running toward us in Christ Jesus. It sought us out; it found us when we were far astray. And just as the kindness of King
David brought Mephibosheth to a position at the king’s very table, feasting at the king’s banquet for the rest of his life, so the kindness of God does more than just get us to Heaven by the skin of our teeth. God’s kindness seats us at the banquet table of the
Bread of Life and the Wine of the precious blood of our Lord Jesus – at His expense, no charge to us!
Kindness identifies with people in their pain, problems and weaknesses. David’s kindness to Mephibosheth began with empathy. He identified emotionally with him in his sense of grief and loss. David mourned the death of Saul and his son Jonathan. He could imagine how desolate and afraid Mephibosheth must feel.
God’s kindness also begins with empathy. Heb. 4:15 says that Jesus can sympathize with us in our troubles because he was tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet without sin.” Divine kindness is God walking in our moccasins. If I want to show God’s kindness to others, I have to be willing to walk in their shoes, to feel what they feel, to hurt when they hurt, and move to relieve their suffering.
David showed mercy to Mephibosheth by not exacting revenge on his enemy’s household. In fact, he might have enslaved or imprisoned or even killed Mephibosheth
for all the grief his grandfather put him through, but he didn’t. He withheld punishment some considered well-deserved. He refrained from lashing out in anger against the grandson of his foe. That is a negative expression of love.
But David did more than that. His kindness went further than mercy. He restored all the land that belonged to Mephibosheth’s grandfather Saul, which he had every right to confiscate, he made sure he was well-provided for, and made a place for him and his
family at his table where he was treated like one of the king’s own sons. He did not seek retribution, but instead extended grace and blessing toward the grandson of his former adversary. That is a positive expression of love.
All these blessings came to Mephibosheth at no charge to the lame man -- but they did cost David a great deal. For the rest of Mephibosheth’s natural life, David paid all his expenses, for him and his family as well as his servants. He did not have to do it. He
was under no such obligation.
It is costly to be kind. It takes the courage of Calvary to be kind. Yet it was a cost David gladly paid, to demonstrate the love of God toward Jonathan’s son.
To be kind is to be mild, gracious, easy on other people. It means bearing another’s burden, carrying his load, like the Good Samaritan who placed the wounded mugging victim on his own beast of burden and paid the bill for his medical treatment. It cost
him to be kind. It cost him time, effort, money, inconvenience. It took courage to show kindness on a dark road known to be frequented by muggers and other low-lifes. (Luke 10:29-37)
But kindness cares more for others than for self. Kindness works for the welfare of the one loved. Kindness looks beyond the faults of others and sees their need, and strives to meet that need. Kindness actively seeks to do good to the object of love without
expecting favors in return. Being kind means doing good with no expectation of a reward, to say "I love you" with no strings attached. Love is kind even to the unkind, gentle even to those who are harsh and unsympathetic. Kindness returns a soft answer when criticized unjustly or falsely accused or maligned. Kindness forgives the most heinous sins, restores the most wayward sinner, and reaches out to the most unlovely, treats them better than they deserve.
Luke tells the story of a father who gave everything he owned to show kindness to his two ungrateful sons. (Luke 15:11-32) The younger son cared only for pleasure and wanted to get as far away from his father as he could, as fast as he could. So he set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. He was reduced to feeding pigs, and even envied them the slop he served them, he was so hungry, but no one gave him anything. He finally came to his senses and decided to return home, to admit he was wrong, and beg for a job. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ’Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. NIV
The younger son recognized that he did not deserve any kindness from his father. He had forfeited all rights, squandered his inheritance, treated his father shabbily. His father had been deeply hurt, no question about it. He would have been justified to
throw him out of the house, to tell him he never wanted to see his face again. That would have been justice. No one would have blamed him if he had decided that his son was just too untrustworthy, a bad risk, not worth his time and trouble. Or if he had
simply decided to throw the boy a bone, some insignificant job at the bottom of the totem-pole, to ease his conscience so he could truthfully say that he had done everything anyone might reasonably expect a man to do after everything his son had put him through.
And yet, his entire focus was on restoring his son to full membership in his family. He didn’t just clothe him in a worker’s uniform; he called for the best robe in the house – which was surely one of his very own garments – for his son to wear! The ring was a
symbol of his authority in his family. Shoes were a sign of sonship; remember in the days of slavery in the American south, that slaves were not generally given shoes to wear. He didn’t send him to the servant quarters for biscuits and a cup of broth, but
killed the calf he had been fattening up just for this occasion and threw the most lavish welcome home party you could imagine. Everything this father did demonstrated his full acceptance of this boy back into full rights and privileges as more than a slave, much,
much more – as his precious, well-beloved son.
IF “KINDNESS IS LOVING PEOPLE MORE THAN THEY DESERVE,” as Joseph Joubert, French moralist and essayist (1754-1824) wrote, then the BEST EXAMPLE OF KINDNESS IS GOD HIMSELF. TITUS 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But WHEN THE KINDNESS AND LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR APPEARED, 5 HE SAVED US, NOT BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUS THINGS WE HAD
DONE, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY. That is kindness.
Romans 5:8 God demonstrated his own love for us in this: WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. That is kindness.
1 John 4:10 This is love: NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. NIV That is kindness.
Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians about the kindness of God: God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His
grace in KINDNESS toward us in Christ Jesus. That is kindness.
As Jesus said, 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those FROM WHOM YOU EXPECT REPAYMENT, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ EXPECTING TO BE REPAID IN FULL. 35 But love your enemies, do good to
them, and lend to them WITHOUT EXPECTING TO GET ANYTHING BACK. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, BECAUSE HE IS KIND TO
THE UNGRATEFUL AND WICKED. 36 BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL. Luke 6:32-36 NIV
God’s love is patient; it withholds the judgment that our sins deserve. God’s love is kind; it actively works for our good, bestowing on us the righteousness of Jesus and restoring us to full rights and benefits as his children. God looked past our faults, our failures, our shortcomings and our sin and saw our need. Then he provided us with what we needed -- and much, much more.
As we come to the Lord’s banquet table today, I invite you to reflect on God’s kindness – to imagine that you are Mephibosheth, a cripple with nothing to offer but gratitude to a gracious king, for that is what we are. How do you feel about this gracious King who
extends mercy instead of revenge, who doesn’t merely let you eke out a meager existence in a place with no pasture but makes you to lie down in green pastures, who brings you into his own palace to eat every meal from his own table at his expense and provides for your every need, treating you as one of the king’s own children? As you ponder these things, listen to this song of God’s love for you:
He Looked Beyond My Fault (Song on “Praise the Lord Forever” CD sung by Kay Chung Werho, Korean Soprano, available through Far East Broadcasting Company,
www.febc.or.kr)
Amazing grace shall always be my song of praise.
For it was grace that bought my liberty.
I do not know just why He came to love me so.
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.
I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary,
To view the cross where Jesus died for me.
How marvelous the grace
That caught my falling soul,
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.
Rambo, Dottie © 1968 John T. Benson Publishing Company (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)
I hope this image of our gracious Lord fills your heart with gratitude and the desire to mirror his kindness to others.
Col 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Eph. 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you. AMEN!
Resources (Sermons from Sermon Central):
Pay It Forward by Byron Harvey (1 Corinthians 13:4) / December 1, 2002 / Love of
Another Kind
Love Is Kind by Jim Mooney
Building Great Relationships by Ed Allen (I Corinthians 13:4) / January 10, 1999 / The
Benefits of Intensive Caring
SUGGESTED HYMNS
PARAPHRASES OF I CORINTHIANS 13:
Charity by Kenn Gulliksen
Love Never Gives Up
Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels
The Gift of Love
LOVE OF GOD / JESUS:
Amazing Grace
Amazing Love
And Can It Be
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Come, Let Us All Unite to Sing (God Is Love) (Lorenz)
Forever Grateful
God So Loved the World
Grace Greater Than Our Sin
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Love Lifted Me
My Savior’s Love (I Stand Amazed)
O How He Loves You and Me
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
The Love of God
The Steadfast Love of the Lord
The Wonder of It All
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Wondrous Love
COMMUNION:
Come, Share the Lord
I Come With Joy
OUR LOVE FOR OTHERS:
Eternal Life
Here I Am, Lord (Schutte)
Make Me a Blessing
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Reach Out and Touch
They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
This Is My Commandment
We Have Come to Join in Worship
LUKE 15:
Love For All (Longfellow/Xavier Schnyder von Wartensee)
Our Father, We Have Wandered
© Joanna R. Loucky-Ramsey. All Rights Reserved.
Permission granted for use in sermon preparation only. For other purposes, please contact the author.
