What Is The Greatest Act Of Love? The Kiss?

WHAT IS THE GREATEST ACT OF LOVE? A KISS?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingegrs@aol.com

While this lesson is about THE KISS, perhaps the greatest act of love is TO LISTEN!

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require

of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

1. THE WORD KISS, KISSES AND KISSED IS IN THE BIBLE 48 TIMES.

THE OLD TESTAMENT HAS THE MOST REFERENCES TO THE KISS.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

There was a popular PRIME MINISTER IN ENGLAND NAMED WILLIAM EWARD

GLADSTONE... GLADSTONE had heard about PRINCESS ALICE of the Royal Family dying.

So Gladstone called for THE HOUSE OF COMMONS to have a VOTE OF SYMPHATHY

for the Royal Family. The House listened as Gladstone told the account of the death.

PRINCESS ALICE'S CHILD was very sick with DIPHTHERIA.

The Doctor explained in great detail how dangerous "A KISS" could be.

So the doctor warned the whole family, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE was anyone to KISS

the child.

One night the child had a terrible night with fever and spasms. The child was in great pain

and was in a coma. PRINCESS ALICE WAS HOLDING THE CHILD IN HER ARMS WHEN

SHE AWOKE AND LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM.

AT THAT TIME THE DAUGHTER OF ALICE SEEMED TO BE AFRAID AND THE LITTLE

GIRL CRIED OUT:KISS ME MOMMA, MOMMA PLEASE, KISS ME!

What would you do? Her precious daughter was burning up with fever and she asked her

MOMMA: PLEASE KISS ME! What else would any loving mother do? She kissed her sick

daughter several times and held her near her heart.

This KISSED COST THE MOTHER, PRINCESS ALICE HER LIFE. She soon had

Diphtheria, at this time in history, DIPHTHERIA WAS DEADLY TO ADULTS...

2. A KISS CAN COST A BIG PRICE... KEZAZAH TRADITION...

WILL WE LEARN THE KISS OF FORGIVENESS?

ACTION VS. REACTION... WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE...

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father

saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

AS THOSE THAT UNDERSTAND JEWISH LAW AND TRADITION TO DO CERTAIN THINGS

WOULD DEFILE YOU AND YOU COULD NOT GO INTO THE TEMPLE AND YOU COULD NOT

TOUCH OTHER GOOD PEOPLE. Seems religious practices were to be repulsed by SIN and

SINNERS? While God hates sin, never forget GOD LOVES SINNERS.

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father

saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

THE JEWISH HAD A TRADITION CALLED "KEZAZAH." In the kezazah ceremony when a

wayward family member embarrassed the family name there was a price to be paid.

if they ever returned to the village the "mayor" would take a glass PITCHER and throw

and BREAK IT at the feet of the OFFENDER. This public disgrace was terrible. OFTEN

THE TOWN WOULD REFUSE RE-ENTRY TO THIS "TERRIBLE PERSON"...

This Father knew this KENAZAH CERMONY and he desired to save his son this ugly

experience. THE FATHER WENT OUT AND SAT ON THE HILL BEFORE THE CITY LIMITS,

AND WAITED DAY AFTER DAY. This is a lesson OF GRACE BEFORE THE JUDGMENT.

THE FATHER EXTENDED GRACE TO HIS SON AND PROVED THE GRACE NOT JUST BY

THE KISS, THE FATHER GAVE HIM SHOES, (lack of shoes indicated slavery), A ROBE,

AND A RING AND A FATTED CALF...

THE FATHER KNEW IF YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER TO KISS, YOU CAN NOT

SEE ANY FAULTS OR REMEMBER ANY MISTAKES. The Father knew if he touched his son

he would have to undergo the process of purification to go back to the temple.

AS WE STUDY THE KISSES OF THE BIBLE, LET US REMEMBER A KISS CAN BE

VERY COSTLY... the father had the right priorities. His love clearly defined what was

important to him.

3. FLIRTING WITH SIN WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO THE LESSON THAT NOT ALL KISSES

ARE GOOD... THERE IS A CLASSIFICATION OF THE KISS OF EVIL KISS,

A EVIL KISS IS LIKE A POTATO CHIP, betting you can't eat just one? One evil kiss can

ignite a terrible fire... two teens in east Tennessee never dream the fires they started

would burn hundreds of acres and destroy 1,200 structures and TAKE THE LIVES OF

10+ PEOPLE, and untold animals.

A PERSON WOULD KISS THE HAND OF AN IDOL'S HAND...

1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto

Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Hosea 13:2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver,