____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ October 26, 2003 ____________________________________________________ Love is Kind by Tom Edwards Last week, we considered Paul's definition of love (in 1 Corinthians 13) as being patient, bearing all things, and enduring all things. Let us continue with God's definition of love in that chapter. In the King James Version, as well as the New American Standard Bible, love is described as being "kind" (1 Cor. 13:4). Strong renders the Greek word as "to show oneself useful, i.e. act benevolently"; and Bullinger defines it as, "to show oneself to be...good, gentle, benevolent, benign; actively beneficent in spite of ingratitude" (A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, p. 431). Though kindness is that which dwells in one's heart, it is also to be manifest in one's life; and has been a needful virtue for any time. Going back to the early Mosaical Period, for example, it was commanded of God's people in Leviticus 19:34: "The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Lev. 19:34). This statement reminds us of what the Lord referred to as the second greatest commandment, and that being, to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:36-40); which is actually more than a mere command, it is also instruction for the best way a person can live. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "When you are good to others, you are best to yourself." During Zechariah's time, God gave the following order. Its principle is ageless: "...'Dispense true justice, and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another" (Zech. 7:9,10). Again we are made aware that true godly virtues go beyond a mere state of mind; rather, they become a part of the way we live: kindness and compassion were to be practiced -- and they are just as needful to be practiced in our time, as well. Stephen Grellet was born in France, but died in New Jersey in 1855. Though you might think that you don't know this man, there is something that he had written that you have probably often given some serious thought to. These sobering sentiments of his heart were many years later, apparently, paraphrased and made part of a song that was copyrighted in 1972 and sung by Glen Campbell, entitled, "I Will Never Pass This Way Again." If you are familiar with that song you will then be familiar with these words by Grellet: "I shall pass through this world but once. Any good that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now and not defer it. For I shall not pass this way again." That is certainly a good outlook, and one that can be coupled with the awareness of other people's needs and showing that kindness in these opportunities. Showing kindness was not just an OT command, but also for our dispensation as well. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:12-14: "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." How can we have kindness in our lives? We must "put it on." It's there for the taking, but no one can take it for us; we must clothe ourselves with it. We can, however, share that kindness with others to brighten their lives. Someone once expressed it this way: "My life shall touch a dozen lives Before this day is done -- Leave countless marks for good or ill Ere sets the evening's sun. "So this the wish I always wish, The prayer I ever pray; Let my life help the other lives It touches by the way." We live in a world in which our lives continually encounter the lives of numerous others. What kind of influence will we have on them? In Ephesians 4:32, Paul writes, "And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." How tender-hearted and forgiving are we to strive to be? As much so as the Lord is! In writing to Timothy, Paul gave this instruction: "And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 2:24,25). Is not kindness just as important as knowledge, when it comes to helping others to learn the truth? Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and, therefore, part of God's nature; so it must also be that which characterizes us as well. Jesus states, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men" (Luke 6:35). This very well corresponds to the definition of "kind" that we saw earlier: "acting beneficent in spite of ingratitude." God has clearly -- and overwhelmingly -- demonstrated to the world what real kindness is all about! And, going along with that, consider the remark of Joseph Joubert, "Kindness is loving people more than they deserve." This is especially true when we think of the love the Bible speaks of, that love from which kindness springs. It is the agape love, the highest form of love in all reality -- whether in the physical or in the spiritual realm. It is this love that prompted God to send His only begotten Son Jesus into this world to die for sinful man that man could be saved (Jn. 3:16). It is a love that loved us while we were yet sinners -- and so terribly unworthy of even the slightest amount of the Lord's love (cf. Rom. 5:6-10). John writes, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 Jn. 4:10). The Bible is replete with examples wherein this gentle virtue is manifest. Consider the following: "Now in Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which translated in Greek is called Dorcas; this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity, which she did continually" (Acts 9:36). Also in Matthew 25:34-36, every deed mentioned here is a deed of kindness: "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, `Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me." The Lord then further explained, in response to those who questioned Him as to when they had ever done such a thing for Him. He told them, "...to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me" (v. 40). Think, too, of the parable of the good Samaritan and the kindness he showed, when moved with compassion, to help the man who had been attacked by robbers and left half dead. The good Samaritan showed much mercy and generosity (Luke 10). Kindness radiated from him like a beacon in the night. Reflect, also, upon the kindness that Joseph had shown to his brothers who had cruelly sold him into slavery out of their hatred and jealousy toward him (Gen. 37 and 45). Rather then holding a grudge all of those years, and now lashing out with a bitter vengeance upon them, Joseph manifested a magnanimous spirit toward each one of them. He was merciful, forgiving, generous, and concerned. As we think about our own need to show kindness, giving serious thought to that which God has shown to us can certainly boost our incentive to do likewise. Paul states in Romans 2:4, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" Paul's rhetorical question actually emphasizes that these divine qualities of God are not to be taken lightly. Rather, our dwelling upon God's love should greatly motivate us and help to increase our own love for Him. It isn't by threat or duress that the Lord draws one to Him; rather, it is by His kindness. And where can we learn of that kindness? Partly through creation: "and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17). But primarily through His word: "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me" (Jn. 6:44,45). While General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was waiting to board a plane, on which he had a reservation, he overheard a private at the ticket window pleading to buy a ticket. He said, "I'm going overseas in three days. I want to see my Ma before I go. I can go home and back only if I travel by plane!" Unfortunately, every seat on the plane had been taken. On hearing this, General Roosevelt stepped forward and said, "I'll surrender my seat to him!" "But this is a matter of rank!" a fellow officer protested. "That's right," said the General. "He's a son, I'm only a general!" What is the point? The point is that God showed the greatest kindness to us when He simply made us His children. As John writes, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him" (1 Jn. 3:1). God's kindness could never be merited or earned by us. As seen also in Paul's words to Titus in 3:4-7: "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." This is not to say, however, that all of God's kindness is unconditional. Note what Paul writes to the Romans in 11:22, "Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off." Yes, conditions must be met; but even after doing so, it is by God's grace, mercy, and kindness -- and not by merit or by deserving it. Like Jacob, all of us who have received God's mercy and goodness can truly say, at least the first part of this statement: "I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies" (Gen. 32:10). We must strive to add kindness to our faith (2 Pet. 1:7), for it is a part of what real love is all about. It can be learned, and it can be further developed. Like all the other facets of love, kindness, too, can be increased in our lives by simply striving to be the Christian that God wants us to be and using opportunities in which we can exercise this gift of kindness in our lives. ____________________________________________________ News & Notes Let us continue praying for Agnes Shuff's healing. She recently received a 3rd degree burn on her hand and a 2nd degree burn from her wrist to her shoulder of the same arm. ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________