A Sermon On:
PREPARED BY
KEN GEHRELS
PASTOR
CALVIN CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
NEPEAN, ONTARIO
Tony Campolo tells of an incident that happened to him once -
He was headed to work along his usual route. It wasn't unusual for him to pass a number of transient people, the homeless.
Occasionally they would blurt out the usual panhandling requests for money. And generally he ignored them. But one day a
particular bag lady, whom he had seen often before in his mad dash to get from A to B, came shuffling by holding a
steaming cup of coffee from a local donut shop. Their eyes met. He forced a smile. She stopped and put down her
disheveled coat and bags. "Hey, mister, would you like a sip of my coffee?"
Now, if you were Tony, how would you respond? Walk past, quickly, right? Well, he did. Or at least started to. Something inside stopped him on that frosty morning. Half a block down he turned around. "Hey lady! Yes, yes I would like a taste of your coffee." And she stuck out her dirtied hand to him, and he swallowed..... what had to be the most delicious coffee he had tasted in a long time. "Isn't it good?" she inquired.
"Yea, this IS good. And thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Hey lady.... why did you offer me your coffee?"
"Because it was so good. I thought someone might like to share it with me and enjoy it, too."
There in middle of a cold Pennsylvanian morning, an angel in disguise exhibited what we are studying this evening, the fruit of the Spirit called Kindness. Sharing from what little she had with someone whom she simply thought might enjoy the pleasure she was experiencing from her cup of coffee.
And Campolo, accepting that kindness with grace.
Kindness. Gracing someone's life with good.
Kindness. It can be shown in big ways or small. And often it is those small kindnesses that do more than the big ones.
"To speak a word of encouragement; to give to someone in need; to lend to a neighbor; to telephone or write to one who is in sorrow; to visit the sick or the aged; to befriend a lonely person; to lend a hand to a harassed friend, there are a hundred and one little ways to be kind to others" [Winward, Fruit Of The Spirit p.135].
Of course, as we all know, sometimes the situation in which God places us demands more than a little kindness. Sometimes it demands a great outpouring, perhaps a flood of kindness to be deluged onto another.
A Quaker, Stephen Grellet once wrote,
"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it now; let me not defer to neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
[quoted in Winward, Fruit Of The Spirit p.136]
Kindness often confused for Christianity. I heard someone speak about his life, and along the way he mentioned his mother with some fondness. "She was the kindest person I ever knew, a real Christian. She was ready to share with everyone, and assist anyone in need."
Such things are often said and meant, sincerely.
Such people are valued.
Of course being kind does not make someone a Christian. Only accepting Jesus Christ as the number 1 priority, as Savior and Lord does that.
And being a Christian does not, unfortunately, make someone kind.
There are far too many unkind professing Christians cluttering the face of our earth.
Let's take a moment to examine kindness from God's point of view.
How does He practice kindness?
Luke 6.35: "God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
Matt 5.45: "Your father in heaven causes the sun to rise on the good and the evil, and sends rain on the just and the unjust...."
In spite of what people deserve, in spite of how people respond God continues to shower his goodness, big and small, on humanity making our lives more manageable and even enjoyable.
God's kindness is without limit. It breaks through any boundaries that people tend to erect. It even takes in the objectionable people of life, such as those who remain stubbornly in their patterns of behavior even though they are obviously wrong, or those who are ungrateful for kindnesses shown them, or the belligerent.
It even takes in US.
For think about it. How often do we not take the kindnesses of God for granted. How often will we not fervently pray for a good crop at the beginning of the season and then attribute the bountiful yield to the great effects of the new kind of fertilizer or planting technique or plowing method.
I heard a speaker at an A.A. meeting talk about how he often would breathe the jailhouse prayer:
"Lord, get me out of this situation and I'll never do it again."
And when he would get out of jail or out from under another conviction he would waltz away with a smile on his face like the cat who ate the canary, convinced he got out because of
a) lady luck, or
b) our his mental prowess ("outsmarted them again!").
I am certain that all of us have been in a tight spot at one time or another, a real jam. And we can point to some "coincidence" or "turn of events" or "stroke of luck" or "unexpected happening" which bailed us out.
How often do we stop to thank God?
How often do we behave like Doug W?
Do you see?
The kindnesses of God,
undeserved,
Yet - again and again shown to us.
God's kindness - extending to us the good things of life.... and doing it irrespective of how we recipients respond;
whether we deserve it or not.
And it is that divine-like kindness that we are called to practice towards other people as we leave behind our natural tendancy towards a self-centered attitude.
Instead we learn the practice of turning the other cheek, sharing not just your coat but also your undershirt, loving those who are imperfect and irritating and a hinderance to your life, i.e. your "enemies."
"Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (LK 6.35)
The Word of God calls us to do the same,
to season the lives of all we meet with kindness.
How often don't we help someone out and not get a thankyou in response, at least one that we consider satisfactory? And we walk away mumbling, "See if I ever serve on that committee or help that person or become involved in this event again! Humph!"
And what is God's response after our 37th jailhouse prayer or equivalent neglect of his kindness? More kindness! And Jesus says, "Now you, too brother, or sister. More kindnesses, please!"
1 Cor 13.4 tells us that kindness is an outworking of love ("love is kind...."). Hence, in those who have been blessed and touched by the love of Christ, it is to be reasonably expected that kindness will issue forth from them. And, indeed, that is precisely what our Lord expects:
Col 3.12: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, compassion and kindness."
In so doing they complete the circle of kindness which first was shown to them.
I've said from this pulpit before that love is never complete until it is given away. There is what is called "the circle of love." Love is given to us and then we pass that love along to another person, a person through whom we serve Jesus Christ. In that manner the love is returned to Jesus. The circle is complete. And love is completed. It grows and becomes effectively alive!
Just like electricity. Electricity cannot flow in a wire and do any work unless it has a complete circuit from the source of power to the load and back to the source.
Kindness, as one of the products of the love shown to us by our heavenly Father and by Jesus Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit, works in precisely the same manner.
Showing such kindness is, of course, not easy. And it is risky, just like the sharing of Christian love. It makes us vulnerable. People may spread rumors about us. They may take advantage of us. Showing kindness can get you dirtied.
Showing kindness can also hurt.
Don't confusing kindness with a cheap sentimentality, a wimpy sort of giving in to whatever whims and desires another person wants:
The husband faces a spouse with one colossal hangover from her bing last night. She begs him to call work and say she is sick with "the flu or something." Should he do that out of kindness?
The teenage girl faces the constant pleadings of her boyfriend, often romantically phrased and tenderly spoken, to show just HOW MUCH she loves him; to allow him to share himself completely with her; to allow this aweful pressure he experiences to be relieved; or whatever the line he uses to try and weasel her chastity away from her. Does kindness demand her cooperation?
Someone at work makes a snide remark about a coworker of a different racial background and turns that into a cutting joke. Kindness says not to reprimand that racist for fear of hurting his feelings, right?
In each case, and I'm sure you can supply more, the answer is "NO!" For Christian kindness goes deeper than the initial response. Christian kindness is tied, for a start, to Christian love. And love sometimes demands tough action in order to get what is honestly a good result, a healthy result, an upbuilding result, a life-enriching result.
An act that prevents a person from confronting the true damage that is occuring as a result of their alcoholism is not kindness.
An act that results in a pregnant teenage girl and a young boy who is encouraged in promiscuity is NOT kindness.
An act that allows one person to demean another and go unchallenged is NOT kindness.
It is not kindness to give a cocaine addict $100.
Kindness is that inner response to do good to another, to help a person experience something right or upbuilding or positive in her life. And in such cases, says Neal Plantinga, it must be like a quality baseball glove. Make it of tissue paper and it will be nice and soft but will fall apart on the first catch. Make it of concrete and it will succeed no better in catching the line drives of life. Instead, make it of good leather - soft and flexible, yet tough and durable [Plantinga "Christian Compassion - Obstacles" Banner 19/10/87].
And when these things are done as our personal response to the kindnesses shown in our life by Jesus Christ and by God our heavenly Father, when they are done as a thankyou - consciously or unconsciously - to him, they do not go unnoticed. Jesus himself said "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward" (Mat 10.42).
So there's the challenge to us -
A challenge that will require us to tame tempers which so easily flare and hurt
to check selfish streaks
to overcome fears of being taken for a ride
to close distances between ourselves and others
to deliberately stop from the busyness of life.
to step across the awkward moments
A challenge that brings us to our knees in prayers, asking for the Spirit to reorder our priorities, to warm our hearts towards others, to pull us off the road of pride -
to reprogram us morally, ethically and spiritually.