1182 - The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Kindness#
1182 - The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Kindness
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Luke 10:30-37
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to worship you together. Through this time, you help us to know you more deeply through your word. You supply us with what we need through your word, and we receive your grace to live a life of grace. May the Holy Spirit lead us in the following time, so that we can all receive. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Our sharing topic is : The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Kindness
Have you noticed that some elderly people have kind and gentle faces? Seeing them makes you feel particularly kind. But some people do not seem very friendly; it’s not that they have done anything wrong, but they just feel hard to approach. This relates to what is in a person's heart. If a person is often filled with bitterness and complaints, their face will become unfriendly, making it hard for others to approach them. However, if a person is often filled with joy and peace, such a face is attractive and makes people feel easy to approach.
One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is kindness.
Kindness in Greek means: moral goodness, which can be translated as mercy.
In other versions of the Bible, 2 Corinthians 6:6 mentions kindness, translated as sweetness, a very lovely word. There are beautiful descriptions, such as aged wine, called rich and mellow.
Jesus once said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The word “easy” in the original text uses the term kindness, meaning: the yoke that Jesus gives us will never crush us; His yoke is filled with kindness. The burden of Jesus Christ is light, giving us rest, and His yoke is easy, giving us His abundant kindness, unlike the burdens of this world, which weigh heavily upon you. Jesus gives you kindness.
Sharing Point One: God is a God full of mercy and kindness
Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Do you see God’s mercy? Just like the rain falling outside today, both good and bad people can receive the nourishment of rain. God’s kindness is manifested in that no matter what kind of person you are, you can receive God’s kindness; His kindness is willing to supply all people.
Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Here it mentions that our God is a God full of kindness, rich in mercy. If God is only rich in mercy, He loves us and is willing to give us kindness and mercy. And all of this is not based on your behavior; it is freely given by God. When people are dead in their trespasses, God has already placed His love and mercy upon them, entirely out of His rich mercy. He adds His rich grace upon us, making us alive together with Christ and seating us in the heavenly places.
Once a person receives God’s kindness, they will surely have loving actions. How does God love us? Where is His gift of mercy manifested? While we were still sinners, He saved us from our trespasses and lifted us, this unworthy group of people, up to be resurrected with Jesus Christ and seated in the heavenly places.
God lifts us up, not because of what we have done, but because of His rich grace. This is the kindness that God shows us in Jesus Christ. You can understand that kindness contains His mercy, His grace, and His great love because He is the Lord full of kindness, willing to bless us.
The meaning expressed by kindness is God’s attitude and actions of grace toward people. This word appears infrequently in the Bible, but the actions of kindness are evident in the revelations God gives us. For example, in Exodus 19, it mentions,
Exodus 19:4-6
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
The kindness God gives us is not just verbal; when He saved these people from Egypt, it demonstrated God’s kindness. In the Bible, the Lord says: “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” This is the content of Exodus 33, and do not misunderstand it here.
Many Christians say, “The Bible says, ‘I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.’ If God does not let me be saved, if God does not bless me, then I will not receive it?” This is human thinking. How great is God’s love? His salvation is for everyone; as long as you are willing, you can receive it. God’s kindness leads us to repentance.
God sends rain on the fields of the righteous and also on the fields of the unrighteous. One day, if the unrighteous person understands that this is God’s grace, they will turn back and receive this salvation. God continually shows patience and kindness to this person, with the purpose of letting this person know God.
Romans 11:22: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off.”
Here it mentions both those who have fallen and those who have not. God’s kindness and severity appear simultaneously. God is severe toward those who have fallen. Some say we strive not to fall; otherwise, God will be angry with you. Can one avoid falling? There was a person in the Bible who said: “Lord, even if they all fall away, I will not.” As a result, he fell harder than anyone else; this person was Peter.
Because the Jews rejected salvation and rejected Jesus Christ, this salvation came to the Gentiles. Paul used a metaphor to illustrate that the Jews were originally the olive branches, and because they were unwilling to stay on the tree, they were cut off. The Gentiles, like wild olive branches, were grafted into the olive tree, and we draw nourishment from God.
Paul is telling us here that wild olive branches should not boast; if God did not spare the original branches, He will not spare the wild olive branches that have been grafted in. If one boasts, they will also be cut off. God is severe toward those who have fallen, and in the context, “those who have fallen” refers to those who rely on their own ability and behavior rather than on God’s kindness.
At that time, the Jews thought they could obtain God’s grace by obeying the Law of Moses, but they all fell. Because no one can fully obey God’s law. We can only rely on the grace of Christ to receive blessings from God. This is a simpler way and also the method God is willing to bless us.
Romans 11:5: “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”
The wild olive branches can be grafted onto the true olive tree not because of good behavior, but because of God’s kindness. Therefore, people have nothing to boast about. God’s grace is unrelated to our behavior; if grace is obtained because of good deeds, then it is not grace but what is deserved as wages. God is willing to give us His grace because He is a God full of kindness.
Jesus is the compassionate Lord, the merciful Lord. During His three and a half years of ministry, we can see many acts of kindness from Jesus. For example, a woman caught in adultery, everyone wanted to put her to death, but Jesus Christ forgave her sins; it was Jesus’ love that was upon this woman. Jesus did not violate the Law of Moses because soon, Jesus would bear her sins.
The tax collector Zacchaeus was looked down upon by everyone, but the Lord Jesus knew his heart and was willing to stay in his house, granting him salvation. Zacchaeus repented, and God’s kindness led these people to turn to God. A man with leprosy felt lonely because he could not hug his own children or embrace others, but Jesus personally touched him, healing not only his physical illness but also his inner affliction. Bartimaeus, who had never seen the sun, received a great miracle from the Lord Jesus: his eyes could see. The Lord Jesus wept for the dead Lazarus and used kind eyes to encourage the fallen Peter.
Peter once said, “Lord, they all deny you; I will not deny you. Even if everyone falls away, I will not…” As a result, that night he said, “I swear, I do not know this man…” Jesus’ eyes were on Peter, not in hatred, but with a compassionate and loving gaze that restored faith and strength between them.
It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. There are many examples in the Bible; if we were to speak of all that Jesus did, the whole world could not contain it, for our Lord is a kind Lord. He does not wish for us to continue wandering; He desires to care for us and keep us.
In Luke 15, when the younger son returned to find his father, the father ran to him and embraced him, completely unconcerned about the smell on him, still holding him and kissing him. At that moment, he understood his father’s kindness and turned back. When we understand the Father’s love upon us, He has always loved us this way, and people are willing to follow Him for a lifetime.
The kind Lord is the Lord who understands people. Brothers and sisters, in this world, not everyone can understand your heart; even spouses cannot. You cannot understand the pressure the other person is bearing, but the Lord Jesus understands. You may encounter a lot of pressure in work and life, with no place to express it, not even to your spouse. You need to speak to the Father in heaven; He will comfort you, He can empathize with you, for He is a loving Father.
Luke 10:30-37 records such a story:
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise!”
There was a man who, while going down to Jericho, fell among robbers. Perhaps this man was very wealthy; whatever the reason, he is now in a desperate situation, beaten half to death, covered in wounds, lying by the roadside. Who would be willing to help him?
The first to pass by was a priest. The priest is one who offers sacrifices. When the people sin and need help, when they need God’s mercy, the priest is the intermediary. The priest presents the offerings of the people before God, making atonement for their sins; this is the work of the priest.
This man needed help, but the priest did nothing. This shows that he was just a person working in the temple, seemingly unrelated to other matters. Perhaps this priest thought his duty was only to offer sacrifices, and this man had nothing to do with him, so he passed by on the other side. He might have thought that if he touched him, he would be unclean and unable to approach God. But the purpose of God establishing these priests was to solve people’s problems. Yet he turned a blind eye to this man.
The second to pass by was a Levite. The Levite serves in the temple, assisting the priest in offering sacrifices. Everything needed in the temple is done by the Levites; they spend their lives serving in the temple. One can understand that today, those who serve full-time in the church are called Levites. Whether it is a full-time serving deacon, teacher, or pastor, they are all serving personnel. The Levite should have helped this man, but he also passed by on the other side. This indicates that he had no kindness in his heart; perhaps he felt that this man’s affairs had nothing to do with him.
The third to pass by was a Samaritan. During the time of the Old Testament, when Israel fell, some were captured by enemies and married local people. Those people became the Samaritans. Traditional Jews looked down upon them because they violated the law by marrying and having children with foreigners.
Their country’s southernmost point is Jerusalem, the middle is Samaria, and above that is Jericho. Jews felt that entering the city of Samaria was defiled; they would not pass through the city but would go around the mountainous area. The mountain roads they passed were often frequented by robbers, and the injured man was likely a Jew who happened to encounter robbers. His own compatriots passed by without helping him, while the Samaritan, whom they looked down upon, helped him.
Verse 33: “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.”
He poured oil and wine on his wounds, bound them up, set him on his own animal, and walked while leading the animal. This is the kindness of this Samaritan.
This is the character of a Christian. This compassion comes from God’s love, seeking no reward, not caring whether you are my enemy, but willingly helping you. The Samaritan’s help to this man was meticulous; he first washed his wounds, bound them up, lifted him onto his own animal, and led the animal forward to take him to the inn to care for him. This was already good enough; he took out two denarii (two denarii is the wage for a Roman soldier for two days) and told the innkeeper to take care of him. If the expenses are not enough, I will repay you when I return.
Jesus spoke to the Jews, saying, “Since you know this, go and do likewise.” In the New Testament, Jesus also expects us to help others in this way. However, many times, when we see our adversaries, we are unwilling to help. How can we gain this strength? We must know that Jesus Christ accepted us in this way; while we were still sinners, He saved us. This is God’s kindness.
Matthew 20:29-34
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
Jesus was willing to heal them, not because of the piety of these two men but because of Jesus’ kindness. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit - kindness. It was God’s kindness that led them to be healed and willing to follow Jesus.
Mark 1:40-42
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
From these examples, we can see that Jesus is the Lord full of kindness. He is willing to give grace to those who seek Him. Therefore, no matter what problems we encounter, we can pray to Him. He will surely show us kindness and let us experience His great power.
Sharing Point Two: Treating with Kindness
The fruit of kindness from the Holy Spirit is something we receive. If we rely on our own compassion to act, it is extremely limited and difficult to have the strength to do so. Sometimes there are too many concerns that prevent us from acting. For example, if you see an elderly lady crossing the street and she falls in the middle of the road, should you go help her?
Some might say they are afraid of being taken advantage of. The Bible says: “Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” The fruit of kindness produced by the Holy Spirit is to let us manifest Christ’s kindness, just as one of our brothers mentioned earlier, we must go help, regardless of how the world changes; this virtue must not be lost, but we need to act wisely. We can record while doing these things. God hopes that we treat each other with kindness and help one another.
Colossians 3:12: Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Put on means to wear. You are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, so put on God’s compassion, put on God’s kindness, put on God’s humility, put on God’s meekness. These are all fruits of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is already in you, guiding you and leading you to act.
In the past, we relied on ourselves; now we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Kindness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and this fruit carries action. Just like this brother, who brings this elderly couple, who have difficulty moving, to the church to gather together; this is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He is doing this before God. God will remember what he has given. This is also the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit in his heart.
Ephesians 4:31-32:
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
How do we remove these bad things? By constantly reflecting on how Jesus Christ forgave us, how God treated us with His kindness. The more we think about it, the more compassion we will have for others. When we are filled with the kindness of the Holy Spirit, bitterness will be uprooted.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you! Thank you for pouring out abundant mercy and great love upon us every day, granting us abundant grace. When I meditate on the grace you have given me, your kindness will be in my heart, and we can treat others with a kind heart.
Thank you for loving our church so much, for loving us so much. In this week, let us treat each other with kindness, tolerate one another, and forgive one another. Glory be to you! In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!