“A Kind of Kindness”  II Samuel 9:1-10; Eph. 4:30-32  3-15-09 [Love is patient love is kind]

                When eleven year old Elizabeth Lee reached into a lion cage at an Anchorage amusement park, a 300 pound lioness named Cleo seized her arm in its teeth.  Alaskan state trooper Frank Johnson raced to the rescue, pulled out his pistol, and shot the lion in the head before it could hurt more of her.  The lion fell dead.  Both Johnson and the girl went sprawling; Johnson’s gun accidentally went off again, wounding the girl in the thigh.  Elizabeth eventually recovered.  But she sued the trooper and the state of Alaska as well as the amusement park.  The jury decided to give her $15,000 in damages for the amusement park because it was inadequately guarded.  It rejected the rest of the claim in part because of a “Good Samaritan’s” law.  The law says that one who voluntarily aids a person in distress is not liable for damages unless gross negligence is involved.  South Carolina has a Good Samaritan’s law too.   It is sad that we even have to have a law protecting those who are trying to be kind.  But we must protect and promote kindeness.
I. WITHOUT KINDNESS-  Can you imagine the world where no one cares to be kind- to go out of their way to help someone?
Ephesians 4:32- says, “Be kind to one another- tenderhearted, forgiving one another Justas God in Christ has forgiven you.” 
                A. NO TENDERNESS- Vladimir Lenin, the first president of the USSR was not known for his tenderness and kindness, especially with his wife.  His wife’s mother was dying and they were keeping vigil while Lenin was writing.  She was exhausted, and asked Lenin to wake her if the mother needed her.  When she awoke, her mother died. He said, “You told me to wake you if your mother needed you.  She died.  She didn’t need you.”   In contrast Lincoln said, “To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own. “
                B. NO FORGIVENESS- We say, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” It is interesting that the Lord’s prayer really does say “forgive us debts” instead of “forgive us trespasses.” Yet in these tough economic times we are seeing the parable of the unmerciful servant lived out.  Banks that owed money to the government- and were relieved- are now squeezing their customer’s credit.  
                When Leonardo Da Vinci was painting The Last Supper, he got terribly upset and lashed out at a man.  He threatened him.  Then he went back to paint the face of Jesus- and he couldn’t.  He waited and waited for inspiration but it was all dry.  He had to go find the man and apologize before he could pain the face of  Jesus.  Kindness and forgiveness are encouraged by the Spirit, but they are also ways we draw closer to God.
II. KINDNESS DEFINED- kindness in the Old Testament is the word “hesed” or “mercy” or “lovingkindness”.   A teacher asked her class to define “lovingkindness.”  A boy said, “If I was hungry and you gave me some bread- that would be kindness.  But if you put some jam on it, that would be lovingkindness.”  In the New Testament the word for kind is “Chrestos”.  The Romans, when they heard about Christ got confused.  They said that Christians worshiped a god named “Chrestos” which means kind.   It is a good confusion.  But there is a difference between kindness as a fruit of the Spirit and goodness which is also a fruit of the Spirit that comes right after kindness.  The difference lies in that kindness is done to those who don’t deserve it and who may be ungrateful.   The Bible says that God is kind “even to the wicked and the ungrateful.”  Certainly that is what was done for us in Jesus Christ.  God came down for us when we did not deserve it, and He certainly helps us even when we are ungrateful (Eph. 2:7).   Christ came to show us it doesn’t have to be a dog eat dog world.  Thank God it is not!
                While we grow closer to God by being kind, it is also true that God helps us to be kind.  It is a fruit of the Spirit.  When we have no power on our own to be kind- when we don’t feel like being kind, God helps us.  When we are tired, weary, sick, broke, grieving, sad, the fruit can still pop out in our lives.  The Spirit blows where it will, and the Spirit empowers us to be kind.
                Purposely practice random acts of kindness.  Like pay the toll for the person behind you.  Hold the door for someone with their hands full.  Look for people in need and try to meet those needs.  A bag for We Care is a random act of kindness. 
III. KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS-
                A. DAVID- God had been kind to David- taking him from a shepherd boy to a king.  Jonathan had been kind to David.  So David sought to be kind to someone in Saul’s family- namely Mephibosheth.  Send a card to a kid at Thornwell- may turn into a Sue Madden. I really do like those Liberty Life commercials that show one person doing a kind deed, and an observer of that kind deed does another kind deed until it comes back around.   When someone is kind to you, or you see a kindness, it is inspiring so that we seek to be kind ourselves.   About a year and a half ago, I was driving my daughter’s car, and all of a sudden it froze up at the corner of Bush River and Murray Lindler Road.   I thought I had a flat, but a bolt had busted and the front driver’s side wheel was completely loose from the driver’s shaft.  I couldn’t budge the car, and tons of traffic was about to go down that intersection as people picked up kids from Chapin Elementary and Chapin Middle.  I called four wreckers but they couldn’t come for many hours.  But a guy who lived across the street that I had never met came over and rigged it up so that I could take it to the shop.  A couple of weeks later, someone had their car stalled and I was inspired to not just drive by, but to get out and help them make a call to a relative.   Let me also say that it is absolutely necessary to humble ourselves and accept another’s kindness.   Sometimes the greatest kindness is to accept another’s kindness.  I have been here five years, and I some of you wouldn’t say you needed a thing no matter what.  I have met guys who wouldn’t accept a helping hand for anything. I’ve met some guys who would rather eat cardboard than to admit they would like help with a meal.  But part of being kind is allowing others to be kind to you.  It is the world’s way to want everyone to be isolated from everyone else and totally independent.  The Christian way is to love and be loved.

Stephen Gellet, was a French Quaker.  He said, “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.  May God give you opportunities this week to see His kindness toward you, and give you opportunities to reflect this kindness in your actions.