The Fruit of the Spirit–Kindness, Sermon by Pastor Andrew Marttinen, May 25, 2024
CHRESTOTES, (Greek) pronounced khray-stot’-ace, meaning: useful moral excellence of character or demeanor, gracious, gentle, goodness, and kindness. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS . . . KINDNESS
Kindness χρηστότης (chréstotés) conveys the meaning of moral goodness, integrity, usefulness, and benignity. In the King James Version, this word is translated as “gentleness,” which links it to the meaning of a gentleman or a gentlewoman who behaved properly, with moral integrity and kindness. This is not to be confused with another Spiritual fruit, number 8, which is translated “Gentleness” but in the Greek is called “meekness.”
Kindness in our rough and tumble, give-no-quarter, shark-eat-shark kind of world is not very high on the characteristic list of most people. Why were we humans put on this world? I found a rather humorous description from an Elizabethan source of what was expected of men during the time of Shakespeare: The task of man, as the historian Keith Thomas put it, was to “level the woods, till the soil, drive off the predators, kill the vermin, plough up the bracken and drain the fens”. Who wants to be kind when you need to be tough and in some cases ruthless? When you’re killing the vermin, ploughing the bracken and draining the fens?
Let’s set the record straight at the outset . . . kindness is not weakness or wimpishness! It is not a compromising of the truth. It doesn’t give in to evil. Kindness is the way in which you act and speak. It’s an attitude, a quality of character that stands firm — yet doesn’t have to beat down another in order to stand tall. It has a wide meaning.
Jesus Christ is kindness incarnated! In His life and ministry He embodied kindness, modeled it, and expressed it. Why was His presence so sought after by women, children, and men? People are attracted to kindness personified. Kindness is planted in seed form, imputed, and ingrained in the new nature
of a new Christian under the code name of “fruit.” It’s ours to be developed by the work of the Spirit . . . it’s to be shown in all of our human contacts. The goal is for each of us to be as kind to others as Jesus Christ in His mercy has been kind to us.
KINDNESS IS A SIGN OF GREATNESS! It is intended to pervade and touch our entire nature. It is to replace the harsh and hardness. Jesus was a kind person. Think a moment of how much the world has been changed because of the kindness of Jesus. In His day, there were very few or no institutions of mercy . . . few hospitals, few shelters for the homeless, few places for orphans, and few places of protection for the poor.
Compare our world with His world. His was a very cruel, harsh place in which to live — ours has created lots of safety nets and places where people can be helped. Think . . . wherever Christianity has gone, the followers of Christ have given themselves to performing many of these acts of kindness. Have you had kindness shown? Pass it on; ’Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another’s tears, ’Till in Heaven the deed appears . . . Pass it on.
The original Greek word is chrestotes, which can mean: “To be mellowed, to be mellowed with age, a person who doesn’t act harshly or inflict pain on others, a person who acts different than the serpent, a person who acts in gentleness, and excellence in spirit.” This word carries a broad application of excellence in conveying gentleness and kindness in all interpersonal relationships. In other words . . . someone you’d love to have for a friend.
In 1 Cor. 13:4-7 we have a definition of how love behaves–Love is Patient and Kind. Using parallelism, the idea that the word that follows a word defines it, Love is Patient–to love someone means you must be patient with them. To be patient means you must be kind. Then 1 Cor. 13 goes to some of the characteristics that love is not–Jealous, boastful, proud, rude, self-serving, keeping a record of wrongs and taking joy at the failure of others.
Kindness sounds like something you learn from a kindergarten class. You can hear that finger-wagging teacher now: “Make sure to be nice and treat one another with kindness.”
Kindness comes from a heart posture of gratitude, but also sincerity in treating one another with respect and niceness.
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6-7)
Kindness is more than an action when you interact with people. It’s how you present yourself amongst other people. Your character that shines through you can be dressed in the posture of kindness. It’s an attitude.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever gone to a public tourist location like Niagara Falls or the Eiffel Tower. Sometimes you would like a photo of the group that you’re with (something other than a selfie). You sheepishly walk up to a perfect stranger, hand them your beloved technology and ask them to snap a photo.
Why did you pick that person?
When I do this, I choose the person who looks the nicest, who isn’t going to huff, scowl and walk away. I choose the person who expresses an emphatic, “Absolutely!” when I beg the question.
I also think of Johnny Barnes. If you haven’t heard of him, according to Wikipideia, John James Randolf Adolphus Mills (June 23, 1923 – July 9, 2016), known as Johnny Barnes, was a Bermudian native found waving to passing traffic at the Foot of the Lane roundabout in Hamilton, Bermuda, from roughly 3:45 am to 10 am, every workday, rain or shine. A Bermuda institution mentioned in several guidebooks and profiled in two documentary films, he was known for waving and saying "I love you, God loves you" to
passing commuters during the morning rush hour into Hamilton. Due to the unique layout of the island and its roads, nearly all drivers at rush hour coming from the western and southern areas of the island passed Barnes at the roundabout.
Something new I found out this month is that sap neither rises in the spring nor falls in the autumn, common terminology notwithstanding. It moves in and out, from centre to surface and back, not up and down. This makes me think of the heart. Nutrients are always around and accessible. Fresh air, sunlight, all the right chemicals for life are right there, in the open. The heart, however, is the central processing place of attitude. The heart is where changes are possible. As the centre of the intellect and the will, the heart directs. Roots bring nutrients up, leaves take sunlight in from above, fresh air is everywhere, but the job of the heart of the tree is to accept them as gifts–not try to self-medicate.
Kindness flows from us. It is a heart and character posture. It is the notion that every person deserves to be treated with respect and kindness. Rough on the exterior but with a kind heart is a fairy tale. It’s an excuse for some people to tolerate abusive behaviour.
The discipline of kindness traces back to our childhood. From the very beginning, we are taught and conditioned to be kind to one another. However, kindness goes much farther than saying “please” and “thank you” or opening the door to people you interact with. Those are manners. So far in discussing fruit–actually preaching at you about it—I’ve emphasised that each has a social element. You get along with people if you exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. But the social part is only an element of the fruit. Part of it. It may make you a fun person to be around, but sociability needs to be backed up with much more, especially if you’re being bitten into. If you look through the Scriptures, you see that the word “kindness” is used within the contexts of mercy and humble servitude to one another, much like the verse in Ephesians. The “riches of [God’s] grace” is shown through the kindness shown to us through Jesus, who He was, what He did and the mercy and servitude-like love that was shown through
His sacrifice for us.
So, listen to your elementary school teacher, follow the model of Johnny Barnes and take a lesson from the photo-obsessed families on vacation about kindness.
But, most importantly, look to the cross. See the kindness and mercy that Christ perfectly portrayed in His ultimate sacrifice for each and every one of us.
The fifth fruit of the Spirit is kindness. True kindness is taught to us in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Romans 2:4 reminds us that God’s mercy and grace should lead us to repentance, not judgment. The Holy Spirit enables us to have moral integrity with kindness and not get trapped in self-righteous judgment.
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4
So, just how important is kindness? In a study of 37 cultures around the world, 16,000 subjects were asked about their most desired traits in a mate. For both sexes, the first choice was kindness. Acclaimed psychologists John and Julie Gottman gathered data on successful marriages for decades and found that
kindness was essential to a lasting union.
But, what is kindness? It begins with caring, being tenderhearted and compassionate. The Greek word for ‘kind’ is chrestos—meaning ‘useful.’ This means that kindness involves action. Truly kind people will actively look for opportunities to show kindness.
Whether it’s paying for someone’s groceries behind or writing a note of encouragement to a friend, kindness requires action. Of course, action can also include words—words of encouragement, comfort, courtesy and compliments can be heartwarming acts of kindness.
Jesus Christ practiced kindness that was considered radical for that time and culture. His kindness often extended to the people that were not treated well, including the sick, poor and social outcasts. He healed them, prayed with them and fed them.
Just like Jesus, we would practice kindness, even something as small as a smile at a passing stranger. We should continue to ripen our fruit of kindness in the footsteps of Jesus, who personified the greatest example of kindness.
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and
welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Nowhere does it say that his encounter with Jesus converted Zacchaeus. The bible says “here and now” not “from now on.” It was his policy. That was his attitude, his heart. He patiently plied this fruit of the spirit–kindness no matter what people thought of his job or his height. He stood up for Jesus against the muttering crowd. He was kind, they were not. They needed conversion and Zacchaeus gave testimony of his example: It was his policy to give half his possessions to the poor and if he had cheated anybody out of anything, pay back four times the amount.
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love. By Lao Tzu
1. Give an unexpected compliment.
2. Plant a tree.
3. Let someone cut in front of you in line.
4. Pay the toll for the car behind you.
5. Slow down so someone can merge in front of you in traffic.
6. Let someone else take that prime parking spot.
7. Give someone your seat on a crowded bus or subway.
8. Put coins in an expired parking meter.
9. Give up your seat on a plane so other travelers can sit together.
10. Buy a warm meal for someone in need.
11. Help someone struggling to carry their grocery bags.
12. Stop to assist someone who looks lost.
13. Say something encouraging to a parent who's struggling with rambunctious kids in a restaurant or grocery store.
14. Offer to return a stranger's grocery cart to the front of the store.
15. Keep plastic bags filled with snacks and sample-size toiletries in your car to give to the homeless.
16. Donate flowers to a nursing home.
17. Hand out disposable water bottles to people working outside on a hot day.
18. Buy a gift card to hand to someone on your way out of the coffee shop.
19. Leave a great coupon next to that item in the grocery store.
20. Pick up a piece of litter on the street and throw it out.
21. Pass along a compliment to a service worker's boss.
22. Take the time to write a great online review for a restaurant you love.
23. Pay for the meal of the people at the next table. (Leave before they realize what
you've done.)
24. Leave a positive comment on a news article or blog post.
25. Learn CPR.
26. Give an extra tip and write an encouraging note along with it.
27. Keep an extra umbrella in your car to give to someone stuck in the rain.
28. Buy lemonade from a child's lemonade stand.
29. Visit a nursing home — read books to or play board games with residents.
30. Send a care package to a service member.
31. Bring treats to your local fire station.
32. Write a thank you note to your mail carrier.
33. Talk to a stranger at a party who looks like they don't know anyone.
34. Smile at someone who looks sad.
35. Introduce yourself, even if — especially if — you've lived near each other for a while but haven't met.
36. Compliment a neighbor on a feature of their home.
37. Scrape the ice off a neighbor's windshield after you've finished doing yours.
38. Mow their lawn, rake their leaves or sweep their sidewalk as a surprise.
39. Make a double batch of the cookies you're baking and bring some next door.
40. Plan a neighborhood block party so everyone can get to know each other better.
41. Walk your neighbor's dog when he has to stay late at the office.
42. Offer to babysit a neighbor's child for free.
43. Build a "little free library" box in your yard. Put books in it for your neighbors
to borrow, and invite them to donate their books.
44. Make dinner for a neighbor who has just had a baby or surgery.
45. Cut a sermon short in mercy.