Series: “Showing Love in an Age of Outrage”
Part 2
“Christ in Our Kindness!”
Pastor Jerry
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How many of you have a smartphone? Twenty years ago we didn’t have smartphones. Now, almost every day we use them to search the web for info on virtually any topic. I searched the web dozens of times this week writing this sermon.
How many of you have a cell phone with you today? It seems we can’t leave home without our phones. Most days, I would more readily return home to get my phone than my wallet. We think we must remain constantly connected with friends, family, co-workers and…well, the world.
But, who knew that this technology would empower some of our worst behavior? It contributes to outrage! Outrage is all around us. Jesus was no stranger to rage. His righteous anger turned over tables, cleansed the Temple, rebuked friends, chastised religious leaders.
But, when Jesus experienced rage, he did not dehumanize or insult or incite violence. Jesus offered grace and mercy and kindness. Jesus was angry without judgment, and invited people to come be with him, to eat and learn from him, to experience a different way of being.
Do you consider yourself to be a person of kindness? I don’t mean are you nice! Kindness in our culture is more about being nice than it is about love. It only asks us to be nice to those whom we are different from, but it does not call us to love them. When kindness is without love, it is not kindness at all, but rather an imitation, a fake that supposes love for another, but is merely an act.
This is the problem with cultural kindness. I can be nice and tolerate someone while hating them at the same time, and this is what we see all the time. Though cultural kindness puts on the facade of love, it is hatred with a smile. So, how are we to show love in an age of outrage. I believe Christians should live and look differently because they belong to Christ. That’s what I want to explain today.
We are continuing in this new series of messages that I’m calling “Showing Love in an Age of Outrage.” We’re looking how to bring out our best when the world is at its worst. Today I want us to look at kindness.
God says in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “Make sure that you never pay back one wrong with another wrong. Instead, always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” Now, friends, I don’t know if you realize this, but we put far more effort in looking nice than in being nice.
Colossians 3:12, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Now, God is very clear what he wants people to look like who follow Christ: compassionate, kind, humble, gentle & patience.
1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Everything you do must be done with love.” Now, what’s the relationship between love and kindness? Kindness is love in action. Kindness is not an emotion. Kindness is not a feeling. You might have all kinds of feelings towards somebody, but if you don’t ever act in a kind way, you’re not kind.
Now, this focus on kindness is so important to your life that God had Jesus tell a very famous story about it, called the story of the Good Samaritan. He told the story to explain what it really means to be kind, because we don’t really understand kindness.
Jesus typically turns the tables and he does the opposite of what people expect and he makes “the bad guy” in the Jews idea, the hero of the story. He makes the hero of the story, the person who was despised.
Luke chapter 10 it says, “One day an expert in the religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him a question. He says, ‘Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?’” Pretty good question. How do I get to heaven? “Jesus replied, ‘Well, what does the law of Moses say?’ And the man answered, ‘Well, the law of Moses says this, you must love the Lord. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and all your mind. And you have to love your neighbor as yourself.’”
That’s called the great commandment. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. “Jesus goes, that’s right.” Good answer. He says, “Do this and you’ll live… you’ll go to heaven! But the man asked Jesus, “So Lord, who’s my neighbor?”
Now, what’s going on here? Well, this guy doesn’t want to have to love everybody. You don’t expect me to love people I don’t like? You don’t expect me to love my enemies?
And Jesus answered by telling him a story. Now, the story is that a guy is going from Jericho down to Jerusalem on the road. It’s a very dangerous road. Jesus tells this story and he says, there’s three different guys. There’s a priest, there’s a Levite and there’s a Samaritan. And they all encounter this crime scene when they’re going from Jerusalem down to Jericho. Each of these three people represents an attitude. Let’s look at the 3 attitudes. The first guy is the priest. This attitude is that I can keep my distance. It is the attitude of avoidance. He sees the guy but he goes over to the other side of the road. In Luke 10:30-31 it says this: “There was a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, beat him up, leaving him half dead. Now it’s so happened that a priest was going down that same road. But when he saw the man who was in pain, he walked on by on the other side.”
Now, this is the attitude of avoidance. He sees a man left half dead, naked, bleeding to death, and instead of helping the guy, he just crosses over to the other side of the road and keeps walking. If I ignore it, I don’t have to do anything about it. I’m not responsible. I’m just going to keep my distance.
The second attitude is, I can be curious, but I’m uncaring. When I see somebody in pain, I just walk over to the side of the road and keep walking because I’m busy with what I’m doing. Luke 10:32, “In the same way, a Levite also came, went over and looked at the man, but walked by on the other side.” Now, notice both of these guys, the priest and the Levite are religious people. Point, being religious doesn’t make you kind. Being like Christ makes you kind.
The third attitude is this. I can show kindness. V 33, “But the Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity.” That’s the heart of kindness. Now, what is the basis behind this? Matthew 7:12, “Jesus says, always treat others as you would like them to treat you.” This is called the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Always treat other people the way you want to be treated. How do you want to be treated? With kindness. Then how are you commanded to treat everybody else? With kindness. I am not allowed to treat other people in a way I don’t want to be treated.
So how do you become a kinder person? Well, this passage gives us four incredibly powerful truths. This story that Jesus told is packed with wisdom. I want to take you quickly through these four steps to becoming a kinder person.
Number one, it starts with your vision. First, I must see the needs of people around me. In Luke 10:33, “When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him.” This is the first thing the Good Samaritan does. He observes, he looks, he notices, he’s aware. You can’t care until you see. Kindness always starts with your eyes, with the way you look at people.
The second step to becoming a really kind person, I must sympathize with their pain. Kindness isn’t just seeing a pain, kindness is sympathizing with the pain. Verse 33, “When he saw him, his heart was filled with compassion.” How do I become a more sympathetic person? Two words: Listen Better. Advice is cheap. Just listen! Taking time to listen is kindness.
One of the reasons we’re not sensitive to listening to other people is because we have a hard time accepting somebody whose behavior is different than ours. Here is a key to kindness, stop asking what’s wrong with them. Instead start asking, what happened to them? Galatians 6:4, “Share each other’s troubles and problems. And in this way, you obey the law of Christ.” What’s the law of Christ? Love your neighbor as yourself.
Number three, I have to seize the moment to help. The good Samaritan doesn’t delay. You see, kindness is not something you wait to feel to do. It says, he went to him, that’s an action. Love is often inconvenient. Now, think of all excuses this guy could’ve given. He could’ve said, I got my own problems to deal with. I’m late for a business appointment in Jericho. He’s probably beyond help. You can make up any excuse for not being kind and for not taking the time. Proverbs 3:27-28, “Never walk away from someone who deserves your help. Your hand is God’s hand for that person. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.” Don’t delay, do the kindness now.
There’s one other thing. Number four, I must spend whatever it takes. There is always a cost to kindness. This is the principle of a sacrifice. There’s always a price tag. It usually requires a sacrifice of your time and of your money. It certainly will require a sacrifice of your energy and attention.
Verse 34 and 35, “Then he put the man on his own donkey and he took him to an inn where he took care of him. And the next day he gave the innkeeper some silver and he told him, if his bill runs higher than that, I’ll pay the difference the next time I’m here.” The Good Samaritan’s nursed him through the night. He provides for his care. He pays his bill. He does all he can to help. What did he gain from this? Nothing, but being like God. And growing a kind heart.
Now, remember this story was told by Jesus, to answer the question, who’s my neighbor? Who do I have to love? Jesus asks, “Which of these three people would you say was a true neighbor to the one attacked?” And the man said, “Well, the one who showed him kindness.” Jesus said, “You’re right. Now you go and do the same.” And Jesus is saying to you, you go and show kindness to the people you see in life.