Our nation becomes more bitter and divided each day. November 13 is World Kindness Day; what does the Bible say about kindness?
The Fruit of the Spirit Is…Kindness
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
The word translated “kindness” in Galatians 5:22 is chrestotes. “It is the grace which pervades the whole nature, mellowing all which would be seen harsh and austere…The word is descriptive of one’s disposition and does not necessarily entail acts of goodness as does the word agathosune, active benignity. Chrestotes has the harmlessness of the dove but not the wisdom of the serpent which agathosune shows in sharpness and rebuke.” (The Complete Word-Study Dictionary, New Testament). For example, when Christ cleansed the Temple of the money-changers and animal sellers, He demonstrated agathosune – active goodness – but not chrestotes, kindness.
In the Old Testament, the word most commonly translated kindness is hesed. This word means “kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, love, acts of kindness.” Hesed most often describes God Himself. Therefore, the New Testament calls us to reflect the kindness that is a fruit of the Spirit. This means that we reflect the character of God in our relationships with one another.
God’s Hesed is Everlasting
In Psalm 136, the psalmist uses the word hesed 26 times to describe God’s work. God
- Does great wonders (v 4)
- Made the heavens with skill (vv 5-9)
- Delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt (vv 10-12)
- Led Israel through the wilderness (vv 13-22)
- Rescued and remembered Israel (vv 23-24)
- Gives food to all flesh (v 25)
Show Kindness to One Another
So how can we show kindness to each other?
First, we show kindness by caring for one another. If God gives food to all flesh (Psalm 136:25), then we should also care for the physical needs of others. This is consistent with Jesus’ call for us to feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, take in the stranger, and visit the sick and the prisoner (Matthew 25:35-36). James reminds us that faith without works is dead. A brother or sister without clothing and daily food as an opportunity for us to demonstrate our faith (see James 2:15-16). Faith, in this instance, involves demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit – including kindness.
Second, being kind means that we “mellow all which would be seen harsh and austere.” As followers of Jesus, we need to reflect His kindness and gentleness: Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out nor raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bent reed He will not break off and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice (Isaiah 42:1-3).
Jesus’ Example
A harsh spirit seeks to crush the weak and stamp out any opposition. Conversely, a gentle spirit does not put out the dimly burning wick. And just so we don’t misunderstand, Matthew applies this passage to Jesus (Matthew 12:8-21). Jesus demonstrated his kindness by healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath – much to the chagrin of the religious leaders. When they sought to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14), Jesus withdrew from them. He did not “raise His voice” or “cry out in the street”; instead, He told those whom He healed “not to tell who He was” (Matthew 12:15-16).
The Fruit of the Spirit Is…Kindness
Of course, the kindness that the Spirit brings forth in us is unalterably connected with love – the self-giving love that the New Testament refers to as agape. Ultimately, that love comes from God; that’s why it is a fruit of the Spirit. That’s the love that Jesus calls his followers to show – both to neighbors (Matthew 22:39) and to enemies (Matthew 5:44). Kindness “mellows the harshness” by not loving through gritted teeth: “I’ll love them, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them!” Being kind means that we don’t say that, or think it!
God helps us to demonstrate kindness to others by reminding us that He has already demonstrated His kindness to us. When God has forgiven us so much, how could we be unforgiving to others? When God has blessed us so much, how could we not bless others? Or, as John put it: Whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him? Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:17-18).
I suspect that the reason that “love” is listed first among the fruit of the Spirit is because the other characteristics all flow from that love. If we don’t love, we cannot truly demonstrate joy, reflect peace, be kind, etc. But when God’s love is in us, we do not close our hearts against others. On World Kindness Day – and every day – let the kindness of God be evident in your life!
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