Kindness

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 15th of April, 2023 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
Galatians 5:22

These are the fruit of the Spirit, and I want to speak to you this morning about kindness. You know it is a quality and a commodity that we don’t see too much these days, do we? That is so sad. Often when I have been on a plane trip and the plane lands, especially when it has been a long 18-hour trip, I sit quietly and watch the people. I love studying people and I see how quickly they want to get off the plane, understandably. But it is so nice to see a young man stand up and take a suitcase off the top of the rack for an old lady who can’t quite get there. Those types of things really touch my heart deeply and of course, the Lord Jesus Christ is our ultimate example, isn’t He?

You know, after the Resurrection, He told the disciples to go to Galilee and He would see them there. He gave a message to the angel, “Tell them, I will see them in Galilee, and Peter.” Isn’t that wonderful? I am talking about Mark 16:7: 

“But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” 

You see, Jesus knew Peter would never have gone to Galilee because he had disgraced himself so terribly. He had denied the Lord three times after telling the Lord that he was prepared to die for him, and yet because of the kindness of the Lord, He remembered that. He said, “Tell the disciples and Peter.” 

Oh folks, we need to be kind to one another today, and I am talking to myself probably more than I am talking to anybody else. You know, when Jesus had been working all day, praying for the sick - it was dusty, it was hot, He was tired and the women were bringing their little children to Jesus to ask Him to please bless them, and the disciples tried to keep them back. They were worried about the Lord. He was tired. What did He say? 

“No, suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 19:14

He blessed them, each and every one. And didn’t Jesus bless the disciples' feet on the last night before He was betrayed, knowing that they were going to betray Him? He was kind to them, He was gentle to them because He knew what was coming, and when He did get to Galilee, early that morning, the disciples had gone fishing, they had given up and as they came into land, Jesus was standing on the sea shore, on the shore of the lake and what had He done? He had already made breakfast for them. Kindness!

Today, go out and be kind to somebody.
Jesus bless you and goodbye.