Love is Kind
13: 4b
Paired with the more passive side of love (love is patient), is a corresponding active side: love is kind. Paul does not describe love to us in the role of performing great, wonderful, and astounding deeds; he prefers to show us how the inner heart of love looks when it is placed among worldly people and weak believers. He does not picture love in ideal surroundings of friendship and affection where each individual embraces and kisses the other, but in the rough and tuff surroundings of a sinful world and faulty believers, where the stresses of life bring out the positive power and value of love.401
Just as patience (to see link click Cv – Love is Patient) will take anything from others, kindness will give anything to others. Being kind is the counterpart of being patient. To be kind (Greek: chresteuomai) means to be useful, serving, and gracious (see above). Kindness recognizes those who carry a heavy load in life. It is active goodwill. It not only feels generous, it is generous. It not only desires the welfare of others, but works for it. When Yeshua commanded His disciples (including us) to love their enemies He did not simply mean to feel kindly about them, but to be kind to them: If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two (Matthew 5:40-41)! The hard environment of a sinful, fallen world gives love almost unlimited opportunity to exercise that sort of kindness. The kindness of believers in the second century so surprised the pagans that, according to the early Church father Tertullian, they called Christians chrestiani (made up of kindness) rather than christiani (Apol. 3.39).402
Again, God is the supreme model. Or perhaps you despise the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience; because you don’t realize that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to turn from your sins (Romans 2:4). Paul reminds us: But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Deliverer was revealed, He delivered us. It was not on the ground of any righteous deeds we had done, but on the ground of His own mercy. He did it by means of the mikveh of rebirth and the renewal brought about by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, whom he poured out on us generously through Yeshua the Messiah, our Deliverer (Titus 3:4-6). Peter tells us that we should long for the pure milk of the Word and thereby grow in respect to salvation because we have tasted the kindness of the Lord (First Peter 2:2-3 NASB). To His disciples Yeshua said: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). The word He used for easy (Greek: chresteuomai) is the same one Paul uses for kind here in 13:4b. In His love for those who belong to Him, Messiah makes His yoke kind. He makes sure that what His people are called to bear for Him is bearable. No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure (First Corinthians 10:13).
For the Corinthians, kindness meant giving up their selfish, jealous, spiteful, and proud attitudes and adopting the spirit of loving-kindness (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed). Among other things, it would allow their spiritual gifts to be truly and effectively ministered in the Spirit, rather than superficially and unproductively counterfeited in the flesh.
The first test of our kindness, and the test of every aspect of love, is in the home! The believing husband who acts like a believer is kind to his wife and children. The believing wife who acts like a believer is kind to her husband and children. Brothers and sisters who are believers are kind to each other and their parents. They have more than kind feelings toward each other; they do kind, helpful things for each other – to the point of loving self-sacrifice, when necessary.403
Dear Kind Heavenly Father, We bow in worship and praise of You our father who is overwhelmingly merciful, kind and loving. ADONAI is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and plentiful in mercy. . . For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him (Psalms 103:8, 12). Not only do You not punish those who repent and turn to You in love, but amazingly You put their sins at an incredible far distance away. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:12).
You are also holy and just. It is through Your kindness that You give your righteousness by Yeshua’s painful and shameful death to those who love You so we can live with You in Your holy heaven. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). May You help me to live in kindness towards others. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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