I’ve experienced kind love and that kind of love is transformational!
The kind of love I’ve experienced—and that I want for you, your church, and your community–is the kind of love we see in Jesus. Jesus was kind.
Jesus was kind to all people—especially those who were being abused, overlooked, and experiencing injustice, so it’s not surprising that the Apostle Paul teaches that love is kind.
The word used here, in 1 Corinthians 13, for “kindness,” chrēsteuetai, is only used once in the entire Bible. It means, “one who renders gracious well-disposed service”
The word used here, in 1 Corinthians 13, for “kindness,” chrēsteuetai, is only used once in the entire Bible. It means, “one who renders gracious well-disposed service”
The word suggests a kindness that, when lived out, benefits and blesses someone else.
Jesus lived…and loved…this kind of kindness throughout His ministry.
Jesus was kind to people. That being said, I landed on an event—not where Jesus was kind to someone but—where someone was kind to Jesus—a woman named Mary.
This “Mary” is sister to Martha and Lazarus, who sat at Jesus’ feet while her sister, Martha, worked and who did an intentional random act of kindness to bless Jesus.
I say intentional because Jesus sees it as intentional. Of her act of kindness, Jesus said, “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial” (Matthew 26:12).
I say random because no one—except for Jesus—saw it coming!
She’d been paying attention and knew that Jesus was coming to the end of a “road” of sorts.
It was the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. His death was near, and He was preparing himself for it.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they had dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.
(John 12:1-3)
Kindness Can Require an Investment
Anointing the feet of your guest was an act of honor. Anointing your guest’s feet with a pound of perfume is also expensive! Mark gives us some important details about the cost of this perfume, “For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her,” (Mark 14:5).
At this time in history, an average person made a denarii a day, so 300 denarii would have been 300 days wages—about a year’s worth of Mary’s salary.
The average annual salary in Colorado (where I live) is: $63,026
This intentional act of kindness cost Mary!
She essentially poured $63,026 on the feet of Jesus!
What is Jesus worth to you! What are you willing to invest to reach people Jesus died for?
Kindness Can Make an Impact
John makes an interesting comment in his telling of this event, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3).
Mary’s act of kindness was unavoidable. You could literally smell it. Everyone in that house was immersed in—and impacted by— that fragrance of Mary’s kindness.
Not everyone was happy about this, though. Judas, a crook—and a very unkind person—called Mary’s act of service a “waste” (Matthew 26:8).
It’s never a waste to be kind—and love better—now!
If we do, we will leave a significant legacy, because…
Kindness Can be Illustrious
Mary’s intentional random act of kindness was admired by Jesus then and it’s being—as promised—admired by countless others now. Jesus was right when He said, “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her,” (Matthew 26:13).
And, we are, because…
Acts of kindness are remembered.
I bet you can remember when someone showed you a lot of kindness, because…
Kind people are remembered.
Can you think of someone, right now, who made a positive impact on your life because they were kind to you?
I can.
I can think of someone who made a positive impact on my life because they were kind to me…and I don’t even know her name.
She was a greeter at a conference at Church of the Highlands, in Birmingham, Alabama. I asked her to help me find a place where I could work—while also being able to watch the conference. She spent the next twenty minutes making sure I was taken care of and didn’t leave me until I was all set in the spot she secured.
Chris Hodges, their pastor, could read the newspaper each Sunday and I’d still go to that church.
I’d go to that church just to see her each week because she was kind to me!
You are empowered to be kind!
Like the boy I read about who was being bullied and decided to respond to his bullies in a caring, creative, and Christ-like way.
The bullied boy began putting kind notes of encouragement on the lockers of his bullies. They would take them down and he’d put them right back up.
The bullied boy began putting kind notes of encouragement on the lockers of his bullies. They would take them down and he’d put them right back up.
Eventually, more positive Post-It notes began to pop up around the school until—eventually—every door and locker in the school was covered in Post-It notes with kind and encouraging words.
I shared that story with my church and within a week a huge wall in our church was covered in Post-It notes with words of kindness and encouragement! And, then it spread to a local school!
This can happen in your church and community, too! I promise!
You just need to remember—and help those around you to remember—we are empowered to be kind! Towards other Christians and towards people in our communities…right now…it’s not a waste!
It’s called, “loving better.”
This excerpt is from Arron Chamber’s book Love Better: Recapturing the Power of One of the Most Misapplied Scriptures in the Bible available from Exponential as a free download or on Amazon in print or Kindle versions. This article and book is one of several resources created for Exponential’s Lost Cause: Reviving Evangelism theme. You can access more resources from the Lost Cause library and join us for Lost Cause events.
