For Hagerman Bible Study Monday the 14th May

Kindness, a fruit of the Spirit

Scripture passages, Titus 3:3-5, 2 Samuel 9:1-3 Psalm 109:16-29

Recently I have been blessed with a remarkable kindness. My sister-in-law Terry has been taking my son, Lonny to Community Band Practice with her. Taken on the face of things it seems a very small effort, but let me add it up:
        1) Band meets every Monday from 6:30 to 8:00, so every week she comes to our house and takes her whole evening for our son. Terry is an early riser and she is scarcely ever home before 9:00 Mondays by the time she drops Lonny off.
        2) We live twenty minutes out of the way so she can’t just go to band practice which is already a twenty minute drive, but must swing out to East Grand Plains to pick him up, adding close to forty minutes to her effort for the day.
        3) Lonny is twelve, a fun a happy young man, but very independent and a little difficult to manage, but Terry does well and patiently and it’s not like he can help with the driving or even return the favor.

This grace, a free and open gift, causes me to think about kindness and how it is so very Christian.

Kindness is the act or the state of being kind, being marked by good and charitable behavior, pleasant disposition, and concern for others. It is known as a virtue, and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions

Robert Louis Stevenson considered that 'the essence of love is kindness; and indeed it may best be defined as passionate kindness: kindness, so to speak, run mad and become importunate and violent.'

From Wikipedia under kindness

Matthew Henry speaks about Paul’s letter to Titus this way
The letter to Titus lays that challenge, among others, before us today. Much of the letter encourages rather ordinary believers, who occupy all walks of life, to consider their lives in every facet as an expression of the will of God. In fact, once life is considered in this way, the thought of "ordinariness" departs from Christian thinking about life. No matter what path God has given us to walk, we are intended to be a vital piece in God's missionary plan to reach the rest of the world. Each "piece" has meaning, each human life has inestimable value and usefulness to God, and this realization is a tremendous source of joy, satisfaction and peace. But to comprehend this, we may need to make some adjustments in the way we view life.

So what are those adjustments? Read all of Titus this week, but let’s pay particular attention to 3:3-5

Titus 3:3-5
3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love
for mankind appeared,
5 He saved us—
not by works of righteousness that we had done,
but according to His mercy,
through the washing of regeneration
and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Paul clarifies kindness God’s kindness, that it’s not earned, but according to His mercy.
If we shift to examples of earthling kindness as Stephen quotes one beggar telling another beggar where to find food, we find kindness in David’s actions towards Mephibosheth. For next week read all of 2 Samuel 9, but for now note David’s intention.

2 Samuel 9:1-3
9 David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?” 2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“I am your servant,” he replied.
3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?”
Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.”

Now let’s turn to the Psalms
Psalm 109:16-29 first looks at one without kindness. It reads like someone who has no heart, no joy, no peace. Then the Psalm turns to beg God’s kindness.

Psalm 109:16-29
16 For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the afflicted, poor, and brokenhearted
in order to put them to death.
17 He loved cursing—let it fall on him;
he took no delight in blessing—let it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing like his coat—
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil.
19 Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears.
20 Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil against me.

21 But You, Yahweh my Lord,
deal kindly with me because of Your name;
deliver me because of the goodness of Your faithful love.
22 For I am afflicted and needy;
my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and my body is emaciated.
25 I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

26 Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to Your faithful love
27 so they may know that this is Your hand
and that You, Lord, have done it.
28 Though they curse, You will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but Your servant will rejoice.
29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
they will wear their shame like a cloak.

Matthew Henry's Commentary is as follows:
Chapter 109

Whether David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul, or when his son Absalom rebelled against him, or upon occasion of some other trouble that was given him, is uncertain; and whether the particular enemy he prays against was Saul, or Doeg, or Ahithophel, or some other not mentioned in the story, we cannot determine; but it is certain that in penning it he had an eye to Christ, his sufferings and his persecutors, for that imprecation (Ps. 109:8) is applied to Judas, Acts 1:20. The rest of the prayers here against his enemies were the expressions, not of passion, but of the Spirit of prophecy. I. He lodges a complaint in the court of heaven of the malice and base ingratitude of his enemies and with it an appeal to the righteous God, Ps. 109:1-5. II. He prays against his enemies, and devotes them to destruction, Ps. 109:6-20. III. He prays for himself, that God would help and succour him in his low condition, Ps. 109:21-29. IV. He concludes with a joyful expectation that God would appear for him, Ps. 109:30, 31. In singing this psalm we must comfort ourselves with the believing foresight of the certain destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his church, and the certain salvation of all those that trust in God and keep close to him.

Questions for discussion:

1. Have you ever intentionally set out to deliver a kindness? What and when if you are willing to share?
2. How does God’s kindness show up in your life and or the lives of your family and church?
3. Can you think of a time when kindness was not welcome?
4. Are children kind?

For this week continue this study by reading all of Titus, 2 Samuel 9 and Psalm 109.
For next week We will study Ruth chapter 2, Luke 9 and Psalm 103
Thank you BEV