Kindness

I Corinthians 13:4 – Charity suffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth

not; Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffeth up,

• The Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37)– 25: And behold a certain lawyer stood

up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

– 26:He said unto him, what is written in the law? How readest thou?

– 27: And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

– Who is my neighbor? (v. 29)• Priest?• Levite?• Samaritan: mixed race of Jew and Gentile

(Assyrians) and unacceptable to the Jews

– What was the focus?• Priest – unacceptable and fear• Levite – fear• Samaritan – enemy of Jews, focus on him as

a person

– What’s your focus?• Label or person?

• Homeless?• Troublemaker or criminal?• Disabled?• Poor?• Stranger?

– Response:• 10: 35 – Which now of these three, thinkest

thou, was a neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?

• 10: 36 – And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise

• Examples in the Bible– David toward Jonathan’s son,

Mephibosheth– Barnabas

• Today’s stories– Gardener– Homeless

• What’s your focus and response?