A Touch of Kindness

A Touch of Kindness

(Luke 5:12-16)

Yearly Theme:  “Kindness is… Astounding”

Series Title:  “Kindness 24/7”

September 17^th, 2023

Something to think about:

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “Do not waste your time bothering whether you ’love’ your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.  If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more.  If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.”[1]

Today we come upon one such occasion where Jesus’ compassion far exceeded His concern about cultural mores or social pleasantries.  The great compassion of GOD through Jesus knows no bounds.  Let’s take a look:

Luke 5:12-16 (NLT),

¹² In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy.  When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed.  “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

¹³ Jesus reached out and touched him.  “I am willing,” he said.  “Be healed!”  And instantly the leprosy disappeared.  ¹⁴ Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened.  He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you.  Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.  This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

¹⁵ But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.  ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. ^[2]

Key Point:  “True acts of kindness come from a willing heart of compassion.”

What can we learn from this one compassionate act of healing?  We can learn that…

• Jesus’  comes in the form of a gentle  .

Luke 5:13 (NLT),  Jesus reached out and touched him.  “I am willing,” he said.  “Be healed!”  And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 

• Jesus’  to heal the sick and diseased was a  of the coming of the Kingdom of GOD.

Luke 5:14 (NLT),  Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened.  He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you.  Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.  This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

• Jesus prioritized  with GOD the Father.

Luke 5:15-16 (NLT),  ¹⁵ But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.  ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Something to take home:

The story is told of General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, and the day Queen Victoria of England asked to meet with him.  Because she had heard so many favorable things about his work in the slums, she asked him for the secret of his success.  “Your Majesty,” he replied, “Some men have a passion for money.  Some people have a passion for things.  I have a passion for people.”[3]

A passion for GOD coupled with a passion for people can radically change a society/culture for the better and bring healing to nations.  However, compassion seems in short supply these days in our polarized, political environment.  What does it look like to enact true acts of kindness from a willing heart of compassion indiscriminately?  It looks a lot like loving and touching the unlovable and untouchable.  It looks a lot like giving witness to what the Kingdom of GOD looks like on earth as it is in Heaven.  And it looks a lot like prioritizing time alone with GOD the Father from whom all blessing, power, and authority flow.

Key Point:  “True acts of kindness come from a willing heart of compassion.”

[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (Broadman & Holman Publishers:  New York, New York, 1980), 116.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), Lk 5:12–16.

[3] Source Unknown.