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How Jesus showed kindness in the Bible.
Kindness encompasses being friendly, generous, and careful not to inconvenience or harm others. The concept of kindness is no orphan for it is one of the constituents of love. The ability to show kindness stems from love. In the attempt to show love, one can in no wise bypass kindness; you would have to be kind to others to show that you love them. One of the delightful claims of Jesus is that He loves us. And he even went on to instruct us to love others just as He loves us. To put His love on display, our Lord showed kindness to many people in and around Israel so that He would teach us to do the same. Let’s explore some of these heartwarming accounts.
1. Healing the sick
One of the most prominent displays of Jesus’ kindness is seen in His healing of the sick. Jesus healed a nobleman’s son (John 4:43-54); He healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Mr 1:29-310; He cleansed a man with leprosy (Mt 8:1-4); etc. The world would have been much worse off without Jesus’ healing ministry which has continued to this day. Jesus was born into a world plagued with diseases and infirmities of all kinds – leprosy, fever, blindness, and so on. When Jesus came across persons suffering from these infirmities, driven by love, compassion, and empathy, He healed them with so much ease yet without demanding gold or silver as a reward. What an act of kindness!
2. Feeding the multitudes
Jesus had a very successful ministry which came with its own disadvantages. In that, He was thronged by people from all sides every time to the extent that He barely had rest. Sometimes, He withdraws from the cities and towns into the wilderness with the hope of getting some rest only to find out that the multitudes have followed Him there and have surrounded Him once again. Oftentimes, these people continue with Him for days with very little or no food. If Jesus had dismissed them to go and look for food to buy, many of them would have died on the way. Moved with love, compassion, and empathy, Jesus often takes the little food available to miraculously feed sometimes, 5000 or 4000 people. Hence the miraculous feeding of the multitudes is another powerful illustration of Jesus’ kindness.
3. Comforting the bereaved and the brokenhearted
Jesus also displayed kindness in His interactions with the brokenhearted and downtrodden. In the book of Luke, there is a touching account of Jesus comforting a bereaved widow by raising her son to life (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus comforted Martha and Mary when their brother Lazarus died. Apart from His powerful word of comfort, He also raised Lazarus to life to put a smile on their faces and bring joy to the family again (John 11:38-44). This form of kindness born from empathy and love showcases His tender-heartedness and concern for the suffering of others.
4. Forgiving sins
Perhaps one of the greatest acts of kindness demonstrated by Jesus is His forgiveness of sins. Throughout the Gospels, we see multiple instances where Jesus extended forgiveness to those who had strayed or made mistakes. For example, Jesus forgave a paralytic before healing Him (Mt 9:1-8; Mr 2:1-12); Jesus forgave the sinful woman Mary who cleaned and anointed His feet (Luke 7:36-50); Jesus forgave those who ill-treated Him and crucified Him (Luke 23:34). His willingness to forgive reflects His boundless compassion and desire for the restoration of all people.
5. Raising the dead
One of the baffling acts of kindness done by Jesus is raising the dead back to life and He does it with so much ease. Kindness has everything to do with generosity and Jesus was very generous with teaching the truth, healing, and also giving life to the dead to make them live again. He raised many to life including a young man at Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jairus’ daughter (Mr 5:21-43), and Lazarus (John 11:38-44). There was no generosity higher than giving a person a second chance to live.
6. Deliverance and restoration
One of the touching acts of kindness by Jesus is delivering people from the torment of demonic possession. Throughout His ministry, He encountered numerous individuals who were afflicted by evil spirits, causing them to suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally. With compassion and authority, Jesus would command the demons to leave, freeing the individuals from their torment and restoring them to a state of wholeness. His miraculous deliverance of people from demons served as a testament to His kindness, divine power, and mission to bring liberation and salvation to all who sought Him. Bible reference Mark 5:1-20; Mark 1:21-28; etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these acts of kindness done by Jesus in the Bible serve as powerful examples for us to emulate in our own lives. His acts of kindness impacted the lives of those He encountered during His time on earth and continue to inspire and uplift countless individuals today. As we strive to follow in His footsteps, may we also seek to embody the same kindness and love towards others, making a positive difference in the world around us.