Jesus was a man of kindness

JESUS WAS A MAN OF KINDNESS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 8:1-4 1When Jesus came down from the
mountainside, large crowds followedhim. 2A man
with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,
"LORD, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I
am willing,"he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was
cleansedof his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, "See
that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourselfto the
priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a
testimony to them."
The Kindness of Jesus
By Pamela A. Williams
The Biblical stories ofJesus overflow with acts of kindness. These acts almost
read like a language in and of themselves and if we look under a blanketof
kindness we find Jesus speaking love, joy and healing. It is where we find
Jesus touching lives and making differences. Considerhow he has impacted
the world with such a gentle force that we canstill see the fruit of his kindness
today. Here are three Bible stories where we see his kindness at work.

Jesus touchedthe untouchable
Matthew 8:1-4 tells this story. One day, as Jesus makes his way down a
mountainside, a leprous man emerges from the shadows and kneels before
Jesus. He asks to be made cleanand Jesus touches him. And just like that; he
is clean!
In one touch, Jesus breaks alllaws and boundaries setby societyand touches
the untouchable. In one touch, Jesus not only heals him but gives him the gift
of being clean. Back in those days, lepers were outcasts and could not be
touched. There was a stigma attachedto being unclean in Jewishsociety.
After all, lepers were on the “unclean” list with pigs! Jesus not only restored
his skinand probably his limbs, he gave him a new status in life. Through the
kindness of Jesus, he could live “clean.”He could give and feel the touch of
family and friends.
Today, the kindness of touch is often overlookedin severalcultures. A French
Psychologist, Sidney, Jourard, visited cafes and observed friends interacting
for an hour. During this hour no one touched in England. In the United States,
he counted two touches. In France, 110 touches;but in Puerto Rico, there
were 180 touches!What is the advantage of touch?
In an on-line article, PsychologyTodaysays that touch is able to
communicate, “joy, love, gratitude and sympathy.”1 We can communicate
other emotions too but what if we cultivate the kindness of touch? What if we
gave purposeful hugs, high fives, or a gentle squeeze of the hand of a child or
an elderly person? In one touch, we could give the gift of kindness that could
positively change someone’s outlook.
Jesus spenttime with the rejected
Considertax collectors.Backin Jesus’s day, tax collectors were Rome’s
henchmen to collecttaxes in the localareas. This workedwell since they knew
the area and the people. Since they were hired by Romans, they were often
thought of as the enemy to Jews. Taxcollectors also addeda surcharge to
taxes. Mostof the time, it was in excess but it was money they kept for

themselves. They also seemedto have a relentless powerto take any amount of
money from the Jew.
Jewishsocietyoftenlisted them with the unclean and sinners. They were
despisedand most likely, if they wanted to reachout to God they would not
have chatted with a Pharisee orother religious leaders.Theywere the outcasts
in temples and synagogues.
But Jesus was different. He crossedthis barrier when he saw a man named
Zacchaeus sitting in a tree. Apparently, Zacchaeus hadsome interest in
discovering something more than the riches he acquired. He was there to geta
glimpse of Jesus and he climbed a tree to watch him pass.
Unlike other religious leaders, Jesus stoppedwhen he saw Zacchaeus. Perhaps
Jesus perceivedthat he longedfor meaning in his life or he wanted to connect
to God. The Bible does not say but Jesus saw a need and simply spent time
with him. According to Luke 19: 5; Jesus told him, “Come down from that
tree. I’m going to stayat your house!”
We don’t know the full conversationbetweenZacchaeus andJesus but we do
know the people around started to gossip. “Jesus is going to a sinner’s house!”
It seemedalmostscandalous!
My favorite part of this story is this. Jesus did not evangelize Zacchaeus. The
Bible does not report Jesus telling him he needed to repent to be with Him.
Becauseofthe kindness of Jesus, he acceptedZacchaeus as he was. He didn’t
require Zacchaeus to change so that he could be in his presence. Perhaps,
because ofthis unconditional acceptance,Zacchaeus stoppedJesus in his
tracks and said, “I will give half my possessionsto the poor. If I have taken
too much from anyone, I will give back four times as much.” It is amazing
what happens under the blanket of kindness.
Jesus showedcompassionto the suffering
I can’t imagine walking in a large crowd of people; let’s sayat the end of a
concertor on a subway during rush hour, and saying that somebodytouched
me. I’m sure folks would look at me as though I had lostmy mind. But this is

what happened to Jesus. He was pushing his way through a crowd perhaps
with urgency. Jarius’s daughter was sick and Jesus was on his way to see her.
Suddenly, Jesus inquires, “who touched me?” Everyone around starts to say,
“It wasn’t me.”
Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples points out, “It’s crowdedand people are
pressing in on you.”
But Jesus understoodwhat happened. “Someone touchedme because power
went out of me.”
One lone woman who suffered from an issue of blood for 12 years came
trembling towardJesus and fell down at his feet. She explains that she
touched him and instantly, she was healed.
“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace,”He says (Luke 8:48).
In this story, the woman was consideredceremoniously uncleanbecause of
her flow of blood. I getthe feeling that she didn’t want to speak out
concerning her issue. Back then, women may have been less vocalabout
discussing a personalissue in public and talking about it with a man.
Mostlikely, from the ground, this woman reaches throughthe crowd, and
touches Jesus’s hem. He responds in kindness. He doesn’tput her in “her
place” or reprimand her for touching him. In fact, he called her, “daughter.”
This is a title of endearment and a way to say that it was okaythat she
reachedout to the Masterto receive healing powerfrom Him.
In these three stories we see the powerof kindness and its impact on three
people’s lives. Jesus demonstratedthat if we step outside of our lives and
create acts ofkindness to the unsuspecting, the undeserving or the hurting, we
could change the world. We could make the world a community where love
and joy flow and heal broken places. A life with this type of resume changes
the world.
1. Chillot, Rick. The PowerofTouch. PsychologyToday, March11, 2013.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201302/the-power-touch

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Leper
Matthew 8:1-4
W.F. Adeney
This incident follows immediately after the sermon on the mount. It is
questionable whether any of the greatwords of that discourse reachedthe
leper, who could only have stoodbeyond the outermost ring of the crowd. But
though at first he was quite shut awayfrom Christ, his opportunity came
while our Lord was coming down the hill; then he could claim the beggar's
privilege and stand by the wayside. Jesus speaksto multitudes, but he cares
for individuals. He is not so takenup with the crowdas to have no time for
specialneeds. Thus the gospelstory repeatedly records the transition from
public utterance to private kindness. These more private scenes bestrevealto
us the heart of Jesus. Let us look at the story of the leper, first as it regards
the sufferer, and then as it concerns the actionof the greatHealer.
I. THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE POOR SUFFERER.
1. His condition. A leper. His disease was loathsome, andhis state of life
pitiable in the extreme. An outcastfrom society, shunned as an unclean
person, regarded as hopelesslyafflicted, he was an objectof perfect misery.
The leper has always beenregardedas typical of the sinner in his uncleanness,
shame, and misery.
2. His action. He came to Christ. Why? Doubtless be had heard of previous
cures (Matthew 4:24:). But the very look of Jesus would be enough to draw
him to the feetof the Friend of the miserable. Neverhad he seensuck

sympathy and kindness. We need to know something of Christ to be drawn to
him. When we do perceive his grace, we must come to him if we would have
his salvation.
3. His reverence. He worshipped. We cannot suppose that he perceivedthe full
Divinity shining through the garb of simple humanity. Yet it may be that he
saw more of it than any one else, for it is most revealedin compassion. But if
he only bowed as an act of homage to a great one, this showedreverence - a
fitting accompaniment of faith in Christ.
4. His words. He beggedfor cleansing, not for money. He knew his need, and
he sought for the one thing most essential. He showedfaith in the powerof
Christ; he only prayed for Christ's willinghood. Both are neededfor salvation.
II. THE RESPONSE OF THE GREAT HEARER.
1. His brotherly touch. This is one of those single actions that send a flash of
light into the nature of Christ. No one else would defile himself by touching a
leper. The sufferer did not expectsuch an actof condescension, and Jesus had
to "stretchforth" his hand to reachhim. Here is Christ's unlimited
brotherhood. If there is danger of contagionhe will not think of it. Christ
heals through personalcontact, through gracious brotherhood.
2. His consenting words.
(1) The word of grace:"I will." Then the two conditions are fulfilled. The
father of the lunatic boy doubted the other condition - the power (Mark 9:22).
But both are present with Christ.
(2) The word of power:"Be thou made clean." His language to the leper is
typical of his message to the sinner. He saves by cleansing.
3. His perfect healing. There is no delay, there is no slow process. Immediately
the cure is complete. Thus Christ is perfectly successful. His works prove his
claims. He is able to save unto the uttermost - lepers in body, lepers in soul.
4. His final directions.

(1) Silence. Perhaps from natural modesty. He was not like the Phariseeswho
trumpeted their alms. He would not let his left hand know what his right hand
did.
(2) Obedience to the Law. This was not yet superseded. The leper lived under
the Law. The priest would give the man a certificate. The offering would be a
sign of gratitude. - W.F.A.
Biblical Illustrator
And, behold, there came a leper.
Matthew 8:1-4
The leper's cure
W. Wight, M. A.
I. THE LEPER'S FAITH.
II. Christ's TREATMENTorTHE LEPER.

1. That this disease is a type of moral corruption.
2. God's grace alone caneffecta cure.
3. We see the power of prayer.
(W. Wight, M. A.)
The healing of the leper
A. Moody Stuart., J. Barnis, LL. D.
I. THE LEPER'S OPPORTUNITY. Letevery hearer of the word follow Jesus
Christ till he finds Him in secret.
II. THE LEPER'S DEFILIMENT.
1. The disease ofleprosy seems to have appearedfirst in Israel while in the
land of Egypt, the earliestnotice of it being in the leprous hand of Moses. Sin,
like leprosy, is deeply hereditary. It spreads corruption and dissolution
through the entire body. It was viewedwith the hopelessnessofdeath.
2. The leprosy, selectedby God as the specialtype of sin, #as more than other
diseasessentimmediately from heaven as the express punishment of sin. Thus
with Gehazi.
3. The leper, alone of all the sick, was shut out from the camp of Israel. The
sinner excluded from holy fellowship.
4. The leper was appointed to bewail himself as one already dead; he was to
become his own mourner (Leviticus 13:45). These were three of the chief
symbols of sorrow for the dead. The leprous sinner is dead, while he lives.
III. THE LEPER'S PRAYER.
1. He was convincedof Christ's ability to heal him. This the chief element of
saving faith.
2. There is an appealto the compassionatewill of Jesus.

IV. THE LEPER'S CLEANSING.
1. Jesus is moved with compassion, touches, and cleanses.
2. The thanksgiving is seasonable and acceptable inone case;the gratitude,
unwise and not obedient in the other. The case ofthe ten lepers.
(A. Moody Stuart.)
I. THE INDIVIDUAL REFERREDTO — "a leper." No condition more
awful and distressing. Striking representationof sin. Leprosy was generally
hereditary; small in its first appearance, deep-seatedand inveterate in its
nature, universal in its prevalence, loathsome in its appearance, excluded
from society, incurable by human power, and generallyproduced a most
awful death.
II. His ADDRESS TO THE REDEEMER. It was an address of humble
respect, associatedwith faith, affecting appealto his misery and Christ's
goodness.
III. THE CONDUCT OF THE SAVIOUR. Respondedto his appeal; His word
was omnific and conveyed His healing power; He put forth His hand to testify
to his cleanness;He sent him to the priest that his recoverymight be duly
attested;He was to presenta gift unto the Lord. See how you are to obtain
healing and purity. See the way in which Christ will receive you.
1. Bless Godfor health of body.
2. Especiallybe anxious for health of soul.
3. Praise Godfor the means of spiritual health and felicity.
4. Come and be healed.
(J. Barnis, LL. D.)
Healing of the leper
J. T. Woodhouse.

I. His lamentable condition.
II. His appropriate prayer.
III. His complete restoration.
IV. His instant dismissal.
(J. T. Woodhouse.)
Christ's healing touch
G. Shrewsbury.
It was a touch
(1)of purity;
(2)of sympathy;
(3)of power.
(G. Shrewsbury.)
The touch of Christ cleanseth
F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.
"Blessedare the merciful," so our Lord had said; now the actfollows the
word.
I. How truly HUMBLE and lowly was Jesus. Free from ostentationHe walked
among men. Christ canheal the leprosy of pride.
II. Though lowly, the Saviour was NOT FEARFUL. With all our pride, how
many things we fear. We fear labour, difficulty. Let us learn from Christ what
courage is. He can cleanse from the leprosy of fear.
III. IMPURITY IS ANOTHER FORM OF LEPROSY.

IV. INDOLENCE, TOO, IS A LEPROSY. Christ's is an active Spirit, by
feeling the influence of which we shall be healedof sloth.
V. SELFISHNESSIS LEPROSY.
VI. We shall see in DISCONTENTanirritating leprosy, eating into our
mind's health and our soul's peace. These are instancesofour moral disease.
The Saviour's band can heal.
(F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.)
Christ's healing touch
A. Mackennal, B. A.
Notice in Christ's touch of the sick.
I. His FIXING AND CONFIRMINGFAITH IN HIMSELF THE HEALER. It
is in condescensionto human weaknessthatHe lays His hands on sick folk; we
believe in little that we cannot see. Naamansaid, "Behold, I thought," etc.
Pain and sicknessare sensible;we look for equally sensible tokens of the
energy of the Restorer. Thus we are touched into attention.
II. His ANSWER TO OUR CRAVING FOR SYMPATHY. Had Jesus held
alooffrom the diseasedthey would never have trusted Him. His touch was
healing; some touches irritate. In the Incarnation Christ touches us in
sympathy. It is a comfort to be touched by Christ.
III. THE SYMBOL OF HIS BEARING OUR INFIRMITIES AND
CARRYING OUR SINS. He touched our nature in all its pollution. He is not
ashamedto call us brethren.
(A. Mackennal, B. A.)
Touching the loathsome
G. Calthrop, M. A.

A goodChristian lady living in Swedenopened a home for crippled and
diseasedchildren — children whom nobody really caredabout but herself —
and receivedabout twenty of them into it. Amongst them was a little boy of
three years old, who was a more frightful and disagreeable objectthan you
ever saw, or are ever likely perhaps to see in your life. He resembled skeleton.
His poor skin was so coveredwith blotches and sores that he could not be
dressed. He was always crying and whining, always peevish, and the poor little
fellow gave more trouble almost than all the others put together. The good
lady did her best for him; she was as kind as possible — washedhim, fed him,
nursed him; but the child was so repulsive in his look and ways, that she could
not bring herselfto like him, and her disgust, I suppose, occasionallyappeared
in her face. One day she was sitting on the verandah-steps with the child in
her arms. The sun was shining warm, the scentof the autumn honeysuckles,
the chirping of the birds, the buzzing of the insects, lulled her into a sortof
sleep;and in a half-waking, half-dreaming state, she thought of herself as
having changedplaces with the child, and lying there, only more foul, more
disagreeable thanhe was. Overher she saw the Lord Jesus bending, looking
intently and lovingly into her face, and yet with a sort of expressionof gentle
rebuke in it, as if He meant to say, "If I can love and bear with you, who are
so full of sin, surely you ought, for My sake, to love that guiltless child, who
suffers for the sin of his parents." She woke up with a start, and lookedin the
boy's face. He had wakedup too, and she expectedto hear him begin to cry;
but be lookedat her — poor little mite! — very quietly and earnestlyfor a
long time, and then she — sorry for her pastdisgust, and feeling a new
compassionfor him, and a new interestin him — bent her face to his, and
kissedhis foreheadas tenderly as she had ever kissedany of her own babes.
With a startled look in his eyes, and a flush in his cheeks,the boy, instead of
crying, gave her back a smile so sweet, that she had never seenone like it
before: nor will, she thinks, till it will light up his angelfeatures some day on
their meeting in heaven. From that day forth a perfectchange came over the
child. Young as he was, he had hitherto read the feelings of dislike and disgust
in the faces ofall who approachedhim, and that had embittered his little
heart; but the touch of human love, swept all the peevishness andill-nature
away, and woke him up to a new and happier life.

(G. Calthrop, M. A.)
Christian reserve in words modified by deeds
J. Puckle. M. A.
(ver. 4): — Why was this reserve insistedon? What would have led the
restoredleper to act at variance with Christ's command? Two motives — a
desire of bearing personal witness to the miraculous power of his Benefactor:
or a wish to draw the eyes of men on the favour he had received. Both these
we can conceive our Lord. would be likely to prohibit — the one, because it
was needless;the other, because it was exposedto harm.
1. The first of these objects was prohibited for reasons ofour Lord's showing.
He did not wish to be the idol of strong excitement.
2. It was not His purpose to take men's minds, as it were, by force. He would
lay no compulsion on faith.
3. Then there was also the fact itself, clearand patent to the observationof all
men. Then see, onthe other hand, how the injunction of our Lord seems to
have borne on the personalcase of the leper himself. "Go show thyself to the
priest." As if our Lord had said, "Be not occupied with thine own self, make
no display of what I have clone, let not that distract thee from what thou
oughtestto do, thy duty is more than words, more than even magnifying thy
blessings." Thus our Lord prohibited words that He might enjoin actions. The
full heart can seldomfind adequate vent in words;deeds do not fail us. This is
a comfort to the poor.
(J. Puckle. M. A.)
The prudence of Jesus
F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.
(ver. 4): — Why did Jesus give this charge?

I. It may be observedthat though our Saviour's injunctions of silence and
secresywere frequent, they were BY NO MEANS CONSTANT.Manyof His
miracles were wrought in public. Jews expecteda temporal Messiah. He
wished to prevent popular rebellion. Feardid not suggestthe injunction; but
it was the course of courage, benevolence, andwisdom. He guarded Himself
againstthe imputation of political intentions and of turbulence.
II. Our Lord desired To AVOID ALL IDLE AND UNPROFITABLE
EXCITEMENTS. A love of display formed no part of His character. Quiet
faith was the grace He loved to see. He desired obedience rather than
profession. Is all need for caution gone? A due regard to circumstances and
consequencesno proof of a timid spirit.
(F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.)
A picture of true faith
J A. Seiss, D. D.
(ver. 1-13): —
I. WHAT IT SEES IN CHRIST.
1. Both of these ,applicants assignedto Him the characterof a GreatHealer.
Saving faith sees in Christ the attributes of a great Physician.
2. They both saw in Christ a superhuman Power. Saving faith never thinks
meanly of Christ.
3. They both saw in Christ a most encouraging beneficence. True faith sees in
Christ a Rewarderofthem that seek Him.
II. WHAT ARE THE AFFECTIONSWITH WHICH IT MOVES TOWARD
HIM.
1. It despairs of help in any one but Christ.
2. True faith is also attended with feeling of greatunworthiness.

3. True faith is attended with earnestand practicalinterest in others.
III. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SAVIOUR MET THE FAITH OF
THESE MEN.
1. He graciouslyentertained their applications.
2. He mercifully granted their requests.
3. He introduced them into another empire. They were to sit down with
Abraham, etc.
(J A. Seiss, D. D.)
Human leprosy and its Divine cure
Dr. Bonar., J. Bogs, D. D.
I. THE LEPER.
1. He comes.
2. He worships.
3. He pleads.
II. THE HEALER
1. He puts forth His hand.
2. He touched him.
3. He spoke.
(1)It is the voice of love;
(2)of authority;
(3)of power.
(Dr. Bonar.)In the leper two things are remarkable — the weaknessofhis
body; the virtues of his mind.

I. THE WEARINESS OF HIS BODY. Weaknessproceedsfrom wickedness.
The weakness ofhis body brought him to the Physicianof his soul. He felt his
misery great;but hoped Christ's mercy was greater.
II. THE VIRTUES OF HIS MIND.
1. Faith.
2. Adoration.
3. Wisdom in selecting place, not on Mount, but in valley; time, not
interrupting His sermon.
4. Patience. Contentto stayGod's leisure.
5. Confession.
III. NOW LOOK AT THE PHYSICIAN.
1. His mercy.
2. His might.
(1)Christ touched the leper, which was forbidden by Moses. Hence He was
greaterthan Moses.
(2)Moralduties superior to ceremonialobservances.
(3)This intimates that Christ was very man in touching, but more than a man
in healing with a touch.
(4)To demonstrate that Himself and none other cured him.
(5)Christ's humility in touching a leper.
1. The leper was commanded to tell no man. We must temper zeal with
knowledge and obedience.
2. It was needless to tell it since his whole body, made clean, was a tongue to
tell it.
3. It was absurd that he should boasthe was clean, before he was so judged.

(J. Bogs, D. D.)
The leper's prayer
DeanHowson, D. D.
I. THE CHARACTERISTICSOF LEPROSYAS SET FORTE IN
SCRIPTURE. Loathsome — helpless — hopeless.
1. The position of this leper was one of shame and disgrace. He inspired
repugnance in those around him. Sin is a disgrace. It ought to fill with shame.
2. Other maladies healed by Christ invited sympathy and help and society.
The leper was reminded by everything that he was alone in the world. Each
one of us alone before God.
II. HIS FAITH.
1. There was a thorough consciousnessofhis ownmisery and a perfect
conviction of his own helplessness.But he knew it was not too bad for Christ
to deal with successfully.
2. The concentratedforce which resides in the leper's petition. His entire
resignation;he is willing to leave the matter in the hands of Christ.
3. What a Divine concentrationthere is in the answer — "I will; be thou
clean." Whata majestic utterance. Christ accepts the recognitionof His
power. The main point of the answeris, not His power, but His will.
(DeanHowson, D. D.)
The leper's loneliness as indicating the souls solitude
DeanHowson, D. D.
Eachone of us is alone before God. Howevergreatmay be the human crowd
in which we live, however closelywe may be connectedwith one another by
affection, by interest, by duty, eachsoul is solitary in its relation to God. Just

as in those greatAmerican forests, which stretch in vast successionover
mountain and plain — whateverbe the interlacing of the foliage — whatever
be the beauty which comes from the blending of sunlight and shade —
whateverhavoc may be done on a great and extensive scale by storm and
tempest — eachtree, rising from its own root, with its one stem, and with the
outgrowth of its own branches, is a solitary tree. So is the human soul, with
the outgrowthof its own words and deeds, a solitary soul. No other human
soul can share its responsibility.
(DeanHowson, D. D.)
Secretleprosy
Wilmot Buxton.
I have seena fair and well-built house, lifting its head proudly above its
neighbours, and having a goodly outside presence. And I have lookedwithin,
and found that the dry rot had eatenawayrafter and beam, and that the
house was ready to fall to ruin. During the Crimean War, our ships suffered
far more from the dry rot within their timbers, than from the outside attacks
of shot and shell. How many lives there are like that grand house, or those
stately ships! Outside they are fair to look upon, men envy their wealth, or
position, or goodfortune, and all the while the foul leprosy is within, eating
awaythe moral nature, making that life a ruin.
(Wilmot Buxton.)
The mark of the leper
Wilmot Buxton.
Is it the leprosy of an impure life, or a selfishnature, or a cruel tongue, or a
proud, rebellious spirit? Whatever it be, once more, are you willing to be
made clean? Before you can find pardon, you must see your sin and hate it.
(Wilmot Buxton.)

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
VIII.
(1) We enter here on a series ofevents, following, in St. Matthew’s
arrangement, on the greatdiscourse. Theyare common to St. Mark and St.
Luke, but are not narrated, as the following table will show, in the same
order:—
ST. MATTHEW.
ST. MARK.
ST. LUKE.
(1.)The leper (Matthew 8:1-4).
(1.)Peter’s wife’s mother (Mark 1:29-31).
(1.)Peter’s wife’s mother (Luke 4:38-39).
(2.)The servant of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13).
(2.)The leper (Mark 1:40-45).
(2.)The leper (Luke 5:12-15).
(3.)Peter’s wife’s mother (Matthew 8:14-15).
(3.)The stilling of the storm Mark (4:35-41).
(3.)The servant of the centurion (Luke 7:1-10).
(4.)The excuses oftwo disciples (Matthew 8:18-22).
(4.)The Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20).

(4.)The stilling of the storm (Luke 8:22-25).
(5.)The stilling of the storm (Matthew 8:23-27).
—
(5.)The Gadarene demoniac (Luke 8:26-39).
(6.)The Gadarene demoniacs (Matthew 8:28-33).
—
(6.)The excuses oftwo disciples (Luke 9:57-62).
A comparisonsuch as this, especiallyif we take into accountthe narratives
which in St. Mark and St. Luke come betweenthose which St. Matthew makes
to follow close one upon another, and the apparent notes of successionin each
case, is enoughto show, once for all the difficulty of harmonising the Gospel
narratives with any certainty. Three conclusions mayfairly be receivedas all
but certain. (1.) The independence of eachrecord. It is scarcelyconceivable
that St. Mark or St. Luke would have departed so widely from St. Matthew’s
order had they had his Gospelbefore them. (2.) The derivation of all three
from earlier records, written or oral, eachembracing some few acts or
discourses ofour Lord. (3.) The absence ofany direct evidence as to the order
of these events, so that eachwriter was often left to his own discretion, or to
some internal principle of grouping.
In dealing with such cases,therefore, while the parallelnarratives in the other
Gospels will be noticed, so far as they make the record here more vivid and
complete, there will seldombe any attempt to discuss elaboratelythe order in
which they stand.
BensonCommentary
Matthew 8:1. When he was come down from the mountain — Where he had
delivered the divine discourse containedin the preceding chapters;great
multitudes followedhim — To the town toward which he went, desirous,
probably, of receiving further instruction from him, or of witnessing the

performance of some of his miraculous acts. And, behold, there came a leper
— Leprosies, in those countries, were seldom curable by natural means, any
more than palsies or lunacy. It is likely, though this leper might not mix with
the people:he had heard our Lord at a distance. And worshipped him — That
is, kneeled, or fell down before him; saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean— Doubtless, he had seenor been informed of some of the
miraculous cures which Christ had wrought. Jesus put forth his hand and
touched him — Though leprosies were the most nauseous ofall the distempers
incident to the human body, and the most infectious, insomuch that the bare
sight of a leper could not fail to raise a loathing in all who lookedon him;
nevertheless, Jesus, with greatbenignity, drew near and touched this man,
and, instead of being polluted by touching him, cleansedthe leper with his
touch, and sent him away very joyful by reasonof his cure, which rendered
him agreeable to himself, and gave him accessagainto the societyof men.
Immediately his leprosy was cleansed — Immediately on Christ’s touching
him, and saying, I will, be thou clean — How wonderful the powerthus
displayed! and how irresistible, one would suppose, must be the evidence,
arising from such a fact, of the divine mission and authority of the person who
performed such a cure; who restored, in a moment, to perfectsoundness, the
body of a man coveredall overwith the most loathsome disease imaginable!
Observe, reader, the instruction which this miracle gives us. Our souls are by
nature entirely overspreadwith the leprosy of sin, and where can we apply for
help but to the healing power and recovering grace of this Divine Saviour?
And be the malady ever so deep, spreading, or inveterate, we may surely
adopt the words of this leper, and say, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. And we have every reasonto hope, if we so apply, that his compassion
will be moved in our favour, and his power exertedfor our cure.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
8:1 This verse refers to the close ofthe foregoing sermon. Those to whom
Christ has made himself known, desire to know more of him.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible

When he was come down from the mountain - That is, immediately on his
descending from the mountain. His discourse had attracted greatattention,
and the fame of it drew togethergreatmultitudes, who were convinced that he
had come from God. Then follows, in this chapter and the chapter succeeding,
a successionof"miracles" notless remarkable than his teaching was;miracles
that tended to confirm beyond a doubt the impression made by his sermon
that he was sent from God.
Greatmultitudes followedhim - Greatnumbers of those who had been with
him in the mountain, and greatnumbers of others who were attracted by the
fame of that discourse.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
CHAPTER 8
Mt 8:1-4. Healing of a Leper. ( = Mr 1:40-45;Lu 5:12-16).
The time of this miracle seems too definitely fixed here to admit of our placing
it where it stands in Mark and Luke, in whose Gospelsno such precise note of
time is given.
1. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed
him.Matthew 8:2-4 Christ cleanseththe leper,
Matthew 8:5-13 healeththe centurion’s servant,
Matthew 8:14-15 Peter’s mother-in-law,
Matthew 8:16-17 and many other diseased,
Matthew 8:18-22 showethhow he is to be followed,

Matthew 8:23-27 stilleth the tempest on the sea,
Matthew 8:28-34 driveth the devils out of two men possessed, andseeth
them to go into the swine.
See Poole on"Matthew 8:2".
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
When he was come down from the mountain,.... Into which he went up, and
preachedthe sermon recordedin the "three" preceding chapters:
greatmultitudes followedhim: which is mentioned, partly to shew, that the
people which came from severalparts, still continued with him, being affected
with his discourses and miracles;and partly on accountof the following
miracle, of healing the leper, which was not done in a corner, but before great
multitudes, who were witnesses ofit: though some think this miracle was
wrought more privately.
Geneva Study Bible
When he was come down from the mountain, greatmultitudes followedhim.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 8:1. Αὐτῷ … αὐτῷ]as in Matthew 5:40, and frequently in Matthew
as well as in classicalwriters. See Bornemann, ad Xen. Symp. iv. 63; Winer, p.
139 f. [E. T. 275].
The healing of the leper occurs in Luke (Matthew 5:12 ff.) before the Sermon
on the Mount, and in Mark (Mark 1:40 ff.) and Luke not till after the healing

of Peter’s mother-in-law. It is not to be regardedas the earliestof all the
miracles of healing.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 8:1-4. The leper (Mark 1:40-45;Luke 5:12-16). This is the first
individual actof healing reported in this Gospel, chap. Matthew 4:23-24
containing only a generalnotice. It is a very remarkable one. No theory of
moral therapeutics will avail here to eliminate the miraculous element.
Leprosy is not a disease ofthe nerves, amenable to emotional treatment, but of
the skinand the flesh, covering the body with unsightly sores. The story
occurs in all three Synoptics, and, as belonging to the triple tradition, is one of
the bestattested. Matthew’s versionis the shortestand simplest here as often,
his concernbeing rather to report the main factand what Christ said, than to
give pictorial details. Possiblyhe gives it as he found it in the Apostolic
Document both in form and in position, immediately after Sermon on Mount,
so placed, conceivably, to illustrate Christ’s respectfulattitude towards the
law as statedin Matthew 5:17 (cf. Matthew 8:4 and vide Weiss, Matt. Evan.,
p. 227).
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 8:1. Ἠκολούθησαν, followed)Theydid not immediately leave Him.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 1-ch. 9:34 - MESSIAH'S WORK AS COMPLEMENTARYTO HIS
TEACHING. We return in this sectionto matter which resembles that of
Mark and Luke, and undoubtedly belongs to the Framework (vide
Introduction). St. Matthew has given a lengthy summary of the teaching of the
Christ, and he now supplements it by a summary of his daily work. He is not
concernedwith the chronologicalconnexionof the incidents here narrated, for
this is evidently to him a matter of but secondaryimportance. He only desires
to bring out different aspects ofthe Lord's life. Thus he notices -

1. Christ's miracles of healing, and the secretofhis ability to perform them
(vers. 1-17).
2. The personal trials that Christ incurred in his work (ver. 18-Matthew 9:8).
3. The liberty of the gospelas shownby Christ's treatment of the outcast, and
his answerto those who insistedon fasting (Matthew 9:9-17).
4. The completeness ofhis healing power (Matthew 9:18-34). Verses 1-17. - 1.
Christ's miracles of healing, and the secretof his ability to perform them.
Observe:
(1) The variety in the patients.
(a) One of the chosenpeople, who had lostall socialand religious privileges;
(b) a Gentile, an outsider by birth;
(c) the near relation of a personalfollower;
(d) multitudes.
(2) The variety in the requests for his aid.

(a) The request by the sufferer;
(b) the request by another;
(c) apparently no request, yet the personalfollowerhas Christ with him;
(d) the sufferers are brought to him. Verses 1-4. - Healing the leper. Parallel
passages:Mark 1:40-45;Luke 5:12-16. Observe in this miracle
(1) the Lord's sympathy, running counter to popular prejudice (vide
Edersheim, ' Life,' 1:495);
(2) his full acceptance ofthe Law (Matthew 5:17); cf. ver. 4, note. Verse 1. -
Matthew only. When he was come down from the mountain (Matthew 5:1,
note), greatmultitudes followedhim, A transitional verse. It carries on the
thought of the ὄχλοι in the last verse of the preceding chapter, and serves to
introduce the following examples of sick folk; or, perhaps, it may be
connectedwith the "greatmultitudes" (ὄχλοι πολλοί) of Matthew 4:25,
coming, as the plural suggests(cf. also Matthew 12:23)from the various
places there enumerated. If we must combine this verse with Luke 5:12, we
must suppose our Lord to have descendedthe mountain, and to be passing
through "one of the cities," coming (our ver. 5) afterwards to Capernaum, the
"greatmultitudes" (cf. Luke 5:15)being drawn from the various cities
through which he passed. The verse reminds us that the two sides of the
Lord's life, preaching and work, were intimately connected. Mennot only
wondered at what they heard (Matthew 7:28, 29), they also followedhim, and
this led to occasionsforthe exercise ofhis practicalactivity. The result was
that they wonderedat his work (Matthew 9:33), as they wonderedat his
preaching.

CALVIN
1. And when he had come down from the mountain, greatmultitudes followed
him. 2. And, lo, a leper, approaching, worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou
art willing, thou art able to cleanse me. 3. And Jesus, having stretched out his
hand, touched him, saying, I am willing; be thou clean: and immediately his
leprosy was cleansed. 4. And Jesus saithto him, See that thou do not tell it to
any man: but go, show thyself to the priest, and present the offering which
Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
40. And a leper came to him, beseeaching him, and kneeling down to him, and
saying to him, If thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me. 41. And Jesus,
having compassion, stretchedouthis hand, and touched him, and saidto him,
I am willing; be thou clean. 42. And when he had spoken, immediately the
leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 43. And threatening him,
[487]he immediately sent him away; 44. And he said to him, See that thou say
nothing to any man: but go, show thyself to the priest, and present for thy
cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 45.
But he, having gone out, beganto publish many things, and to blaze abroad
the matter, so that Jesus couldno longerenter openly into cities, but was
without in desert places:and they came to him from every quarter.
12. And it happened, while he was in a certaincity, lo, a man full of leprosy:
and when he had seenJesus, he fell down on his face, and besought Jesus,
saying, Lord, if thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me. 13. And having
stretchedout his hand, he touched him, saying, I am willing; be thou clean:
and immediately the leprosydeparted from him. 14. And he commanded him
that he should not tell it to any man, but saith, Go, show thyself to the priest,
and present for thy cleansing as Mosescommanded, for a testimony to them.
15. But still more did the report spread about him, and great multitudes
assembled, to hear him, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16. And
he sought retirement in the deserts, and prayed.

Matthew 8:1. And when he had come down from the mountain Matthew now
returns to the course ofthe history. He had formerly said, that Christ went up
into a mountain, (verse 1) then he threw, as it were, into one heap, many
leading points of the doctrine of Christ; and now he adds that, about the time
when he preachedon the mountain, he healed a certain leper The same event
is related by Mark and Luke, though they do not mention the time. It was a
striking display of the divine powerof Christ, that, by his word alone and a
touch of his hand, he suddenly cleansedthe man's leprosy. Now, though
leprosy was a different kind of disease from elephantiasis, [488]
(elephantiasis,)it is plain enough that it was difficult to cure. When it had
continued long and become deeply seated, it rarely happened that any person
recovered. Granting that physicians might, by their professionalskill, have
given some relief, it is manifest that there was nothing human about this
miracle.
2. Approaching, worshipped What is the meaning of the verb proskunein,
which is rendered in the Latin version, adorare, to adore or worship, may be
easilylearned from this passage. Forthe expositionof it we may rely on the
other two Evangelists, ofwhom Mark says, that he fell on his knees, andLuke,
that he fell down on his face The outward gesture of kneeling was exhibited by
the leper as a tokenof reverence. Now we know, that such marks of respect
were in generaluse among the Jews, as the people of the Eastare more
addicted to that kind of ceremonies. Manypeople accordinglythink, that the
leper did not intend to render to Christ divine worship, [489]but gave him a
respectfulsalutation as a distinguished prophet of God.
I enter into no dispute as to the feelings which moved the leper to pay
reverence to Christ. But I look at what he attributed to him, that he was able
to cleanse him, if he were willing By these words he declared, that he
acknowledgeda divine power in Christ: and when Christ replies, I am willing,
he shows that he claimed more for himself than belongs to man. He who, by
the mere expressionof his will, restores health to men, must possesssupreme
authority. Whether the leper believed that Christ was the Sonof God, or that
he had receivedthis powerin the same manner as Moses and the other

prophets, he entertains no doubt that he held in his hand, and in his power,
the gift of healing. True, he speaks conditionally, if thou art willing, thou art
able But this is not inconsistentwith that certainty of faith, which God
demands in our prayers: for men ought not to expectmore than God
promises. The leper had not learned by any inspired communication, or any
promise of God, what Christ would do. It would have been improper in him,
therefore, to go beyond these limits for though we sometimes read that certain
persons prayed without any condition, we ought to believe that they were
guided by specialmovements of the Spirit, [490]which must not be takenfor a
generalrule. I am not even certain if we are at liberty to say, strictly speaking,
that the leper offereda prayer. He only declares, thathe is so fully convinced
of the powerof Christ, as to entertain no doubt that it is in his powerto cure
leprosy; and then presents himself to be healed, but uncertain as to the result,
because he did not yet know the will of Christ. [491]
3. Having stretched out his hand, he touched Under the Law, the touch of a
leper was infectious; but as Christ possesses suchpurity as to repel all filth
and defilement, he does not, by touching, either pollute himself with leprosy,
or become a transgressorof the law. When he took upon him our flesh, he did
not only deign to touch as with his hand, but was united to one and the same
body with ourselves, that we might be flesh of his flesh, (Genesis 2:23.)Nor
did he only stretch out his arm to us, but descendedfrom heaven even to hell,
and yet contractedno stain from it, but, retaining his innocence, took awayall
our impurities, and sprinkled us with his holiness. By his word alone he might
have healed the leper; but he applied, at the same time, the touch of his hand,
to express the feeling of compassion. Norought this to excite our wonder,
since he chose to take upon him our flesh, that he might cleanse us from our
sins. The stretching out of his hand was therefore an expressionand token of
infinite grace and goodness. Whatwe indolently read, and coldly pass by,
cannot be duly weighedwithout greatastonishment. The Son of God was so
far from disdaining to talk to a leper, that he even stretchedout his hand to
touch that uncleanness.
4. And Jesus saithto him, See that thou tell it not to any one Some persons, by
way of excusing the leper, think that Christ did not seriously forbid him to
publish the miracle, but rather gave him an additional excitement to do so.

Others more justly considerthe reasonof the prohibition to have been, that
the full "time was not yet come," (John 7:6.) I do acknowledge, that to have
suppressedthis miracle would have been improper: but our Lord had a
particular reasonfor wishing that the report of it should not be immediately
spread, or, at least, not by the leper The leper was so far from deserving
praise for the disorderly exhibition of his regard, that he ought, in my opinion,
to be condemned for not obeying Christ's injunction. If he wished to express
his gratitude to him to whom he was indebted for his cure, no better method
could have been found than obedience, whichGod prefers to all sacrifices, (1
Samuel 15:22,)and which is the origin and foundation of lawful worship. This
example shows us, that those who allow themselves to be guided by
inconsiderate zealact improperly, because the more eagerthey are to please
God, the greaterprogress do they make in rebellion to his commands.
Show thyself to the priest As the ceremonies ofthe law had not yet been
repealed, Christ did not wish that they should be despisedor neglected. Now,
God had commanded in the law that, if any man had been cleansedfrom
leprosy, he should present himself to the priest with a sacrifice of
thanksgiving, (Leviticus 14:2.)The design [492]was, that the priest, by his
decision, might attestthe benefit receivedfrom God; and that the person who
had been healedmight give an expressionof his gratitude. Christ, therefore,
by sending the leper to the priest, proves that he had no other objectin view
than to display the glory of God. The showing to the priest was for the
purpose of examination, and the offering was the expressionof thanksgiving.
He wishes that the priests should examine the man, to make the divine favor
manifest and undoubted; and that the leper, on the other hand, should
acknowledge thatGod had healedhim. Meanwhile, as I have just mentioned,
he commands them to observe the ceremonies prescribedby the law, till the
time when it should be repealed.
The attempt of the Papists to produce this passage, as anauthority for their
own confession, [493]is highly foolish. Leprosy, they allege, is put allegorically
for sin; and the priests, who are consecratedby the Pope, are the judges of
spiritual leprosy. [494]Even granting that this authority was conferredon the
priests under the law, for the purpose of informing the people, that all their
cleanness,and the decisionrespecting it, depended on the priesthood, still this

is impiously claimed for themselves by the Popishpriests. All the honor that
belongedto the ancient priests is now claimed by Christ alone as his own. He
alone is appointed to be the judge of spiritual leprosy, and entitled to receive,
from those who have been cured, the offering for their cleansing. Under the
law, a sacrifice was employed as the sealof cleanness, because satisfaction
made by the shedding of blood is the only wayin which men are cleansed. To
transfer to another that right, which God has declaredto be the prerogative of
his ownSon, is a detestable sacrilege. Whenthe ministers of the Gospel, by the
command of Christ, declare to sinners that they are cleansedfrom their sins,
this must not be tortured into the pretended jurisdiction, which the priests
imagine, of pronouncing a decisionabout leprosy. [495]
Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44. For a testimony to them Some considertestimony to
mean here a law or statute, as it is said in the Book ofPsalms, Godlaid down
this "for a testimony to Israel," (Psalm122:4.)But this appears to me to be a
poor exposition: for I have no doubt that the pronoun to them refers to the
priests. [496]Christ said this, in my opinion, with a view to the present
occurrence:for this miracle was afterwards to be a sufficiently clearproof for
convicting them of ingratitude. There is nothing inconsistentwith this in the
command which Christ gave to the leper to maintain silence:for he did not
intend that the remembrance of the miracle which he had wrought should
remain always buried. When the leper, at the command of Christ, came into
the presence ofthe priest, this was a testimony to them, which would render
them inexcusable, if they refused to receive Christ as the minister of God; and
would, at the same time, take awayoccasionforslander, since Christ did not
neglecta single point of the law. In a word, if they were not past cure, they
might be led to Christ; while, on the other hand, so solemn a testimony of God
was sufficiently powerful to condemn them, if they were unbelievers.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Kindness of Jesus by Max Lucado

We are quick to think of Jesus’power, his passion, and his devotion. But those
near him knew and know God comes cloakedin kindness. “Love is kind”
writes Paul. David agrees, “Yourlovingkindness is better than life” (Psalm
63:3). But Jesus’invitation offers the sweetestproof of the kindness of heaven:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
(Matthew 11:28).
I wonder, how many burdens is Jesus carrying for us that we know nothing
about? He carries our sin. He carries our shame. But how often do we thank
him for his kindness? Hasn’t he helped you out of a few jams? And has there
ever been a time when he was too busy to listen to your story? And since God
has been so kind to you, can’t you be kind to others?
The Kindness of Christ Jesus…
The kindness of Christ Jesus allows us not only to be savedby Him and
through Him, but also to take part in the powerand authority of God that is
His. The power of God that raisedChrist from the dead and the authority to
be seatedat the right hand of God is the same powerthat will now allow us to
be raised up with Christ and to be seatedwith Him in the heavenly realms.
The kindness of Christ Jesus shows us the incomparable riches of the grace of
God; a grace that saves us, not by the works that we have done, but by the
work done by Jesus onthe cross.
The kindness of Christ Jesus makes us alive in Him, even though we were
once dead in our sins. This life is eternal, full of power and authority, filled
with grace and hope, .

The kindness of Christ Jesus allows us to live for Him as His Body, bringing
the fullness of His expressionto this earth as we corporatelylive out our faith,
together, in Him.
The kindness of Christ Jesus goesbeyond our individual needs, showing us the
biggerpicture of who we really are in Him. We are not just individuals
serving our God, but we are actually the Body of Christ that expresses Him,
the Bride of Christ that loves and is loved by Him, the family of God that
cares for one another as brothers and sisters, and the House of God in which
God dwells now and forevermore. This kindness is found as we corporately
live for Him in this world and in the world to come.
Take time to considerthe kindness of our God as we go about our day today.
https://spiritualbodybuilding.org/the-kindness-of-christ-jesus/
The Remarkable Kindness of Jesus
“[The leprous man said] ‘Lord, if you are willing, you canmake me clean.’
Jesus reachedout his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be
clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.”
~Luke 5:12b-13 (NIV).
There is nothing more astounding in the kindness of Jesus than his many
gospel-recordedmiracles, and the pre and post state of the subjects of these
miracles. Neveris Jesus found healing someone from bankruptcy—Jesus

touches lepers and heals cripples. Jesus is healing people in afflictions 1) well
beyond their own making, and 2) because they’re truly needy.
And this is goodnews for us in our needs for healing, because despite our best
efforts we still need the kindness of God’s grace to bring us through.
Unpacking the Virtue of Kindness
As we sweepthrough our Bibles, taking in the fifty or sixty or so times the
word “kindness” is used, we notice immediately that it’s about acts of grace—
the undeserved favour that is issued without a moment’s compunction.
Kindness comes out of the many stories in the Old Testament, and God’s
kindness is spokenabout frequently in the psalms. Certainly God’s kindness
was never better illustrated than via the “incomparable riches of his grace” in
giving Jesus over to death, for us and our sin—that we might be savedfrom
eternal death (Ephesians 2:7).
We quickly find at our ticket-stoptour of ‘kindness’ that it’s very indicatively
a visible matter out of the heart close to God’s own heart.
Jesus’Kindness (and Compassion)and Ours
Jesus was nothing if not kind. We’ve noted that his miracles were all vaunted
with kindness—the response ofa compassionateman.
And perhaps this is a goodway to view kindness in terms of compassion...we
act kindly from a compassionateheart. A person who’s concernedabout a
particular other person’s plight will not feelvindicated, personally, unless or
until they actin kindness toward them.
Here we see compassionas the root of the kindness, for kindness without
genuine compassiondriving it would be Pharisaic kindness—a dispassionate
kindness;one that would be reprehensible in God’s sight.
This does take us back to compassion—the heartthat’s torn by the plight of
less-well-offothers, orbetter, by the real needs of others.

Jesus, again, was the master of intercessionin terms of the practical help the
needy needed. Where is our intercessionat? Is it a term we use about a
particular form of prayer and that’s all?
Realintercessionmakes its way out of our prayer life.
We’re called to be kind, and we cannot be authentically kind without being
compassionate. Letthis be the prayer of our hearts; that God’s compassion
would take up loose spacein ours.
Kindness always has about it the ability to reduce the burdens of others. Let
this be our testas to the gauge we use in alleviating the burdens of those
within our circle of influence.
(This was the secondarticle of a five-part series to look at the ‘clothing of
love’ so far as Jesus is concernedout of Colossians 3:12-14.The first was on
Jesus’compassion. Further articles in the series will look at Jesus’humility,
gentleness andpatience.)
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
Postedby Steve Wickham at 7:27 AM
1 comment:
Anonymous said...
Jesus was always giving money to the poor - contrary to your statementabout
Jesus not healing someone from bankrupcy. Even on the night of Jesus'
betrayal his disciples thought Judas was going out to give money to the poor.
2Cor8 v 9 speaks againstpovertyand for wealth. It is similar to God's words
with respectto healing -Isaiah53v5. Jesus was scourgedfor our healing in the
Isaiah53v5 and he became poorfor our wealthin the 2Corv8.If the latter
scripture can be understood as only in a "spiritual" contextthen so must the

former scripture. Jesus wants us to eatthe "fatness ofthe land".He gives us
more to do more goodworks. Christians in poverty can not give much as they
are needy..but if they are all wealthy ...the skyis the limit on giving.
The kindness of Christ (2 Samuel 9)
We are looking at the life of David, but we are doing so to learn about Jesus.
David was Jesus’ancestor, in factJesus is calledthe Sonof David. David
lived a thousand years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He was anointed
as king over God’s people. The word messiahor christ means anointed one.
So, when David acts like he should we are given a picture of what the Christ,
Jesus, is like. But when David acts wickedly, as we will see in a couple of
chapters, we realise that we need a better christ than David. We need Jesus
Christ.
In this chapter we see David acting with extra-ordinary kindness. His actions
point ahead to the Son of David. Jesus was a man of unique kindness. In fact,
the goodnews we call the gospelis rooted in God’s kindness. As the Apostle
Paul wrote to Titus, ‘But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour
appeared, he saved us, not because ofrighteous things we had done, but
because ofhis mercy’ (Titus 3:4-5a).
David’s kindness reflects God’s heart
It was during a peacefultime in King David’s reign when he startedto look
back on his past. He remembers promises he made to King Saul (1 Samuel
20:42)and his sonJonathan (1 Samuel 24:21-22). Saulwas the previous king.
Jonathan, Saul’s son, had been David’s bestfriend. Saul and Jonathanare
both dead. David had promised not to destroy Saul’s descendants and that
there would remain a bond of kindness betweenJonathan’s people and his
own. This was unusual because in that culture when a dynasty changes the
new king might have wiped out the whole family of the old king, in case one of

the old king’s family made a claim for the throne. Any descendants of Saul
might have expected David to treat them as an enemy. In light of the
promises David had made to Saul and Jonathan, he asks, ‘Is there anyone left
in the house of Saul, that I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’
The word translated ‘kindness’is a very significant Old Testamentword.
Khesed describes extraordinary acts of love meeting an extreme need, that are
above and beyond what might be expected. Khesedarises from affection and
goodness. Khesedis often used in the Old Testamentof God and is translated
in our Bible with words like ‘steadfastlove.’
‘Is there anyone still left in the house of Saul to whom I canshow khesedfor
Jonathan’s sake?’(1). David longs to show kindness. His kindness is a
reflectionthe kindness he has experiencedfrom God. ‘Is there on one still
alive from the householdof Saulthat I might show God’s khesed? (3). Could
the same be said of us? Are we kind people? Having experiencedthe
kindness of God, does that same kindness flow out of us?
David wants to act in a manner that reflects the heart of the God he loves. In
one of the Psalms, David explains that, ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to angerand steadfastin love … he does not deal with us according to
our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. Foras high as the heavens
are above the earth, so greatis his khesedtowards those who fear him … as a
father has compassiononhis children, so the Lord has compassionto those
who fear him’ (Psalm103:8-13).
God’s kindness moves from fear to faith
Ziba, who had been a servant in Saul’s household, tells David about a sonof
Jonathanwho is crippled in both feet.
Now there is backstoryhere. In the panic that had followedthe death of Saul
and Jonathan—as theyfought the Philistines—a tragedy befell one of
Jonathan’s children. ‘Jonathan, the son of Saul, has a son who was crippled
in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan
came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him and fled, and as she fled in her
haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth’ (4:4). The

nurse was running, presumably because she fearedthat a new king would
want to kill the family of the old king.
Now, Mephiboshethis an adult with a family of his own. He is not looking for
King David. In fact, he has kept his existence hidden from the king. It is the
king who is seeking him, in order to bless him. I am reminded of words from
Isaiahwhere God declares that, ‘I revealed myself to those who did not ask
for me, I was found by those who did not seek me’ (65:1a). God is the hound
of heaven who seeksto pour his love on people who are running awayfrom
him.
The lastthing Mephiboshethwants is a knock on the door saying, ‘the king
wants to see you.’ He has plenty of reasons to think that king David will have
him killed. He can’t fight and he can’t run. It must have been terrifying to be
takento David. His grandfather, Saul, had spent years trying to kill David.
What can he expect from David? When he arrives before David he falls at
David’s feet and cries out, ‘Behold, I am your servant’ (6).
Imagine the relief as David replies, ‘Do not fear, for I will show khesedfor the
sake ofyour father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul
your father, and you will eat at my table always’(8). As he lay there on the
ground, Mephibosheth may have expecteda sword to fall on his head. Instead
he hears words of amazing kindness. He is moved from a place of fearto a
place of favour.
The one who is called ‘Son of David’, King Jesus, says to those who draw close
to him, ‘Do not fear!’ He wants us to understand his, ‘perfectlove casts out
fear because fearhas to do with punishment’ (1 John 4:18). Those who have
fallen on their face in submission before the Sonof David have nothing to be
frightened of. Jesus has takenthe punishment for our guilt upon the cross
and we are no longer condemned.
Conclusion
Let’s wrap up by reminding ourselves ofhow this story points to the good
news we callthe gospel.

Firstly, this story reminds us of our inability. You see, to be crippled in that
culture rendered you helpless. Now days there are plenty of jobs that
someone like Mephibosheth could do. However, in that basic agricultural
societya man like Miphiboseth was helpless. He came helplessly to the king.
Similarly, we are brought before the Son of David helpless. We cannot
purchase his kindness. Even our righteous deeds are stained with selfish
motives and are compared to worthless filthy rags (Isaiah64:6). We live in a
world where everyone is trying to justify themselves. When you tell them
about what God considers to be right and wrong, they cry, ‘stop judging me.’
But we draw near to Godby acknowledging that we are spiritual and moral
ruins. Stop trying to earn God’s acceptance but rejoice in his khesed.
Secondly, this story reminds us that we have been shown kindness for the sake
of another. David wanted to show kindness for the sake of his best friend
Jonathan. Similarly, God shows kindness to us for the sake ofhis son, Jesus.
It is out of love for his Son, the Son who has taken the punishment for our
guilt, that the Father delights to lavish his love on us.
Finally, God delights in those he has restored. ‘Mephiboshethate at David’s
table, like one of the king’s sons’ (11c). Eating togetherwas significantin the
ancient world. Jesus showedhis acceptanceofbroken people by eating with
them. The early Christians did a lot of eating together. It is goodto eat
together. We will eatat the king’s table not just ‘like’ sons but actually as
sons. ‘Godsent forth his Son, to redeemus, that we might receive adoption as
sons’(Galatians 4:5).
Mephibosheth was amazedby David’s khesed. He had nothing to offer David.
He was the grandsonof a man who hated David with all his might. Now he
asks, ‘Whatis your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such
as I?’ (8). Jesus has shownus infinitely more kindness than David did to
Miphiboseth. So we sing ‘Amazing grace, how sweetthe sound that saveda
wretch like me.’
https://paulritchieblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-kindness-of-christ-2-samuel-
9.html

What Does Kindness Look Like?
Devotions on the fruit of the Spirit.
Amber Penney
The fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness
and self-control
(Galatians 5:22-23)
When you think of kindness, what comes to mind? An encouraging note sent
by a friend? A caring shoulder to cry on? Or maybe your mom's chocolate
chip cookiesfreshfrom the oven? Whateveryou think about, it most likely
includes a warm fuzzy feeling. Kindness just does that. No wonder it's a fruit
of the Spirit. When we're kind, others getto experience that warmth, and
whether they realize it or not they're experiencing some of God's character.
God's Kindness
But when the kindness and love of Godour Savior appeared, he savedus, not
because ofrighteous things we had done, but because ofhis mercy. (Titus 3:4-
5)
How did the kindness of God appear? Through the life of Jesus Christ. That's
the greatest,mostcomplete picture of kindness we'll everknow. God saw a
whole lot of hurt, brokenness anddespair. He saw people with no hope of
breaking free from pain and suffering. And so he sent his Sonto the rescue.
There wasn't any logicalreasonforhim to do that. No one deserved his

kindness—we reallybrought the suffering on ourselves (see Romans 3:23).
But thankfully, God didn't treat us like we deserved.
Do you understand why we didn't deserve God's kindness? Titus 3:3 offers an
explanation: "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceivedand
enslavedby all kinds of passions and pleasures … " The word that really
sticks out to me here is "enslaved." That's whatsin does to us. Like a prisoner
shackledand chained in the deepest, darkestdungeon, our disobedience—our
desire to do things our own way rather than God's—stoodbetweenus and
freedom. We were deceivedby the things the world said would make us
happy—clothes, cars, popularity. And we were captives to the lusts of our
flesh. But when we acceptedthe truth—that true life comes only through
Christ—the chains were brokenand we were setfree.
God knew what we neededbefore we even askedfor it. That's kindness—the
ability to recognize the needs of others and take steps to meet those needs.
Kindness is understanding. It's compassion.
What About You?
Besides giving you salvation, what are some other ways God has shownyou
kindness? Make a list of them.
Readthe list over, then write a letter to God thanking him for all the different
ways he's been kind to you.
Ask God to help you recognize his incredible kindness more and more.
Kindness to Others
"You have given me comfort and have spokenkindly to your servant—though
I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls." (Ruth 2:13)
Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were experiencing some really rough
times. Both of their husbands were dead, which spelled struggle since there
were few work options for women in their day. On top of that, they'd just
moved back to Naomi's hometown. While that might not sound so bad, it had
been more than a decade since Naomihad lived there, and people were
probably still wondering why she'd left in the first place. She and her husband

had moved away from family and friends to live in Moab—anenemy nation.
Their sons had ended up marrying Moabite women. Now Naomihad brought
one of them back with her—not exactly something the neighbors would
celebrate.
The PerfectExample of the Fruit of the Spirit
Jesus Christ
Postedon Jan 3, 2010 by Vince Szymkowiak 3 comments Estimated reading
time: 7 minutes
It's vital that Christians bear fruit in their lives—the fruit of the Spirit. But
what does that fruit look like? In Jesus Christ we have the perfect example of
what God's Spirit should produce in our lives.
UCG.org
The PerfectExample of the Fruit of the Spirit: Jesus Christ
In this issue The GoodNews wraps up a series of articles on the fruit of the
Holy Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Whatbetter example canwe look to
for showing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives than our ultimate example,
Jesus Christ?
He perfectly exhibited all these wonderful traits of the Holy Spirit, not only
during His entire earthly ministry, but also during His arrest, trial and
crucifixion. Of course, Jesus wasmore than just a man—He was God in the
flesh. As such, He showedHis disciples what can be accomplishedthrough the
powerof the Holy Spirit.
Showing the fruit of the Spirit by His life

The first fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is love. Jesus’entire
ministry was characterizedby love. And the greatestdemonstrationeverof
that love was the sacrifice He made for all of us. Jesus, who was a divine Being
with the Father(John 1:1), sacrificedHis heavenly power and glory to become
a human being and subjectHimself to painful humiliation, suffering and
death for the sake of mankind (Philippians 2:5-11).
Jesus emphasizedthe fruit of love at His lastmeal—often referred to as “the
last supper”—with the disciples. Notice His words: “As the Father loved Me, I
also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you
will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and
abide in His love … This is My commandment, that you love one another as I
have loved you. Greaterlove has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life
for his friends” (John 15:9-13).
Of course, these weren’t mere words to Him. Jesus did lay down His life for
His friends, serving as the supreme example of love.
The secondlisted fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy. Christ was filled with joy at
the prospectof “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). Hebrews 12:2
further tells us that “Jesus,the author and finisher of our faith,…for the joy
that was setbefore Him endured the cross, despising [disregarding]the
shame, and has satdown at the right hand of the throne of God” (emphasis
added throughout).
Amazingly, just before He suffered, instead of thinking of His own upcoming
cruel suffering, He reminded His disciples that His joy would “remain in you,
and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). He told them that they would be
sorrowfulover His departure, but “your sorrow will be turned into joy,” and
that “your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John
16:20-22).
This chapter concludes with Jesus reminding them that “in the world you will
have tribulation; but be of goodcheer, I have overcome the world” (John
16:33). And, after His resurrection, the first word Matthew records the
resurrectedJesus as saying is “Rejoice!” (Matthew 28:9).

In spite of the terrible suffering Jesus endured for you and me, He counted it
a joy to serve humanity by washing awayour sins in His blood.
Jesus was also a man of peace, the next listed fruit. One of His very titles is the
“Prince of Peace”(Isaiah9:6). He referred to this fruit of the Spirit at the last
supper when He said: “PeaceI leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid” (John 14:27). One of the first statements to His followers afterthe
resurrectionwas “Peaceto you” (Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 21).
And, in the coming Kingdom of God on earth, over which Christ will be King
of Kings, there will be no end to the peace that will characterize His glorious
reign (Isaiah 9:7; Romans 14:17).
Exhibiting fruit throughout His ministry
The fourth fruit of the Holy Spirit as listed in Galatians 5 is longsuffering . As
the GoodNews article on this characteristicpoints out, the Greek words
translated “longsuffering” also encompass the meanings of patience and
endurance.
Jesus exhibited this fruit throughout His earthly ministry. The apostle Paul
describedan aspectof the ministry of Jesus this way: “I was shownmercy so
that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited
patience” (1 Timothy 1:16, New International Version). Even while suffering a
painful death by crucifixion, Jesus exhibited the patient endurance to pray for
those who were tormenting and killing Him (Luke 23:34).
Kindness, the next fruit on the list, was anotherhallmark of Jesus Christ’s
ministry. Paul noted this godly fruit as he wrote to Titus: “But when the
kindness and the love of God our Savior towardman appeared … according
to His mercy He savedus, through the washing of regenerationand renewing
of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5).
Christ’s act of healing the ear of the high priest’s servant Malchus even while
being arrestedis an incredible example of His kindness even under very
difficult circumstances!Instead of worrying about Himself and His
approaching pain, He reactedwith kindness and compassionto Malchus’

injury and immediately healed his ear, making the man whole again(Luke
22:51).
Goodness andgoodnews
The next fruit of the Holy Spirit listed is goodness.When Petersummarized
the ministry of Jesus, the ministry of which he was an actualwitness, he
stated: “JesusofNazareth … went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). And Jesus,
regarding His supreme sacrifice, referredto Himself as the goodShepherd
who “gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
His messageis referred to in dozens of references as “the gospel,” a term
meaning goodnews. Indeed, the entire ministry and sacrifice ofJesus Christ is
the greatestexample of God’s goodness towardhumanity.
The next fruit is faith or faithfulness . Jesus had total trust and confidence in
God the Father, and He was Himself faithful to the responsibility the Father
gave to Him. Even as He statedthat He was in anguish due to His impending
crucifixion, He resolvedto stay with the plan of redemption to the very end.
He summarized His mission in John 12:27:“Forthis purpose I came to this
hour.” He continues to serve His Church today as “a merciful and faithful
High Priest” (Hebrews 2:17).
Gentleness is listed next. The Greek work is praus, with a basic meaning of
gentle, humble and meek. Jesus declaredthat He was “gentle and lowly in
heart” (Matthew 11:29). Towardthe end of His ministry, He came to
Jerusalemon a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy that the King would
come “gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5, New International
Version). However, gentleness does notmean weakness,as some assume. Jesus
was anything but weak.
The lastfruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is self-control, the ability to
control one’s behavior. Jesus, as the One to whom the Fathercommitted
judgment (John 5:22), could have calleddown enormous powerat any time
againstHis enemies. But insteadHe exercisedself-controlthroughout His
ministry.

One example of this is found in Matthew 26:53-54. WhenPeterwas trying to
take things into his own hands, Christ reminded Peterthat if He wished, He
could call in “more than twelve legions of angels”—tens ofthousands—to deal
with those who were abusing Him. Instead, He stayedtrue to His calling,
exercisedgodly self-controland allowedHimself to be arrestedand crucified.
We should show the same fruit
Jesus Christ not only exemplified all the fruit of the Holy Spirit throughout
His ministry, but He has made it possible for us to produce the same spiritual
fruit as well. As His true followers, He expects us to abide in Him and bear
much fruit (John 15:4, 8). Indeed, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus will live His
godly way of life through us if we are yielded to Him (Galatians 2:20).
Following His example, the converted children of God will be manifesting the
fruit of the Spirit—not only now in this life, but also forever in the soon-
coming Kingdom of God! GN
Embrace the Kindness of Jesus
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior towardman
appeared, not by works of righteousness whichwe have done, but according
to His mercy He savedus, through the washing of regenerationand renewing
of the Holy Spirit.”
– Titus 3:4-6
Are you addicted to something? I believe that most of us, whether we admit to
it or not, have some sort of compulsive behavior that we have little or no
control over. It may be an overwhelming desire to eat, to shop, to gamble, to
drink, or to view pornography. Sometimes it’s out-of-control emotions or
battles with depressionand anxiety. Whateverit is, the truth about these

kinds of struggles is that they don’t getbetter by simply being aware of them,
and beating yourself up over your “bad” behavior doesn’thelp either.
You see, the only wayto be healedfrom the habits and hangups that
continually haunt you is upside down and counterintuitive, because as much
as you want to take control, powerup, make promises to yourself, and try
harder, this is not the key to lasting change. On the contrary, in order to be
delivered from your fleshly strongholds, you must be still and know that you
are completelyloved, even in your brokenness. Notuntil you internalize the
truth that your problems don’t diminish your worth will you be setfree from
sin’s vice-grip.
Friend, you are worthy of love and belonging. You are chosen, you are God’s
beloved, and you are alive right now for a reason. In the eyes of your Creator,
you are one of the most rare, beautiful, wonderful, and amazing things He
ever designed, and He is proud of you. Far from being disappointed in your
failures, He is cheering you on and His posture towards you is full of
compassionand encouragement. Jesus is your friend and He wants to see your
life soar;He is not angry at your shortcomings nor is He counting your sins
againstyou. Receive the Lord of love today and allow His tender mercies and
kindness to wash over every part of your life. In Him, there is no shame and
you have nothing to fear! Isn’t that wonderful news?
Titus 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior
and His love for mankind appeared,
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics

The Origin, Nature, Means, And End Of Salvation
Titus 3:4-7
T. Croskery
The apostle reflects that he and other believers had no excuse for treating the
heathen with haughtiness, since it was owing to no merit of his or theirs that
their own lives had become purer.
I. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE DIVINE GOODNESS AND LOVE TO
MAN. "But when the kindness of God our Saviorand his love to man
appeared."
1. The time of this manifestation. The expressionimplies a definite point of
time. It was "the fullness of the time" (Galatians 4:4).
(1) It was the period fixed in the Divine purpose from eternity.
(2) It was the time of the probation of the Jews, ending in the most awful
series ofjudgments that ever befell a people.
(3) It was a time when the Greek tongue and the Roman arms made a
highway for the gospel.
(4) It was a time when paganthought had exhausted every experiment in the
art of living, to find that all was "vanity and vexation of spirit."
(5) Yet it is not implied that the manifestation of Divine kindness had not been
enjoyed already in pre-Christian ages;for it was in virtue of this
manifestation, in the fullness of times, that God's love flowed forth in blessing
during Jewishages.
2. The nature of this manifestation.
(1) It was a manifestation of kindness and love to man.
(a) Kindness is the more generalterm, unlimited, undefined, all-embracing,
touching the whole creation.

(b) Love to man is his specialand distinguishing love to the children of men as
distinct from angels.
(2) It was the love of the Father - "our Savior-God."
(a) The title" Savior," so often given to the Son, is here given to the Father,
because he is the Fountain from whence flow all the streams of Divine mercy.
The Son is "the Unspeakable ofthe Father;" for he "so loved the world, that
he gave his only begottenSon" (John 3:16). The atonement was not, therefore,
the cause, but the effect, of the Father's love.
(b) This fact, exhibiting the mine of power and love in the Creator, greatly
enhances the certainty and glory of redemption.
(c) It is our Father who is our Savior. Mark the clearrelationship, in spite of
all our waywardness andsin.
II. THE METHOD OF THIS DIVINE MANIFESTATION."Notby works of
righteousness we did, but according to his mercy he savedus." The Divine
goodness andlove were manifested in salvation. "He savedus." This
salvation, procured by the obedience and death of Christ, has its origin, not in
works of righteousness done by man, as entitling him to it, but solelyin Divine
mercy. Mark the conditions and the means of this salvation.
1. The conditions of salvation.
(1) Not by works ofrighteousness.
(a) We are not saved by our own works, eventhough they should be done in
obedience to a righteous law (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:4, 8,
9; 2 Timothy 1:1, 9).
(b) If we were savedin this way, Christ should have died in vain (Galatians
2:21). His death would have been quite unnecessary.
(c) Experience proves the impossibility of our being able to do the works of
perfect righteousness (Romans 3:23).
(2) The condition of salvationis Divine mercy. "According to his mercy."

(a) God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4).
(b) It streams forth from the blood and righteousness ofChrist (Romans 3:24,
25; Romans 6:23).
(c) It was through the tender mercy of God that Christ, as the Dayspring from
on high, visited the earth (Luke 1:78).
(d) The pardon of sin is according to the multitude of his tender mercies
(Psalm 51:1, 2).
(e) Eternal life is the effect of God's mercy.
2. The means of salvation. "By the washing of regenerationand the renewing
of the Holy Ghost, which he poured on us abundantly through Jesus Christ
our Savior." The Greek word is "laver," as if to show that the reference is to
baptism.
(1) The washing of regenerationrefers to the beginning of the spiritual
process in the soul, as it is the Spirit who regenerates the soul. There is
nothing in the passageto support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
(a) The connectionof baptism with regenerationno more proves that all the
baptized are regeneratedthan the expression, "we are sanctified by the
truth," implies that the truth in all cases has this effect, or that "the gospelof
your salvation" implies that salvationalways follows the hearing of the gospel.
(b) As a matter of fact, believers in apostolic times were regeneratedbefore
they were baptized; therefore they were not regeneratedby baptism. This was
the case withthe three thousand at Pentecost(Acts 2.), with Lydia and the
Philippian jailor (Acts 16.).
(c) There is no necessaryconnectionbetweenbaptism and regeneration, for
Simon Magus was baptized without being regenerated(Acts 8:9-24).
(d) It is strange that, much as John speaks ofregenerationin his First Epistle,
he never connects baptism with it. He says that those who are "born of God"
do righteousness, andovercome the world. Why should he mention these tests

at all, when he might have known that, had they been baptized, they must
have been regenerated?
(e) The Apostle Petershows us the meaning of baptism when he says that
"baptism doth now save us" (1 Peter3:21). How? "Notby putting awaythe
filth of the flesh " - which is easilydone by the external application of water -
" but the answerof a goodconsciencetowardGod; "as if to show that such an
answer, representing the reality and sincerity of our profession, was separable
from the putting away of the faith of the flesh.
(f) The expression, "baptism for the remissionof sins," does not imply that
baptism is the cause oftheir remission, for in all the casesreferredto the
remissionhad already takenplace before baptism (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). The
baptism was a sign or sealof a remissionalready accomplished. Saulwas a
true believer before Ananias said to him, "Arise, and be baptized, and wash
awaythy sins, calling on the Name of the Lord." Besides, it was by calling on
the Name of the Lord that his sins were washedaway. This is the force of the
Greek construction.
(2) The renewing of the Holy Ghost refers to the continuance of the spiritual
process in the soul. Thus "the inward man is renewedday by day" (2
Corinthians 4:16). This points to progressive sanctification.
(a) The renewedare the children of God, the heirs of the eternal
inheritance.
(b) The effects are the fruits of righteousness in our life and conversation.
Thus there is a firm connectionbetweenthe regenerationand the renewal,
which cannot be said of baptism and renewal. Christendom is baptized, yet
how little grace is manifest among its millions!
(c) The source of this renewalis the Holy Ghost, who has been poured out
upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. It was in virtue of the
mediatorship that the Spirit was given, and still works in the Church of God.
For
(a) all salvationis by him;

(b) the grace ofregenerationis out of his fullness;
(c) the gift of God, which is eternal life, is through him.
III. THE END OF THIS MANIFESTATION OF DIVINE GOODNESSAND
LOVE. "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life." God saves us according to his mercy by
regeneration;but the first effectof regenerationis faith, and faith is the
instrument of our justification. There is no difference in the order of time
betweenregenerationand justification, but regenerationmust precede
justification in the order of nature. Therefore the apostle here goes upon the
order of nature.
1. The nature of justification. It includes' pardon of sin and. acceptance,into
God's favor.
2. The ground of justification. "Being justified by his grace.
(1) Not by works;
(2) but by the grace of the Father, who is the Justifier. It is by grace, because
(a) it is of faith (Romans 5:1; Romans 3:28);
(b) it is by the death of the Son of God.
3. The privileges of justification. "Thatwe should be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life."
(1) Eternal life is an inheritance; it is not earned by our obedience and our
righteousness;it is a free gift.
(2) We are predestinatedto this inheritance in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5,
11).
(3) The grace of adoption, which is linked with our justification, opens the way
to our enjoyment of the inheritance.
(4) It is an inheritance which is not yet fully enjoyed; for we are heirs
"according to the hope of eternal life."

(a) There are "things hoped for" held out to us through faith (Hebrews 11:1).
(b) "It doth not yet appear what we shall be;" but when "we shall be forever
with the Lord," we shall actually possessand enjoy our inheritance. - T.C.
Biblical Illustrator
But after that the kindness and love of God
Titus 3:4-7
The powerof God's kindness
J.W. Lance.
In the incarnation of Christ, His life and miracles and mercies and divinest
teaching;in His sacrificialdeath upon the cross, His resurrectionand
ascension, we have that manifestation of the kindness of God which is
intended and calculatedto lift us up out of our sins, and to bring us into His
own most holy fellowship. And see how broad and far-reaching this kindness
is; it is not for the electnor for the Church, though these of course are

included, but for man as such — for the whole human family, without
exception. Wide as the world is Thy command, vastas eternity Thy love! We
know something of this powerof kindness to subdue the evil and develop the
goodeven betweenman and man. It has many a time succeededwhere
everything else has failed, and where it fails we know of nothing else likely to
succeed. Pinel, the celebratedFrenchman, was the first to introduce into
Europe a more humane treatment of the insane. In the madhouse at Paris
there had been confined for some twenty years a sea captain, furious in his
madness, ferocious and untameable. Two of the keepers had been struck dead
by him with a blow from his manacledhands. He was chained to his seatwhen
Pinel approachedhim, and with cheerful face and kindly manner, said,
"Captain, I am going to release youand take you into the open air." The
mariner laughed out right and said, "You dare not do it." It was done, the
poor wretch staggeredto the door accompaniedby Pinel, and lifting up his
eyes to the blue heavens above, a sight he had not seen for twenty years, said,
as the tears courseddown his face, "Oh, how beautiful!" and from that hour
became perfectly docile. If human kindness meets such returns, shall God's
love go unrequited, no echo answering to the Divine from the human?
(J.W. Lance.)
St. Paul's gospel
J. O. Dykes, D. D.
Note at the outsettwo points. First, the central words, on which as on a peg
the whole structure both of thought and of expressionhangs, is the
proposition — "He savedus." In what sense is man lost? In what must his
salvationconsist? What is necessaryin order to it? In proportion as these
questions are answeredin a profound or in a shallow waywill be our
appreciationof those redemptive actions of God — the mission of His Son and
the outpouring of His Spirit. Next, let it be noted that in this saving of man by
God three leading points have to be attended to: The source or origin of it; the
method of it; the issues and effects of it. What we have to ask from St. Paul is
a distinct reply to these three great queries —

1. FROM WHAT SOURCE DID GOD'S SAVING ACTIVITY ON OUR
BEHALF TAKE ITS RISE?
2. Through what methods does it operate upon us?
3. To what ultimate issues does it conduct those who are its objects?
I. The answerto the first of these need not detain us long. True, it is a point of
primary importance for the immediate purpose of the writer in the present
connection. What he is engagedin enforcing upon Cretan Christians is a meek
and gentle deportment toward their heathen neighbours. With this design, it is
most pertinent to observe that they have not themselves to thank for being in
a better state than others — savedChristians instead of lost heathen; not
themselves, but God's gratuitous kindness. It is worth remarking too in this
connection, how singularly human are the terms selectedto express the saving
love of God. Two terms are used. The one is God's "kindliness" or sweet
benignity, like that gentle friendliness which one helpful neighbour may show
to another in distress. The other is God's "love for man," literally, His
philanthropy, or such specialbenevolence to all who wearthe human form as
might be lookedfor indeed among the members of our race themselves, but
which it startles one to find is shared in by Him who made us. These curiously
human phrases are chosen, it is to be presumed, because St. Paul would have
us imitate in our dealings with one another God's behaviour towards us. In
substance, however, they describe just the same merciful and compassionate
love in God our Saviour, to which the whole New Testamenttraces back
man's salvation as to its prime or fontal source. It is quite in harmony with
this ascriptionof our salvationto God's love as its fountainhead, that,
throughout his accountof the process, Paulcontinues to make Godthe subject
of his sentence, andman its object. All along the line God appears as active
and we as receptive; He is the doer or giver, man the field of His operations
and the recipient of His benefits.
II. We pass next from the epiphany of God's unmerited kindness in the advent
of the Saviour, TO THAT PROCESS BYWHICH INDIVIDUALS, at Crete
or elsewhere, BECOMEPARTAKERS IN HIS SALVATION. The conversion
of one born a heathen wears a conspicuous character, whichis usually

awanting to casesofconversionamong ourselves. The day of their baptism, on
which they sealedtheir conversionto the Christian faith, had marked a
complete revolution in every department of their life. It had in many cases
severedfamily ties. It had in all cases made them marked men in society. It
had brought them into the circle of a strange community, and affiliated them
to new comrades under the badges of a foreign religion. Outwardly, no less
than inwardly, they were become new creatures;the old had passedawayand
all things were become new. The font at which they sealedtheir vows of
discipleship had proved to be a secondbirth — the starting point for a
changedlife. Of course it is still the same among the converts who are wonat
our mission stations abroad;and we require to keepthe condition of an infant
missionary church wellin mind if we would do justice to such language as St.
Paul has here employed to describe the conversionof his readers. He speaks of
the change in phrases borrowedboth from its outer and inner side, its ritual
and its spiritual elements. Inwardly, the convertwas saved by the power of the
Holy Spirit regenerating and renewing him. Outwardly, this spiritual second
birth found its expressive sealin the bath or laver of holy baptism. Paul's
language could not mislead his Cretanreaders. But it was admirably adapted
to revive their most touching recollections. As they read his words, eachone of
them seemedto himself to stand once more, as on the most memorable and
solemn day of his life, beside the sacredfont. Once more he saw himself
descendinto the laver to symbolise the cleansing ofhis consciencefrom idol
worship, from unbridled indulgence, from a vain conversation, by the
precious death and burial of his Lord. By that act how utterly had he broken
once for all with his earlier life and its polluted associations, leaving them
behind like a buried past! Coming up afreshto commence the new pure
careerof a Christian disciple, he had receivedthe symbolic white robe amid
the congratulations ofthe brotherhood, who thronged around to welcome the
newborn with a kiss of love — to welcome him among that little band who,
beneath the cross, hadsworn to fight the devil in Jesus'strength, and, if need
arose, to shed their blood for Jesus'name! How keenly, as all this rushed back
upon the Christian's recollection, musthe have felt that a change so wonderful
and blessedwas the Lord's doing. What power, save God's, could have turned
backwardthe currents of his being, reversing the influences of educationwith
the traditions of his ancestryand the usages ofhis fatherland? What hand but

the Almighty's could have snatchedhim out of the doomed nations over which
Satanreigned, to translate him into that kingdom of light — the kingdom of
God's dear Son? Where was the spiritual force that could have openedhis
eyes, cleansedhis conscience, quickenedhis heart, and made a new man out of
the old one, save that Divine Spirit whose advent at Pentecosthad been the
birthday of a new era for the human family? The grateful praise which could
not fail to mount to the lips at such a recollection, wasa doxologyto the
Triune God, into whose name he had been baptized: to the Father unseen,
eternal fountainhead of mercy; to the Incarnate Son, sole channelfor its
manifestation to guilty men; to the Holy Ghost, who, like a stream of life, had
been plentifully poured forth from the Father, through the Son, to be the
effectualgiver of life in sinful souls!
III. Consider, in the last place, WHITHER THIS SAVING ACTIVITY ON
THE PART OF THE GODHEAD IS CARRYING SUCH AS SURRENDER
THEMSELVES TO IT. What is to be the outcome of His redemptive
undertaking? In this alone, that the sinner is justified freely by His grace? Is
the release ofthe guilty from condemnation and penalty the issue of all that
God has done in His kindness? No;but that, "having been justified, we should
be made heirs." Birth of the Divine Spirit involves sonshipto God Himself.
The privilege of sons is to inherit; "heirs," therefore, of "life eternal." The
word is one which opens, as it were, a door into heaven. It is true that it is not
yet apparent what the children of God shall hereafterbe, for purity, for
freedom, for wisdom, for felicity. But forth from that opened door, how there
streams to meet us a radiance of the unseen glory, which in the twilight of this
lifetime dazzles our earthly eyes!For that undiscoveredheritage of the saints
in light we canonly hope. To this point, therefore, and no further, does the
Christian gospelconduct its disciple. Here for the present it leaves him, sitting
patient and expectant by the gate of Paradise, to await, with steadfastheart,
the moment that shall disclose to him his patrimony of bliss. While he sits and
waits, shall he not behave himself as a child of God, and strive to grow more
meet for the heritage of the holy?
(J. O. Dykes, D. D.)

God's kindness
The sun that shines on you shall set, summer streams shall freeze, and deepest
wells go dry; but God's love is a stream that never freezes, a fountain that
never fails, a sun that never sets in night, a shield that never breaks in fight.
God's kindness only partially seenby the soul
The sun appears red through a fog, and generallyred at rising and setting, the
red rays having a greatmomentum which gives them powerto traverse so
dense an atmosphere, which the other rays have not. The increasedquantity
of atmosphere which oblique rays must traverse, loaded with the mists and
vapours which are usually formed at those times, prevents the other rays from
reaching us. It is thus that but a few of the rays of God's love — like the red
rays — reach the soul. Sin, passion, and unbelief surround it as with a dense
atmosphere of mists and vapours; and, though the beams of God's love are
poured out innumerable as the sun's rays, they are lostand scattered, and few
of them shine upon the soul. (H.G. Salter.)
God's love incomparable
John R. Miller.
If an angelwere to fly swiftly over the earth on a summer morning, and go
into every garden — the king's, the rich man's, the peasant's, the child's —
and were to bring from eachone the choicest, loveliest, sweetestflowerthat
blooms in each, and gather them all in one cluster in his radiant hands, what a
beautiful bouquet it would be! And if an angelwere to fly swiftly over the
earth into every sweetand holy home, into every spot where one heart yearns
over another, and were to take out of every father's heart, and every mother's
heart, and out of every heart that loves, its holiestflower of affection, and
gather all into one cluster, what a blessedlove garland would his eyes behold!
What a holy love would this aggregationof all earth's loves be! Yet infinitely

sweeterand holier than this grouping of all earth's holiest affections is the love
that fills the heart of our Father in heaven.
(John R. Miller.)
God's love to men
Richard Newton.
I was leaving a gentleman's house where I had been paying a visit, said a
minister of the gospel, whenI put this question to the servant maid who was
about to open the door: "My friend, do you love God?" "I am afraid not," she
answered, "andI fear I never shall." "Well." I said," you may at leastdepend
on this — it is certainthat God loves you." "How can you possibly tell that?"
askedthe master of the house, who was going downstairs with me. "This is the
first time you have everseenthis woman; you know nothing about her
character. You cannot tell whether she attends to her duties properly or not."
"Nevermind about that," I said, "It is certain that God loves her, and you
too. I am quite sure of this, because Godhas told us that His love to us does
Hot depend on what we are, or what we deserve. The Bible tells us, 'God so
loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon' to die for it; and again it
tells us, 'Herein is love; not that we loved God; but that Godloved us, and sent
His Sonto die for our sins'" (1 John 4:10). "If that is so," said the gentleman,
"and your words seemto prove it, what a shame it is that I don't love Him.
May I say to myself, without any fearof making a mistake, 'It is certainthat
God loves me'?" "Indeed you may," I said; "and I pray to God you may soon
be able to say, 'It is certain that I love Him.'" And Jesus may wellbe calleda
loving messenger, becauseHe came into the world, not only to tell us this
greattruth, but also to be Himself the proof of it.
(Richard Newton.)
The disposition of God
H. W. Beecher.

Jesus was a man of kindness

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Jesus was a man of kindness