Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.

Luke 10:30, 33

A couple of weeks ago, Patrina and I visited a friend in the hospital who remembered Patrina’s delicious pineapple upside-down cake. When he arrived home a few days later, she dropped off a pineapple upside-down cake treat as a welcome home gift. It was a kind labor of love.

When we think of being kind, our concept is often limited into thinking kindness is nothing more than being friendly and polite – saying “please” and “thank you”, but Paul’s concept of kindness may be best expressed in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan.

When he happened upon a man in need, the Samaritan did more than think a good thought or say a quick prayer. Jesus said he had compassion on the man. He stopped and took care of the man at his own expense. (Luke 10: 34-35).

Consider these words from James that encourage us to be actively kind –

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead”

James 2:14-17

Kindness is not giving cash to a stranger or simply an avoidance of being rude toward others and it is not about a superficial smile. Kindness is about acting on behalf of others – looking out for their spiritual and physical needs.