The Explanation of the Harvest
The word translated “kindness” in Galatians 5:22 literally means “useful”—beneficial to others. Its synonyms include mild, well-disposed, considerate, and sweet, as opposed to harsh. It is a beautiful word for a beautiful grace. Jesus uses the same word in Luke 5:39: “And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” Good wine mellows with age, and perhaps the best paraphrase of “kindness” is “mellowness”—a grace that penetrates and pervades the whole nature, softening all that would otherwise be harsh and austere.
We might sum it up as caring enough to help. When a lawyer came to Jesus asking, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25), Jesus drew him out until the man himself articulated the twofold commandment to love God and neighbour. Then, “desiring to justify himself” (Luke 10:29), the lawyer asked who his neighbour was. Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–34).
The Jews despised the Samaritans; the two groups had no dealings with each other. The priest and the Levite were spiritual leaders—precisely those we would expect to help a beaten Jewish traveller. Both passed by. The Samaritan, whom one would expect to walk on without a glance, stooped to meet the need regardless of the cultural enmity between their peoples. He went beyond what could ever have been expected of him. Jesus’ command to the lawyer—“You go, and do likewise” (Luke 10:37)—stands for the church today. We are to care enough about others to help them in their need.
This gentleness is, without question, a characteristic of God himself. Romans 2:4 speaks of “the riches of his kindness.” In Luke 6:35, Jesus tells us that God is “kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” Paul exhorts believers to “note then the kindness and the severity of God” (Romans 11:22), and he elsewhere speaks of “the kindness of God our Saviour” (Titus 3:4). In the ancient world, gentleness was regarded as a vice—a mark of weakness rather than strength. The New Testament virtually had to adopt new vocabulary to establish it as a virtue. It is a virtue because it is an attribute of God. He is kind, good, and gracious.
The Imitation of the Harvest
There are counterfeits of kindness. Some give with selfish motives—generosity with strings attached. Paul instructed us to give “with generosity” (Romans 12:8), that is, without hidden expectation. True kindness never compromises on truth. A man once reminded me of all the “kind” things he had done for me as a way to silence my rebuke of his sin. I had to tell him plainly: I am not for sale. Kindness is sweet, but it never excuses sin. God is kind, and he never overlooks sin.
The Application of the Harvest
Just as patience guards the unity of the Spirit, so does kindness. Paul wrote: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Do you wait for others to greet you at church, or do you reach out first? Do you think before you speak? Paul urged us to let our speech always be gracious (Colossians 4:6). Small acts of kindness carry more weight than we imagine. I once made a brief hospital visit to a woman I had never met, simply because a friend had asked me to. I was not particularly eager to go. I stayed only a few minutes, introduced myself, conveyed my friend’s love, and promised to pray. That evening, her husband telephoned to say how moved they had been by the love of the body of Christ. Such a small thing—and yet it meant the world to them.
Are we willing to come alongside those in need and help lighten their load? Are we quick to express genuine thanks? These things require that we be present in one another’s lives. Every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is relational. If you are uninvolved in the lives of others, you cannot claim to be walking in the Spirit.
The Cultivation of the Harvest
A kind person is approachable. In the Gospels, children came freely to Jesus. Their mothers had no hesitation in allowing it, because he was kind and therefore safe. When the disciples sought to drive the children away, Jesus rebuked them—tenderly, not harshly. His kindness made him the sort of person people ran towards, not away from. That is the goal.
The Manifestation of the Harvest
There is no greater manifestation of kindness than Jesus himself: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle [kind] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).
Jesus never denied that following him involves a yoke. There is a cost, a weight to carry—but the yoke is easy because we do not pull alone. He is beside us, bearing the load with us. We fail him, sinning against him time and again, and yet he is always ready to forgive with gentleness. If we walk in the Spirit, we will be constantly looking for those whose burden we can help carry—kind, gentle, and ready to stoop.
About the author
Doug Van Meter is the pastor-teacher of Brackenhurst Baptist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is married to Jill and together they have five daughters, four sons-in-in-law and a growing number of grandchildren.
