Discover Jesus: The Kindness of God

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions… in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

When we read about the life of Jesus and His teachings, we see overwhelming kindness. Jesus went out of His way to heal the sick, feed the hungry, teach those who wanted to hear, and care for the rejected and vulnerable. He spent all His time with the poor, weary, lonely, and outcast.

One example of Jesus’ kindness is how He treated people with leprosy. Leprosy is a chronic disease that damages the skin, peripheral nerves, upper respiratory tract, and eyes of people. It makes them deformed and is highly contagious. In Jesus’ day, people with leprosy were driven out of society and forced to live in isolation. Their life was one of continuous loss and loneliness.

Jesus changed that! His radical kindness brought healing to those with leprosy. In Matthew 8:1-4, we see a leper approaching Jesus, saying, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus does what no one else would do. He reaches out His hand and touches the man, and he says, ‘I am willing.’

By healing this man and others with leprosy, Jesus not only cured them physically, He restored their dignity and allowed them to rejoin their families and society. Jesus gave those who were ‘dead’ new life.