Ignatius of Antioch: Insensible to God’s kindness

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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 2:6-7

“Let us not, therefore, be insensible to His kindness. For were He to reward us according to our works, we should cease to be. Therefore, having become His disciples, let us learn to live according to the principles of Christianity. For whosoever is called by any other name besides this, is not of God. Lay aside, therefore, the evil, the old, the sour leaven, and be ye changed into the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him, lest any one among you should be corrupted, since by your savor ye shall be convicted.”

Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 35-108) in To The Magnesians, Chapter X (Roberts-Donaldson Translation).

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, visited Christians in Magnesia, about 12 miles up river from Ephesus during the reign of Trajan (98-117) when he was en route to Rome for his martyrdom. Shortly thereafter, while on house arrest visiting Polycarp in Smyrna, he wrote this letter To The Magnesians, and this excerpt is from Chapter X.

Understanding this background adds weight to this message. Imagine you are on your way to your martyrdom. What would you say if you wrote such a letter?

He urges the Magnesians not be insensible to God’s kindness. What does it mean to be insensible? It means “unconscious” or “indifferent” to His kindness. The opposite of this is to stay alert and attuned to the reality of God’s kindness to us in Christ. So, what does this have to do with generosity?

When we live indifferent to the incomparable riches that we have in Christ, we will not be hilariously generous. How do we avoid such indifference? It takes conscious effort. That’s the best part of his “last words” to them. “Let us learn to live according to the principles of Christianity.”

How are you doing in living out the principles of Christianity? Regarding generosity, what you keep you lose, and what you give you gain. Our generosity will be reflected in our sensibility or insensibility. Or as Ignatius put it, since “by your savor ye shall be convicted” be sure to “be ye salted in Him.”

Today, I am tying flies with my son, Sammy, representing Sammy’s Fly Shop, at the West Denver Trout Unlimited Fly Tying Clinic from 10am to 1:30pm. Then Jenni and I fly to Sydney, Australia, via San Francisco where we will be speaking in various settings for the next two weeks. Pray for safe travel and sleep on the long journey.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36-37

“It is well, therefore, that he who has learned the judgments of the Lord, as many as have been written, should walk in them. For he who keepeth these shall be glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooseth other things shall be destroyed with his works. On this account there will be a resurrection, on this account a retribution.

I beseech you who are superiors, if you will receive any counsel of my goodwill, have among yourselves those to whom you may show kindness; do not forsake them. For the day is at hand on which all things shall perish with the evil. The Lord is near and His reward. Again, and yet again, I beseech you: be good lawgivers to one another, continue faithful counsellors of one another, take away from among you all hypocrisy.

And may God who ruleth over all the world, give to you wisdom, intelligence, understanding, knowledge of His judgments with patience. And be ye taught of God, inquiring diligently what the Lord asks from you; and do it that ye may be safe in the day of judgment. And if you have any remembrance of what is good, be mindful of me, meditating on these things, in order that both my desire and watchfulness may result in some good,

I beseech you, entreating this as a favor. While yet you are in this fair vessel, do not fail any one of these things, but unceasingly seek after them, and fulfill every commandment; for these are worthy. Wherefore I have been the more earnest to write to you as my ability served, that I might cheer you. Farewell, ye children of love and peace. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit. Amen.”

Barnabas of Cyprus in Epistle of Barnabas, 21, in Writings of the Apostolic Fathers: Mathetes, Polycarp, Barnabas, and Papias, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Veritatis Spendor Publications, 2014) 133-134

The Epistle of Barnabas is ascribed to the Barnabas of Cyprus who is mentioned in today’s biblical text. He is the co-worker of the Apostle Paul who ministered to the Gentiles. The Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas were influential apostolic fathers and included in the Codex Sinaiticus, which is the oldest existing copy of the New Testament (c. fourth century). These ancient documents provide clues to early church thinking on living out the Christian life, though they were not excluded from the biblical canon by the early church councils.

Kindness for Barnabas, the son of encouragement, is what we get to extend to those we serve. It’s beautiful behavior that promises reward. How do we learn it? Barnabas would say to inquire “diligently what the Lord asks from you.” What do you think God desires for you today? What impact could it have? Ancient sources like Hippolytus of Rome tell us about Barnabas is that he numbered among the seventy in Luke 10:1-12. Then, numerous texts in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles records his kindness in action as central to early church mission. What about yours?

Your kindness may not change the entire world, but it just might change the world for those you serve today. With Barnabas, the encourager, I want to cheer you on!

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:17-19

“If you were full of leprosy, that shapeless evil, yet you scraped off the evil matter, and received again the Image whole. Show your cleansing to me, your Priest, that I may recognize how much more precious it is than the legal one. Do not range yourself with the nine unthankful men, but imitate the tenth. For although he was a Samaritan, yet he was of better mind than the others. Make certain that you will not break out again with evil ulcers, and find the indisposition of your body hard to heal. Yesterday meanness and avarice were withering your hand; today let liberality and kindness stretch it out. It is a noble cure for a weak hand to disperse abroad, to give to the poor, to pour out the things which we possess abundantly, till we reach the very bottom.”

Gregory of Nazianzus (329–389) in “The Oration on Holy Baptism” Oration XL.XXXIV, preached in Constantinople on 6 January 381, translated by Charles Gordon Brown and James Edward Swallow.

Here, Gregory of Nazianzus, the patriarch of Constantinople and the third of three Cappadocian Fathers, connects liberality (or generosity) with kindness. He rightly notes that the opposite of such living appears as meanness and avarice. These sinful vices contribute to our own weakness and disease.

Notice what Jesus says to the foreigner who returns to thank Him for healing his hand. “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Think about it. One minute his hand is weak, and the next minute it is strong. Jesus attributes the healing to His faith. Jesus could have said, “Rise and go, my power made you well.” But He doesn’t.

Why does this matter? To overcome meanness and avarice, Gregory shows us the way of healing. We must live by faith and chose the only “noble cure” which is to “disperse abroad” and hold nothing back. Only when we do this by faith, does Jesus transform our mean and avaricious hands (and hearts) into liberal and kind ones.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7

“Consider the case of the person who has stocked away his financial resources in enormous safes protected by steel, bolts and locks, who thinks the growth of his personal worth preferable to putting into practice the commands of the Lord. Consider the future times when he is dragged down to the fire of darkness accompanied by the reproach of those who experienced his harshness in this life, who call out to him. “Remember that in your lifetime you got the good things” (Luke 16:25).

You locked away compassion with your riches. You neglected compassion for the sake of land. You did not acquire the loving kindness needed for life here. You do not have what you did not acquire; you do not find what you did not safeguard. You do not gather what you did not spread about; you do not reap where you did not plant. Your harvest matches up to your planting. You have planted bitterness, so reap its clusters of fruit.

You valued mercilessness, so enjoy what you loved. You viewed others without kindness, so now you will not be looked on with compassion. You ignored the suffering of others; you will likewise be ignored, You snubbed compassion; compassion will snub you. You avoided the poor — He who became poor for you will also avoid you.

Considering all these things, where will be the gold? Where will be your impressive stuff? Where will be the security systems that were added to protect your belongings against theft? Where will be the list of your various bank accounts? What is the benefit of all this in light of weeping and gnashing of teeth? Who will lighten the darkness, douse the flame and keep at bay the undying worm?

Brothers and sisters, in the light of what has been said, let us pay attention to the voice of the Lord, who teaches us, in this brief passage, so many things about what’s really important. Let us become compassionate so that through compassion we may be blessed in Christ Jesus our Lord, tow home be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”

Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) in an excerpt of Sermon 5 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” in Gregory of Nyssa: Sermons on the Beatitudes, a paraphrase by Michael Glerup (Classics in Spiritual Formation) 82-83.

Gregory of Nyssa was the younger brother of Basil of Caesarea. He is the second of three Cappadocian Fathers. He was not as gifted as his brother administratively. His strengths were in the study of biblical theology and the proclamation of truth. Today we have a powerful sample from him paraphrased in modern terms.

His sermon expounds on today’s Scripture, which is short but contains a very big truth. The blessing of mercy only comes those who show mercy.

On a walk in the park with my wife this past week, I was reasoning that it seems to me that American Christians seem to value preserving comfort over obeying Christ. They will align themselves with Jesus only after they have secured their future with money and showered themselves with things. I can see this because it was our way of thinking for years.

Gregory reveals the danger of such thinking. When we don’t live this way, we don’t acquire loving kindness. He also explains what happens as a result. We might accumulate lots of things, but we miss out on the one thing we need, compassion, from the one person who offers it, Jesus, who became poor for us. What about you?

Are you a slave to comfort or Christ? In this short life, lest you join the rich man in eternal regret, pay attention to the voice of the Lord. Do precisely what He says.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.”

Basil of Caesarea (c. 329-379) in Homily V. In martyrem Julittam. The new header photo is a shot of Bear Creek in Lakewood, Colorado, near our son’s apartment. Sammy is blessed with a beautiful trail on which to walk his dog, Hope St. Teresa.

For the next month leading up to Lent, we will locate kindness and generosity in the writings of the early church. I start with Basil of Caesarea as he is otherwise known as Basil the Great for his prolific writing coupled with care for poor.

Basil had a deep faith and lived it out with humble service. He’s was one of the Cappadocian Fathers and one of the four doctors of the Eastern Church. How did he have great impact in unleashing kind and generous disciples in his day?

He taught everyone to take a posture of dependence and gratitude to God for His generosity and kindness. Let’s try it. At key times in the day, stop to reflect with gratitude for God’s kindness and generosity toward you.

As you think about Lent, which starts next month, perhaps at the divine hours: 6am, 9am, 12noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm and 12midnight (or when you go to bed), consider setting an alarm on your phone to pause to give thanks.

Basil teaches us a keen insight for growing as kind and generous disciples of Jesus Christ. Pause to ponder God’s kindness and generosity with thanksgiving throughout each day. It just may transform you into a kind a generous person.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:4-5

“I find the term “kindness” really helpful when I’m thinking about God the Father. “Love” is such a big word and it can embrace a rather formal caring. We could, for example, use it to describe a father who worked hard to provide for his family, but never showed any interest or delight in his children. Maybe this is how you think of God the Father. He’s good and He does the right thing. He loves you in the sense of providing for you.

But you think of Him as distant and detached. If so think of His kindness. Let the word play on your imagination. God is kind. He shows us kindness. Substitute it for other words you might use. Instead of saying, “God has answered my prayer,” say, “My father has been kind to me by answering my prayer.” Instead of saying, “Clara was a great help on Saturday,” say “God kindly sent me Clara to help on Saturday,” Each day reflect on how God is being kind to you.

And think of Jesus as the Father’s kindness in person… The Father’s kindness has “appeared” and it looks like Jesus. I you want to see the kindness of God, then look at the life and death of Jesus. This is the measure of God’s kindness. This is divine kindness clothed in human flesh. This is His kindness to you.”

Tim Chester in Enjoying God: Experience the Power and Love of God in Everyday Life (The Good Book Company: Purcellville, 2018) 63-64.

Today’s reading on kindness came to me from my Aussie mate, Tim Macready. Thanks Tim! We co-edited and co-compiled a book last year called Purposeful Living: Financial Wisdom for All of Life. Click to download it freely from Christian Super.

Because it can be hard to get our proverbial arms around the idea that God the Father is kind and loving toward us, Chester helpfully reminds us that Jesus is God’s kindness in person. That leads me to picture the times He stopped to minister to people as sweet demonstrations of kindness.

Here’s the interchange with Bartimaeus in Mark 10:51. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” That’s such an amazing picture of kindness.

Jesus frequently appears inconvenience Himself, to go out of His way, so that others might get what they need. As the Apostle Paul put it in today’s Scripture, He came from heaven to earth and saved us because of His great mercy.

As followers of Christ, we get to go and do likewise. We are the Father’s kindness in person, as “little Christs” (the meaning of the word “Christian”). So, what might it look like for you to inconvenience yourself to give someone exactly what they need today?

Ponder that generous idea with the Father. Reflect on texts where you see Jesus showing kindness in action. Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide your steps to go and extend kindness likewise.

Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of His heritage? He doesn’t retain His anger forever, because He delights in lovingkindness. Micah 7:18

“Finally, as the love of God defines us, so hesed provides the full meaning of that love. His lovingkindness radically redefines us — from fallen to beloved, from outcasts to daughters and sons. Hesed resonates in us because it is a part of who we were created to become; it represents what we are being transformed, recreated, reborn, redeemed to be. We must become hasids, not simply those who go about doing good works but men and women who are completely dependent on the hesed of God, conquered by His kindness, reborn to a life of unconditional love.”

Michael Card in Inexpressible Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness (Downers Grove: IVP, 2018) 138.

Today’s post comes from another Daily Meditations reader and friend, Carolyn Herbert, who is enjoying this study of the intersection of kindness and generosity. Thanks Carolyn!

Card teaches us that hesed, God’s lovingkindness toward us, does not merely make us people who do good things, but it conquers and transforms us. Think about that.

This is a profound idea. God does not need us to do things for Him. He loves us so much that He does not leave us fallen and broken but makes us His daughters and sons.

To become hasids, we are “conquered by His kindness” and remade into distributors of His unconditional love and kindness.

Often, and even when evil abounds, I proclaim, “Nothing can touch love!” It covers a multitude of sins. It’s the only good that overcomes evil.

So, the secret to God’s work in our lives is His hesed toward us. Sit with God for five minutes right now. Rest in today’s Scripture. Likely, you too will respond, “There is no God like our God!”

If you want to go live a generous life, let God conquer you with His lovingkindness. You will be reborn, become fully dependent on Him, and find that He makes you into a conduit of kindness.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 2 Timothy 2:24

“One day I came across this sentence: “Most people are kind, polite, and sweet-minded — until you try to get into their pew!” I like that for it acknowledges just how hard it is to be kind — even in church. Why is kindness so difficult?

For one thing, kindness is so darn close, so near at hand. It demands that I act in a selfless way to these human beings right in front of me or next to me: this coworker who cracks her gum all day, this elderly woman who talks incessantly, this teenage boy who is such a smart aleck, this next door neighbor who plays his music too loud…

Kindness is difficult because it is so concrete. It almost always makes some specific, personal demand upon us. Kindness says, “Help carry those groceries — now! Offer to change that tire — now! Run to the store for milk — now!” Kindness is usually obvious, too. There’s almost no mistaking kindness when you see it — or mistaking its absence when you do not…

Unreflective loving. That is a good definition of kindness. But how do we learn to be kind. How do we come to love unreflectively? We probably begin by seeing the kindness of others.

When I was growing up on our small farm in Ohio, for example, I was being instructed in the ways of kindness without even knowing it. My mother used to bake quite regularly. Two of her specialties were apple pies and rye bread. On many occasions I can remember her saying, “Take the Stevensons this loaf of bread,” or “Take this apple pie to Shinky” (the hired hand who lived on the farm next door).

When road workers were fixing our road under the hot summer sun, my mother sent us kids out with a pitcher of water or lemonade for them. Similarly, my father, who always had a big garden, was forever giving things away — beans, tomatoes, strawberries, corn. The example of my parents’ many acts of kindness of unreflective loving, made a lasting impression on me.”

Melanie Svoboda in Abundant Treasures: Meditations on the Many Gifts of the Spirit (New London: Twenty Third Publications, 2000) 58-59.

Special thanks to my good friend, John Stanley for his unreflective loving toward me. As a Daily Meditations reader, when he came across this gem of a post, he did not think twice. He scanned it and sent it over to me to enjoy and share. I love that guy. Such a kind brother!

As we are already into our second month on this topic, this post sums up what we have learned so far. Kindness is hard, and it may be best learned by watching it displayed in others. These people touch our lives deeply. Their behavior is second nature to them. To us, it is so beautiful it seems otherworldly.

The words “unreflective loving” particularly struck me.

Such people don’t calculate. Should I do a favor for a person? They just do it.

They don’t hold back. Will I run out of strawberries if I share some with my neighbor? They share the strawberries.

They don’t pick and choose who they will bless. Does that person deserve my sharing with them? They know that none of us deserve the kindness Christ showed us.

I think this is what the Apostle Paul meant when he instructed Timothy to “be kind to everyone” in today’s Scripture.

You can’t think before being kind or you will think your way out of kind living. While it may be hard at first, it actually gets easier as our role models show us.

I am convinced that the best way you and I can become unreflective lovers of people is to reflect on the love shown to us by Christ.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

In today’s post, Horatius Bonar speaks about the kindness of a famous Scottish preacher named John Milne of Perth (a city in Scotland on the River Tay). He caught my attention in researching Scottish preachers because Jenni and I are teaching in Perth, Australia, later this month. While this post differs in style from most posts, it beautifully illustrates kindness from a generous dispenser of it.

“He had far more shrewdness and insight into character than many, judging by his kindly simplicity, gave him credit for. He was a most unsuspicious man; and yet with discerning eye. He might not be the best at giving counsel in an emergency; but even then, as well as at other times, his fruitful active mind would suggest thoughts, or bring up a text, out of which you could extract the advice needed…

A peacemaker everywhere, he had his own ways of making peace; sometimes he would take hold of the hands of the parties and put them into each other; and sometimes, as in meetings of session or meetings for consultation, when any heat threatened to arise, he would stop and say, let us sing Psalm 133: ‘Behold how good a thing it is,’ etc. He belonged to that ‘candid school’ which ‘hopeth all things’ (1 Corinthians 13:7), but not to that whose charity consists in palliating evil, or pleading for error, or excusing departures from the faith.

If any one showed him any slight, or injured him, he made it a matter of conscience to show special kindness to the injurer. Not as if he did not feel the unkindness, for he was acutely sensitive, but as if bent on overcoming evil with good, and on refusing to be affronted in any effort for the welfare of a soul.

As he and I were walking together one day, we passed a gentleman, who bowed. Detaching himself from me, Mr. Milne went after him and talked kindly to him. Rejoining me, he said, ‘That man does not like me, and frequently shows this, but I must win him over.’ He frequently bought articles in a shop where the master was surly… He was asked, ‘Why do you go back to a shop when your custom is not desired?’ ‘I do it on purpose,’ he said; ‘I am trying to soften that man by kindness. He would scarcely speak to me at first; but I’m getting round him, and hope to come to close quarters some day.'”

Horatius Bonar in Life of the Rev. John Milne of Perth, Fifth Edition (New York: Robert Carter Brothers) 92-93.

We can learn a lot from watching godly role models. Today, John Milne gives us insight by watching his “kindly simplicity” and “special kindness.”

Milne’s “kindly simplicity” as described by Bonar appears as always prepared to give counsel and fruitful assistance to people. For us to do this, and do it with generosity, means we need to have space or margin in our lives and our calendars for others. So, “kindly simplicity” means we cut out what is unnecessary in live to make room for loving people well. Do you have this space in your heart and this margin your schedule for others?

Bonar tells us that Milne also extended “special kindness” toward detached or difficult folks so that through love they would be softened over time. As we mix generosity and kindness we start to realize, as God’s servants, that this is God’s highest desire for us: to be known by our love. Instead of avoiding such people, how might you move toward them with special kindness?

Father in heaven, help us to live with kindly simplicity and teach us to extend special kindness to even the most distant people, remembering how you drew near to us. Do this by your Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

“Kindness. A wider benignity, with which some are so dowered that they come like the sunshine. But all can cultivate it. When we come out of the secret place of the Most High, we shall bear some reflection of Him whose “tender mercies are over all His works.” This is the opposite of that worldly wisdom which prides itself on its knowledge of men and is suspicious of everybody. It is the most powerful solvent of ill-will and indifference.”

Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910) in “The Garments of the Renewed Soul” a must-read short sermon by a prolific Scottish preacher.

I confess. I did not know what “benignity” meant, so I looked it up. I found that it means kindness, good deeds, or favor in action. Notice, for Maclaren, that this generous action starts with stillness with the Most High.

When we spend time with our kind and loving God, and then we go forth with kindness. His “tender mercies” or His proverbial fingerprints will be literally all over the works that we do. We will be shining.

Notice the impact. We can be generous with time or money, but when we cloth ourselves with kindness, we engage “the most powerful solvent of ill-will and indifference.” God help us dispense this solvent richly!

Make a generous gift to all of humanity, since there is so much ill-will and indifference in the world today. Spend time with the Most High daily. You will go forth radiantly shining with kindness.