KINDNESS.— The NT term xpV^riTijs, which is i-endered in the EV both by ' kindness ' and by ' goodness ' (once in Ro 3'- as ' good,' following the LXX of Ps 13 (14) '• 3, there quoted, in which xpvri- T-rjTo. = 310), nowhere occurs in the Gospels. The quality it denotes, however, is an evangelical virtue. Like its OT counterpart ncn, it is attrib- utable both to God (as in Ro 2* et al. ) and to man (as in 2 Co 6<' et al.). The adj. xpwris, EV ' kind,' i.s found once in the Gospels as referring to God (Lk 6^''). The other instances of its use in very difi'erent connexions, as applied to a yoke (Mt II'") and to wine (Lk 5^'), though such use is a natural outgrowth of its root-meaning, need only be men- tioned.
1. The Kindness ofGn/l in the Teaehinrj of Jesiis. — The passage in whieh Ciod is explicitly repre- sented as ' kind ' occurs in Lk.'s version of the loijion of Jesus concerning love of friends and hatred of foes (Lk 6-'-»'||Mt 5^-'^). The highest reward attendant upon a love that extends to both friends and foes ana is ready to show kindness to all men \\ ithout distinction, is that thereby men become sons of the Most High.' 'Sons of your I'aihei whieh is in heaven,' as it runs in Mt 5^, «onl(l appear to be the primitive phrase, but 'the Most High ' (iii/'iffTos) is quite a favourite name for God with Lk., and its substitution here is pro- bably due to this preference (see Dalman, The Words of Jesus, Eng. tr. p. 199). God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. In the Mt. parallel this benign goodness is expressed in the concrete pic- ture of sunshine and rain bestowed equally upon the evil and the good, the just and the unjust. Clearly the expression of an all-embracing be- nignity can go no further so far as extent is concerned. 'I'he only enhancing possible is in connexion with the gift which betoKens that be-
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KINDNESS
KINDNESS
of eep 01 reterence,
iiignity, and this we liave in tlie great say Jn 3'^ along with the same sweep of refe ' God so loved the world, that he gave hk onlij- hcgottcn Son.' That fontal love is manifested in the kindness (cf. Tit 3^) on which Jesus lays so much stress in His presentment of God as cm- Father, a kindness going far bej"ond the providen- tial bounties and mercies of this life, and concern- ing itself with the profoundest needs of sinful men.
If explicit statements of the character of that now considered are not multiplied in our Lord's teaching, it is to be pointed out that the same con- ception of God is necessarily implied in a lonsider- able group of the parables — those, in partieiilar. that illustrate the DiNine grace. Tlie L;ieat trili.^yof Lk 15, exhibiting the Divine coneerii f(ir man as to diroXwXo! ; the parables which show how royally and wonderfully God pities and forgives, whether that forgiveness is gratefully realized (the Two Debtors, Lk V™"*") or is strangely disregarded (the Unmerciful Servant, Mt IS^s-K) ; the parable of the Great Supper (Lk 14""=^), with its comprehensive ' welcome for the sinner' — these and other such are fuU of the wide-reaching kindness of God.
An OT basis for this conspicuous feature in Jesus' representa- tion of God undoubtedly e.xists. Whilst God was supremely known in Israel as King, His fatherly relation to Israel is not obscurely dwelt upon in OT writings, particularly in the pro- phets (.".<;. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea). God's goodness and irraciousness are u'ratefully celebrated in the Psalms ; witness the ri'frain of I>s I117, 'Oh that men lyould praise the Lord for his goodness (l~r~) ! ' Stro?? on this r'i\ ine (jiiality is the great characteristic of il • f 1 ■■■■-.' • ' ^-ini Jahweh and Israel in one coi. i , 1 t.. Israel being
His grace, of Isim -a of Israelite
to Israelite, lov. 1 1- to j" and
loyeto one's br. i;,. i - ; ,.i,d 6^ 6), and
both are made imi« ,,ii,> l- iii a i,-m M,,st. ,„ .i s latherly affec- tion and kindness towards Ills pcuplu (see W. R. .Smith, The Prophets 0/ Israel, p. 160 fl.). This line of thought, howeyer, regarding God was arrested in later Judaism ; Gotl's transcen- dent kingly greatness was emphasized in Jewish thought in our Lord's time, and His grace and loying-kindness had fallen into the background. Jesus deliberately chose this conception of fatherly kindness as the one predominant characteristic in His reyelation of God, and, what is more, proclaimed this gracious God as the rather of all mankind.
No difficulty need be raised as to the reconcilia- tion of such a conception of God with His cliaracter as 'Rex treraendae majestatis,' or as the holy God who cannot regard wickedness with indiflerence. That God is gracious does not mean that He is an easy-going God. Moral distinctions cannot be obliterated. Though in Christ's simple language God sends sunshine and rain upon the unjust, though He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked and they enjoy great prosperity, it cannot be other than an evil thing to be unjust, ungrateful, and wicked. And even though such blessings should aj)near to be withheld from the just and good, it still must be an altogether good thing to be just and good. Is it not significant that Jesus declares God's kindness without any qualification whatever, and shows Himself all unconscious that any diffi- culties are thereby occasioned, that there is any- thing requiring to be explained and adjusted? The parable of the Unmerciful Servant displays God's benignity ; but the truculence which shows itself unaflected by an amazing experience of for- giving mercy iiiusf nee.ls lo.se the boon which that benignity lie>t,,w.il. The conclusion of the parable