"The BYKOTA Class"

There are many moments in a pastor’s life that are memorable. Some of them come at the expense of their ego. Just one of the many in my life centered on my first introduction to the “BYKOTA” Sunday School class in one of my first pastorates. Being very young and very inexperienced, I simply had no idea what the word bykota meant. Though I took great pride in being well versed in both Hebrew and Greek, I could not discover the meaning or root of this word. The older ladies of this class seemed to take great pride in it, and, yet I had no clue where it might have come from! Finally, weeks later, I asked. One of the ladies looked at me with surprise and said, “Why, pastor, it means ‘Be ye kind one to another’!”

Christmas is a time of focus on the kindness of God. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “As God's partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God's great kindness. For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NLV). That kindness shown to us ought to provide an example in the manner in which we relate to others. In fact, all of us ought to consider ourselves members of the “BYKOTA” class. Paul went a little further with the church in Ephesus:

“And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32 NLV).

Alexander Maclaren said, “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.” Pastor William Stidger tells a story about a tombstone cutter who was busily engaged in his shop when his friend dropped in for a visit. The friend, while looking about the shop, noticed a headstone, which had been there for several years. The inscription had been cut on it, but the words were useless, for the stone had been in storage all that time. Curious, the friend asked why? "The people who ordered it were not able to pay for it," came the laconic reply. "And it stays here until they bring the money." "But what good is it doing you here?" the friend asked. "No good! No good at all!" replied the cutter with some anger. "Well, then," continued his friend, "if those folks haven't been able to pay for it yet -- it must be years -- your chances of collecting are pretty slim. Did it ever occur to you that you might place that stone where it belongs? At least it will be doing some good. It just takes up valuable room here." "That's poor business!" was the curt comment of the stonecutter. "It's never poor business to be kind to people and to go out of your way to help people who are in trouble." Having said this, the friend walked out of the shop and was on his way. A month passed before he returned to that shop. He looked around the room. The stone was gone. "Well, I see you got rid of that stone," he commented. "Did they pay you for it?" "No!" replied the stonecutter. "But I placed the stone where it belongs anyhow." "That's poor business!" reminded his friend, mockingly. "I know it is," replied the stonecutter. "But after your last visit here, my conscience started to torment me about it. I got to putting myself in that family's place, for I know that they haven't had the money to pay for it. Every time I came into this shop, that white stone haunted me like a ghost until finally I took it out and put it where it really belongs. Then, afterwards, when I found out how happy it made the family, I lost my head completely." "How?" "Well, yesterday when they came in here to pay me for the stone, do you know what I did? I refused the money. That's how foolish I'm getting to be." "Foolish? I wonder?" replied his friend. How “foolish” will you be in response to the kindness God has shown you today? Come join me as a member of the BYKOTA class!