"Rain, rain, go away!!" Henri sure left an impact for us and many in the New England states! Great weekend here though! I can't believe August is almost over!! Where did the time go...my "honey do" list is still there!!
FYI- I did the Spiritual gifts inventory...my top three were:
- helping/assistance- the gift of making sure that everything is ready for the work of Christ to occur.
- teaching- the gift of bringing scriptural and spiritual truths to others
- exhortation- the gift of exceptional encouragement
Those that know me- comments?!
Anyway- we finally come to probably one of the most common pieces of scripture...the chapter on Love! Theologian Campbell Miller wrote that examining this chapter is like dissecting a flower to understand it. You tear it apart too much and you lose it's beauty! Another theologian, Alan Redpath, wrote that one could get a spiritual suntan from reading this chapter!
With that said- how do we discuss what Paul has to say?! Love is superior to any spiritual gift! I think we all know this chapter- and probably even can recite some of the lines by memory! Paul goes through a list of "characteristics" of love. We are doing a sermon series on Christian love. How do you define love? It is difficult to really define that word! I have two close friends that are gong through marital problems and they have come to me to talk (no idea why!). We have spent several hours talking about their spouses and what they feel is going on. I have asked both of them "Is there still love in the relationship" and they both hesitated. What is love?
I don't know the source, but I remember someone saying people with little religion are always noisy (v 1)! If they don't have love of God and love of man filling their heart they are like an empty wagon violently rolling down a hill-- lots of noise with noting in it! Know any people like that?
The Greeks had several words to describe "love"
- eros- the sexual, erotic love
- storge- familial love, the love between kids and parents
- philia- brotherly love and relationship, a deep friendship (Philadelphia- city of brotherly love)
- agape- self-giving love that doesn't expect or demand "repayment", love that loves regardless of the person being loved (think people in nursing and health care generally exhibiting this), self-denial for the sake of others; our English word "agony" comes from agape!
Regardless of what we have and what we do- we are nothing without love! Early Christians believed that martyrdom would wash away all sins. They were proud in their "ability to suffer" for Christ. Paul says that if they didn't have love in their hearts, their suffering meant nothing (v 3).
Everything described on vv 1-3 (prophecy, tongues, knowledge, faith) is good, but! Without love, they don't really have meaning or value. I think we would agree that we can tell who has love and who is lacking love. I also think we can agree that when someone does something without love- we know!
I have the next set of verses (vv 4-8) bracketed and in the margin I have written "portrait of love- in case you have forgotten!" I don't know if that note was for me or for when I was preaching on this passage! Probably me! The first words Paul uses are "action" words-- love takes energy and action! Love sometimes isn't a feeling- it is an action word- a verb! Paul hen describes things that love is NOT! When I was talking with my two friends from before- I did bring these up in our conversations. It was interesting to hear their responses! We then come to "love's four sweet companions" (Charles Spurgeon's words): strong, believing, hopeful, and enduring (v 7)! I think the key words in this verse is "all things" ALL THINGS! Bears all things! Hopes all things. Believes all things. Endures all things. All things!
Paul ends this chapter with the permeance of love. Love is forever. Paul comments that the gifts of the Spirit may change throughout our life- but love is unchanging and permanent. Paul gives an analogy- as we grow, our actions change. What was cute when we were kids isn't cute when we are teens or adults; what we do as teens is appropriate when we are teens, but we change. That is like the spiritual gifts. They may change as we journey with Christ...actually they do change! But love stays strong and stays permanent. Gifts from the Holy Spirit are to be cherished and are precious, they were never designed to be the focus of our life or our goal as Christians. We are to pursue faith, hope, and love. Are we? But love supersedes all of these! Does it in your life?
I do love this chapter. I do get the feeling of warmth and God's love when I read these words from Paul. I am happy that I have love and have had love for my life. Love is hard though! It takes work and dedication!
I hope you enjoyed the words from Paul...these are some great words!
Shalom+
Pastor Paul
I agree, this is another very familiar chapter. No gift from God is worth anything unless used for or given away in love. Not only in our relationship with God but I think in our relationship with others. Do I get tangled up in other things when dealing with other people? I am said to say - yes I do!!! I like vs. 3 - it is so true - all our good acts mean nothing if they didn't involve love. And I agree that vs. 4-8 defines love very well. The guy who does my hair is gay, and just today said that the people who call themselves "Christians" and tell him he is going to Hell and will never be loved by God are the ones that he knows are committing all kinds of "sins" themselves and rationalizing them - making the most noise with what appears to be little religion. I would like to say that I pursue faith, hope and love ALWAYS. Remember the old hymn? "Faith, hope and charity, that's the way to live successfully. How do I know, the Bible tells me so!" I also think it's interesting that the word charity and love is interchangeable in this chapter. Hmmmm - your gifts? Definitely see teaching, see some of helping/assistance - but I have to admit - I have not seen exhortation. But, of course, not having seen it doesn't mean it isn't there - just not where I have experienced it!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the rain has stopped!!!
Love is something that is missing on a universal level and the world would be a much better place if there was more love! Many "Christians" are quite hypocritical!
DeleteI do have the gift of teaching- I think...but I agree- exhortation! Really?! Guess I should try harder!
Thanks Donna!
Well this chapter was very familiar. We have all heard it many times at weddings, but love is so much more than romantic love. The love we have for our families and friends. I have been very luck in love. I have a good friend who never married or had children. The love she has for her nieces and nephews great nieces and nephews is a pleasure to see. We also need to be careful to never take advantage of someone's love.
ReplyDeleteDonna I do agree with your comment about your hair stylist!
I also pursue faith, hope and love always.
This was nice to have such a positive chapter.
It is nice to have a positive chapter and end with good feelings! I do like to see when true love is exhibited! And I, like yo, have been blessed with a life of love- from parents all the way through to grandkid!
DeleteThanks Cindy!
I can see and do know some people that have been taken advantage of because of their love for someone. I am talking wit two close friends about their relationship, and I think they are being taken advantage of! They love their partner so much that they are willing to do anything- and their partners know that
DeleteLove is everything! I know I bring up a negative when we are finally reading something so nice but not everyone has experienced love as they should. If you are lucky enough to have a childhood full of love you look at the world perhaps differently than if you didn't. I think some people who were not well loved as a child cannot seem to offer love to others or even accept love from others as easily. This is sad but common. These passages are so beautiful but I can't help think of those who have been mistreated; are unloved.
ReplyDeleteCindy, I don't understand what your sentence means "we need to be careful to never take advantage of someone's love." Please explain it to me sometime. :)
My daughter is getting married on October 9th. I'll be waiting to see if her pastor says these words. I hope so.
This familiar passage is about the most positive thing that I've seen from Paul.
I don't know exactly what Cindy is referring to, but as I replied to her- I have two friends going through marital problems. They both love their partners so much tat they are willing to do anything for them. Their partners know that and I think they are taking advantage of that love.
DeleteLove does make you see things differently. Especially love as a child! I have seen the effects of a love-less childhood in some of my school kids. It is so sad.
I am officiating a wedding this weekend and there will be some of this love talk in it!
Thanks Cathy!
What's the song? Love makes the world go round! Love is something we all need and crave, from when we are born til the day we die. However God is the one who loves us best and most. So many kinds of love but God gives us pure and unconditional love. We love our Parents when we are little ,we become teenagers and a little of that love changes as a lot of us get to the point where we know a lot and think we are grown up but only to discover when we are a little older and parents ourselves our parents have grown more in our love for them.. there is the love of a parent for our children it's for the most part unconditional but there are times---- there is the love of friends and there is love of our mates but only God's love is pure . as it says Faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is Love.
ReplyDeleteGod is love.
Paul, I think you know your spiritual gifts and have the right.
Clara, I know why you are posting so late - LOL! Had so much fun last night! Thank you again!!
DeleteLove does make the world go round! And we need more love! Our love for parents does change- like you say- I just never really thought of it until now!
DeleteThanks Clara!
I will have to postpone reading all the comments until later. I am having trouble with double vision, and I am having trouble reading. Eyesight is overrated anyway!! (Bad joke.)
ReplyDeleteThis has to be one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. What could be more beautiful than love? Rhea selected several verses from this chapter to be used when we renewed our vows at our 50th wedding anniversary service. Verse 13 has to be one of the most repeated verses in scripture.
I remember when I was driving a tuxedo delivery route in New Jersey. I would pass under this railroad bridge, on which somebody wrote "Hate can't fix what hate began." I'm sure it was a reference to 9/11. The next part I'm not too sure about. The reply is "Only love can." What I don't remember is if that was written on the bridge or left as an exercise for the student. I'm not usually a fan of graffiti, but this was particularly moving and it still is since it doesn't seem like the world has become any more peaceful in the past 10 years or so sine I drove that route.
I remember that day!!
ReplyDeleteThere is a Martin Luther King, Jr quote (at least it is attributed to him): "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
I have used that a few times in some messages...and it is so true!
We are lacking in love across the world. How can we fix that?
Good thoughts Jack!