2-23-2016

Good Morning All!!     

    1 Corinthians 13:13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

   This is the last verse of, probably, one of the most read passages of Scriptures.  Psalm 23, Luke 2, John 14, then probably 1 Cor. 13 would be the top to me.  This passage is most often read at weddings and it has a very airy and a feel-good quality.  

    The sad thing is that when we lift this passage out of its context; we change the meaning that Paul has for it.  But we will trust the Holy Spirit to speak what needs to be heard and look at it from the perspective that many of us read this; as a definition of love.

    We use the word love very loosely.  I love my wife; I love picking apples; I love Canadian bacon and black olive pizza; but do I really equate these three as the same?  Some do.  What we need to do is to look at how we define love and how God defines love.

     We look at this passage as the definition of love.  What we see is that love, true godly love, is focused outward.  It is about me giving to you because I love you.  God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son; this is love.  True love is not focused on me but on thee.  We actually can look at like this.  Love is one thing; the other is lust.

    Lust is about satisfying me.  When we speak love words they are “you” or “them”; lust words are “me, myself and I”.  If you listen to couples who are seeking a divorce, you hear phrases that focus inward on my wants, my desires, and my satisfaction.  Love is about others.  So in many ways, chapter 13 does help us to define love.  It is patient, kind, bears all things, endures all things and never ends.  Lust does not.

    Unfortunately, many in the world see love as conditional.  Conditional love is lust; it is about meeting my wants first and foremost.  What is sad is that so many see this as love.  I’ll love you if you love me.  I’ll give you gifts if you give me some.  I’ll stay with you if you keep me interested.  I will love you forever if someone better doesn’t come along.  True love is not a two way street; true love is me loving you with no strings or requirements.  That is love.

    Can you love like that, I know I can’t.  Yet this is the kind of love which God wants us to have; the same love He has for us.  Fortunately, God’s love is this way for me; even when I sin (which is often) God still loves me.  He calls me back with his forgiveness and his love.  When I deal with others, like the line at the elevator, or the checkout clerk at Wal-Mart and I remember how God treats me, I try a little harder to be patient and kind.  I don’t do this because it earns me anything it simply brings me closer to Jesus.  The same is true for all of us.  These three remain; faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.

Holy Father, your love is demonstrated in our lives at every turn.  Too often we miss it by rushing other directions or ignoring the signs.  Forgive us for being slow to love as we are loved.  Guard us and guide us by your faithful hand to love as you continue to shape us and mold us into your holy image.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret