We’re here! The “love” chapter. I bet you can’t even count the number of times you’ve heard this, whether it be at a wedding or elsewhere. Maybe you even had it read at your own wedding (if you’re married). There are some really beautiful passages in this chapter.
Let’s look at it anew today. Read it through (it’s short) one more time and this time let each phrase resonate with you. Did something new speak to you today?
What meaning will this chapter have if we look at the context in which Paul is writing. This more than a lovely exposition on love. In the preceding chapters, and those that will follow, Paul has been trying to provide the Corinthian church with guidelines for practice, particularly in worship. Here, in speaking of love, he doesn’t refer to the greatest love of all, that is how God sent his Son to die for our sins. He is referring to an attribute of believers, how we should act towards each other, particularly as it applies to our spiritual gifting.
There is no room here for selfishness. Love is what should manifest itself as a manner of life that we all live. If we have a loving heart and spirit, all other gifts and acts of service will fall into place. Paul says that our gifts mean nothing if we do not love.
But what is love? Paul eloquently states here what it is and what it is not. Looking at the Corinthians and their behaviors, Paul is all but saying they aren’t loving. When you read through his list, where do you feel the urging to do better? Are you a jealous person? Do you feel like giving up on a relationship? Do you need some patience with a loved one?
Our two main commandments are to love God with our whole heart, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Here again, we are called to love, and love is the “requirement” for our behavior. If we don’t love, we are worthless. Take a moment to step back from a project you are working on. Ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If your answer is anything other than “Because I love….” or “I am doing this for love”, then maybe you should rethink the project.
Love is a commitment, a learned behavior, one that is cultivated over time and nurtured with care. We aren’t just patient overnight, we have to work at it. In the context of your church family, how are you doing at being loving with your brothers and sisters?
Let’s pray. Lord you are the author and perfecter of love. You have given us the best example of what it means to love. May I be more in tune to your leading, and help me to grow in character. May all I say and do be done in love. Work in my heart to draw me closer to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I have always liked how this passage describes the body of Christ. What do you picture when you hear reference to “the body of Christ”? Even more exciting, we are part of that body! This is a great carryover from our reading yesterday on spiritual gifts in that our “part” of the body is dependent on our gifting.
This is only one of several places where spiritual gifts are discussed. As Paul tells us, a spiritual gift is from God given to us to help others. We don’t all get the same gifts, God gives us the gift (or gifts) he wants for us. Paul needed to corral in the Corinthians because they were misusing their gifts with showy displays of spirituality. They were disrupting worship gatherings by drawing attention to themselves. Paul has to be careful in his cautioning so as to not dispute the authenticity of their experience. It was also important for them to remember who initiated the gift giving, it was God and not themselves.
You probably noticed the familiar language that we hear as we prepare for Holy Communion in our church services. It is helpful to remember that Jesus gave us this “ritual” to celebrate and remember him. What we might not always remember is that in the early church, when followers met together, this remembrance was not set apart in a worship service but was most likely an actual meal shared between believers in a home. The wine and bread were there, but so also might have been other food.
Paul continues to share with the people of Corinth good practice information. The new church was, no doubt, in communication with Paul seeking clarification with respect to continuation of certain practices. I’m not a Bible scholar, so this passage about the distinctions between men and women is a bit troubling to me.
