1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Although I know it’s innocent, one the the things that bug me most is when people assume I do “nice” things for them because I’m a pastor. Unknown to them, that is a major insult. I’m not complaining, just hoping to make a point. Anytime anyone (pastor or not) gives of themselves beyond normal expectations, we seek to understand why. We try and make logical sense out of what we feel on the inside. We may even feel a tad guilty. So attributing kindness to a title or position normalizes the action and negates it’s value. The action is no longer viewed as love or kindness, it’s considered an occupational requirement. It goes with the job.
The problem with this scenario is two fold. The first is obvious. Attributing kindness to an occupation let’s those not in that field of service off the hook. It minimizes the action, and makes it a logical and mundane occurrence that ought to happen anyway. A virtual ‘quid pro quo’. The second more damaging problem is the conclusion that love can be explained, or expressed in human terms. Let’s talk about that first.
I contend, true (agape) love is not within the auspices of normal human behavior. Love is spiritual. It is beyond explanation, comprehension, or control. So when the Apostle lists the attributes of love here in Corinthians 13, it sounds quite impossible. That’s because it truly is.
The key to understanding the inner working of love is to begin at its origin. The Bible is clear. God is love (1 John 4:8). And while we clearly can’t understand the mind of God, we can mimic the loving actions of God through Jesus. Christ. John 3:16 declares, God so loved the world that He gave… So the first thing we can deduce from love is that it is a selfless, often painfully devastating action. When God gave His only begotten Son, something was given that could never be repaid in this transaction called love. And Jesus followed His Father’s demonstration of love by selflessly agreeing to sacrifice His own life.
Now it’s our turn. Better stated, it’s your turn. Perhaps I do have some implied obligation to treat people differently than someone that is not in my position. You may be correct that preachers, pastors and salaried Christians owe a debt of charity that can, and must be paid. But how about you? Can you imagine the power of the testimony of Christ in the lives of those that aren’t spiritual leaders? I’m talking about regular folk. And not only regular folk, but suffering folk, broken folk, discouraged, impoverished, oppressed, persecuted and ostracized folk that under the worst of situations find the spiritual fortitude to withstand the insults, the stares and the humiliation to love in spite of the difficulties. To suppress their own natural desires, and give in to the leading of the Holy Ghost.
I am quite aware that nothing I’ve said so far is mildly logical. It pretty much boarders insanity. Why would a person deny themselves to benefit others that will never be able to pay them back? That’s not logical. Why would someone forgive, or bless, or pray for those that hate them, use and abuse them? Totally illogical, isn’t it? Yes, love is not logical, but I can prove that it makes all the sense in the world!
In our quest to be more like Jesus, total denial of self is mandatory. Though God’s gift in John 3:16 cannot be repaid, it does come with a condition. The condition is to accept the life of Jesus Christ in exchange for your own. This is not to tax you, but to free you. Remember we discovered that love is spiritual. Because carnality is incapable of comprehending the presence of God, as we empty ourselves of ourselves, we are refilled by the Spirit of Christ with the one thing we cannot fill ourselves with. God’s love.
Dear Children of the Most High, giving hurts. It’s often humiliating to place your pride, power and personality under subjection. The most natural thing in the world is to seek revenge, respect, and retribution. But when we step back and selflessly let the Lord be magnified in our lives, the tears we cried have meaning. The pain we felt has purpose. And that’s when God comes and ministers to our hurting souls. Then the illogical love we showed, makes all the sense in the world.
God bless
