Today I was reflecting on the often used scripture in 1 Corinthians 13, or otherwise known as the “Love Chapter”. Even if you are not a part of the church if you have gone to a wedding before I would almost guarantee you have heard this passage of scripture, but in case you haven’t here it is…
13 If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. 3 If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever.
4 Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, 5 it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, 6 it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end. As for tongues, they will stop. As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end. 9 We know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. 12 Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. 13 Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.
Now, at first glance it is very easy to see why this passage of scripture would be used frequently at weddings as two people begin their lives together. It emphasizes the importance of love, and how that love is lived out. The verses that are most often used are 4 through verse at where it says “Love never fails”. However, for us to fully understand this scripture it is important for us to look at the context of it, or the full picture.
One of my favorite pastors I enjoy following on Twitter said this about it…”1 Corinthians 13 was not written with a wedding ceremony in mind. It’s not mean to give us warm, fuzzy feelings. This chapter is Paul’s word of rebuke to a church marked by great miracles and charisma, but by little maturity and character.” @richvillodas
John Wesley the founder of Methodism said this about love in his sermon “On Zeal”, “O let this be deep engraven upon your heart: all is nothing without love…the queen of all graces, the highest perfection in heaven or earth, the very image of the invisible God, as in men below, so in angels above. For ‘God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God and God in him”
Another way to put this is our churches can have all the “bells & whistles”, you can have state of the art facilities, you can have lots of talented staff, many programs, packed pews, but if we don’t have love we are missing the point.
Clearly, the Corinthian church had people with great gifts, but they were valuing certain gifts more than others, they had charisma as Pastor Rich Villodas said, but they were lacking the one thing that lasts and matters and that is love.
So, I urge you don’t get wrapped up in who has what gifts, or who has a larger church with the most gadgets, but instead let us focus on being the church and loving those around us.
