1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1. Way In
I Love:
Peanut butter, meat loaf
shrimp, crawfish, clams, crabs, lobster
cold beer, red wine, Coca Cola
reading The New York Times
crossword puzzles, NYT is 1st choice, others
books, reading, libraries
William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty
Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Band, Bob Dylan, REM, U2, Avett Brothers
bluegrass, classical, opera
I love these things, they make me happy
but this isn’t the kind of love we find in 1 Cor.
Relationships
Family
my wife, Kazy
my sons, Paul, jack, Miller
my parents, sisters
extended family
This is getting closer to what the Bible says
loving relationships, commitment
remember what Jesus says:
nobody has greater love
than the one who will lay down their life for a friend
Love one another as I have loved you
Bridge: listen for what Paul is telling us about loving relationships
2. Tell the Story
Without love I am (we are) nothing
if I speak, even with the voice of an angel
but do not have love – I’m just making noise
If I have great powers, knowledge and faith
but do not have love – I’m nothing, I make no difference
If I give up all that I have
but do not have love – I am nothing, I don’t get it
We must understand that love is
patient, kind
not envious, boastful, or arrogant
does not insist on its own way
not irritable or resentful
does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth
love bears all things; believes all things, hopes … , endures …
love never ends
prophecies will come to an end, so will tongues, even knowledge
When I was a child
I spoke and thought like a child
as an adult, I put an end to childish ways
Now we see in a mirror dimly
then we will see face to face
now I know in part
then I will know fully
faith, hope, and love abide
the greatest of these is love
3. So What?
I read this passage a lot at weddings
it’s a wonderful reminder of how we ought to be with each other
but there are times …
when I feel like I should stop
say, “OK , y’all. Will somebody please read this to me.”
I find myself standing in front of some loving couple
giddy, crazy in love
reminding them of what the Bible says about love
… and realizing the ways I’ve been missing it
patient, kind – well, most of the time
not arrogant, envious, boastful – oops
not irritable – well, a lot of the time
I put an end to childish ways
“Oh, like the silent treatment, or saying ’you’re not the boss of me.?” Yeah, I guess so
God surely doesn’t need me to explain 1 Cor. 13 to anybody
it’s God’s Word and it’s a reminder to us
besides this, the most helpful description of love I heard lately is:
from Elie Wiesel (Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner)
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.
the opposite of love is indifference – “I don’t care”
hate is bad, no doubt
but indifference is even worse
to think somebody doesn’t even matter
the Bible says without love, we’re nothing
without love, life doesn’t matter
song from Rent, my favorite show, asks
how do you measure a year?
daylights, sunsets, midnights
cups of coffee, inches, miles
525,600 minutes
How about love? Measure in love
how will you measure your life? or how will others measure …or God?
what you’ve accomplished?
how much you worked?
how much stuff you had?
how well I spoke?
without love, it’s all just making noise
Paul starts by telling us what love is not
not boastful, arrogant, etc.
Free-style to end, e.g.
the opposite of love is indifference
nothing more hurtful/hateful as indifference
seeing somebody/child of God suffering and not care, not be moved
Utter devastation in Haiti that we witness in the media every day
what can we do? there is so much need
can you imagine not being moved?
we can’t save the world – can’t do it all today
but we care
that’s the first step
that’s love
so we reach out – do what we can
pray
raise money, resources, supplies
imagine seeing some of the needs in our community and not caring
ministries started because somebody cared
Munch Bunch – food provided for 430 kids (Oct. 09 – Jan 10)
then he tells us what love us
recap list from 1 Cor. 13
descriptions of love besides Weisel
“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. It all happened while we sat there talking, and it is still going on.” Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness
The only solution is love
that’s how we live in grateful response to God’s grace
Love, love, love
So let it be with us. Amen