The Greatest of These...the Wayfarer 7/6/13
“The Greatest of these is Charity.”
7/6/13
7/6/13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity.
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
In Paul’s letter to the church at
Corinth, he attempts to give the guidance needed for them to conform themselves
to the will of God. Here he stresses that the most important thing to have
above all else is love, without it, it isn’t possible to be a part of the body
of Christ. We will explore the entire passage today to see how we may measure
up to the expectations set forth in this chapter of his writings.
The first verse of Chapter 13 begins:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have
not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I
have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing.”
No matter how richly blessed we are
in spirit, if we fail to have love as demanded by our Savior, we have nothing.
It is only through love that we can be productive, useful tools in the endeavor to live a truly Christian life.
The reference to speaking with the tongues of men and angels is to further remind them of the gifts that are to be sought after.
If one speaks in an unknown language, it is impossible for any to understand what is being said, therefore just making a noise as would a sounding brass (perhaps a trumpet?) or a tinkling cymbal, neither of which, by itself makes any sense to a listener.
It is only through love that we can be productive, useful tools in the endeavor to live a truly Christian life.
The reference to speaking with the tongues of men and angels is to further remind them of the gifts that are to be sought after.
If one speaks in an unknown language, it is impossible for any to understand what is being said, therefore just making a noise as would a sounding brass (perhaps a trumpet?) or a tinkling cymbal, neither of which, by itself makes any sense to a listener.
If we have the gift of prophecy, and
are able to understand all the mysteries of life that exist all around us,
without the love necessary to interpret and share them, there is no good to be
gained by the having of them.
If it were possible to know all
things, as does our God, and have enough faith to physically move a mountain
simply by willing it so, without love for God and our fellow man it is only an
empty gift when not used to the benefit of our fellow human beings.
The third verse continues:
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing.”
It is not enough to give all that you
have to feed the poor, clothe the naked, or help the oppressed when it is not
done with a pure heart... in love.
We could sacrifice everything including our very lives, but that sacrifice is unacceptable when done for any motive other than love.
This is why Jesus told us not to do our alms before men as did the Pharisees. Our actions should be motivated by love, not self-righteousness, or the need to be seen by others doing charitable acts.
We could sacrifice everything including our very lives, but that sacrifice is unacceptable when done for any motive other than love.
This is why Jesus told us not to do our alms before men as did the Pharisees. Our actions should be motivated by love, not self-righteousness, or the need to be seen by others doing charitable acts.
The 4th verse picks back
up with:
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; beareth all things, believeth all things,
endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies,
they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
True charity (love) requires patience
despite the reactions we find ourselves facing in those around us.
It requires kindness in the face of adversity despite the human instinct for retaliation.
Charity (love) doesn’t envy the position or station of others, or the blessings that others have.
It doesn’t attempt to show others how great we are, and how worthless we deem them. It is not puffed up with self-righteousness.
. Love is not expressed in an unseemly way, calling attention to an act or gift.
Charity and love are not to be given only in the expectation of it being returned in kind.
Love is not easily provoked by the less charitable acts of others.
Love doesn’t intentionally search for the evil to be found in others.
We should accept on face value what we see. That evil will manifest itself in time on its own.
Love doesn’t take joy in the misery of others, no matter how evil we may perceive them to be. Love rejoices in the truth!
That truth is in and of itself the love of God! Charity bears all attempts to quash it, believes in other's goodness around us, and endures even the failure of that goodness to manifest itself.
Love, true Godly love, never fails!! Prophets can fail in their prophesy, the gift of the ability to give a convincing speech can fail in the follow through, no matter how much knowledge we may think we have, it can prove not to be knowledge at all, but misguided learning. All these “gifts” will eventually vanish away, but Love will last forever.
It requires kindness in the face of adversity despite the human instinct for retaliation.
Charity (love) doesn’t envy the position or station of others, or the blessings that others have.
It doesn’t attempt to show others how great we are, and how worthless we deem them. It is not puffed up with self-righteousness.
. Love is not expressed in an unseemly way, calling attention to an act or gift.
Charity and love are not to be given only in the expectation of it being returned in kind.
Love is not easily provoked by the less charitable acts of others.
Love doesn’t intentionally search for the evil to be found in others.
We should accept on face value what we see. That evil will manifest itself in time on its own.
Love doesn’t take joy in the misery of others, no matter how evil we may perceive them to be. Love rejoices in the truth!
That truth is in and of itself the love of God! Charity bears all attempts to quash it, believes in other's goodness around us, and endures even the failure of that goodness to manifest itself.
Love, true Godly love, never fails!! Prophets can fail in their prophesy, the gift of the ability to give a convincing speech can fail in the follow through, no matter how much knowledge we may think we have, it can prove not to be knowledge at all, but misguided learning. All these “gifts” will eventually vanish away, but Love will last forever.
The 9th verse states:
“For now we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see
through a glass, darkly; but then face
to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
While we live in this corruptible
body, we may only know love in part, it is impossible to understand completely
until we have left behind a world in which sin exists.
We may only testify to the things that we are able to comprehend, and God’s love is far more expansive than our ability to understand it.
When we are resurrected in an incorruptible body, we will finally be able to understand the immensity of God’s power and love for us.
No matter how mature we think ourselves to be, no matter how hard we try to attain God’s righteousness, we are like children in a grown up world.
Children only understand things in the context that it applies to them. They are unable to formulate that the needs of others go beyond theirs. In this way we are still children, slowly growing and learning.
A child will speak openly and honestly and sometimes hurtfully, because they can’t understand that it is hurtful. They think and understand on a different level than an adult.
Once we grow in faith and in grace, we will be more the adult that God wishes us to be. For now we may only glimpse a shadow of the power and love of our God, we may only see with these human eyes the treasures that are available to us, without comprehending their absolute true worth. Then, after the resurrection, we will be able to see, face to face, our God, our Savior Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
We will know them, and each, other through their own minds, not ours, and they will know us in the same way!!
We may only testify to the things that we are able to comprehend, and God’s love is far more expansive than our ability to understand it.
When we are resurrected in an incorruptible body, we will finally be able to understand the immensity of God’s power and love for us.
No matter how mature we think ourselves to be, no matter how hard we try to attain God’s righteousness, we are like children in a grown up world.
Children only understand things in the context that it applies to them. They are unable to formulate that the needs of others go beyond theirs. In this way we are still children, slowly growing and learning.
A child will speak openly and honestly and sometimes hurtfully, because they can’t understand that it is hurtful. They think and understand on a different level than an adult.
Once we grow in faith and in grace, we will be more the adult that God wishes us to be. For now we may only glimpse a shadow of the power and love of our God, we may only see with these human eyes the treasures that are available to us, without comprehending their absolute true worth. Then, after the resurrection, we will be able to see, face to face, our God, our Savior Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
We will know them, and each, other through their own minds, not ours, and they will know us in the same way!!
For the time being, the closest we
may come to that glorious day is through the love we share with Jesus, and through Him ,with
our fellow man.
This is why we must try to overcome our humanity and teach others of the availability of Salvation through the only Savior available to humankind. We do this best by showing His love in our lives. Pray, witness, Love!
This is why we must try to overcome our humanity and teach others of the availability of Salvation through the only Savior available to humankind. We do this best by showing His love in our lives. Pray, witness, Love!
For now I close with the same
salutation of love in the name of the only Savior this sinner saved by grace
will ever need, still only a lowly soldier in His service,
2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
In JESUS name,
Amen and Amen.
the Wayfarer
the Wayfarer
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