9/27/26 “What is Love?”
“What is Love?”
1 Corinthians 13
One of the most fascinating parts of God’s created universe is....light.
Light itself is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is both a wave....and a particle.
....It acts like a wave during travel...then acts like a stream of tiny little energy packets – called photons – when it hits matter.
Light travels faster than anything else in the universe...even faster than Marlene on her lawn mower!
Light bends when it passes from one transparent substance into another....such as air into water - or glass
In fact...one of the most interesting experiments with light is when you shoot a beam into an optical prism
Have you ever seen one of these?
(Show Prism Picture)
An optical prism is a clear glass or plastic block with angled surfaces used to bend – or “split” light.
When light goes from air into a prism, it slows down and bends...this is called refraction...
Then...because the different colors that make up white light actually bend at different angles....we are able to literally see these various colors as independent of one another...
....much like examining the individual colors of a rainbow.
Today’s passage of scripture....one of the most beloved chapters in the entire Bible – deals with the various attributes – or, “colors”, if you will - of love....
Chapter 13 is sort of like shooting a beam of love into a spiritual prism....then being able to observe its individual components...
But...Before we begin analyzing the various components of love...let’s back up second to remind ourselves of the context in which Paul is writing this chapter...
If you recall, chapter 12 looked at the various spiritual gifts that are distributed amongst believers....
...and how the usage of these gifts are meant to encourage the body of Christ...as well as to maintain a spirit of unity within the Church.
At the end of chapter 12, Paul segways into chapter 13 by reminding his readers that – as good as spiritual gifts are – there is something far more important...
...something - more excellent.
1 Corinthians 12:31 says “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts, and yet I will show you the most excellent way.”
Gifts are great...but love is greater!
Gifts are useful...but if they are utilized in the absence of love....they are useless.
The first 3 verses of chapter 13 continue this theme of the superiority of love over all else.
Paul is using hyperbole – statements of exaggeration – here in verses 1 through 3 to drive home the point regarding the necessity of love in the life of the believer...
In verse 1 (1 Corinthians 13:1) Paul says that using the gift of tongues without love is like listening to a clanging cymbal or gong....
Well...Paul is saying here that the use of a gift – such as speaking in tongues – without love....is like listening to a very hollow and annoying sound.
It would be like going to a concert and listening to a long cowbell solo...
....Imagine having to endure 3 minutes of nothing but cowbell with no music to accompany it....talk about unproductive....not to mention irritating!
Like a cowbell needing a band to be effective....spiritual gifts need love to be effective.
In verses 2 and 3 (1 Corinthians 13:2-3) Paul continues this theme of the supremacy of love....
He talks about being able to fathom all mysteries...understand all things...possess perfect faith....attain a level of flawless benevolent...
...obviously - as fallible human beings – we cannot achieve these things this side of heaven...
But Paul’s point is that – even if we could be all-knowing, all-holy, and perfectly selfless – we would be nothing without love.
Think about that for a second.
You could do wonderful things for other people....and amazing things for God’s kingdom...but if they’re done without love in your heart....your efforts are in vain...
What a convicting statement!
Well...at this point I think it's important that we define the kind of love we are dealing with before we look at its specific components.
Here in modern-day America, we use the word ‘love’ to describe our affection for everything from butter burgers to our spouse...
I ‘love’ Lisa....and I also ‘love’ Culver’s.
Now...hopefully there’s some sort of difference in meaning between those two conceptions of the word love, right?
(Lisa’s like....there had better be a difference! 😊 )
Well...yes...there is.
Lisa means a whole lot more to me than a juicy slab of beef!....even if it is grilled to perfection.... 😊
Well...Back in the 1st century, the Greeks actually had 3 different words for love – depending on the context in which it was being used.
‘Eros’ was used to describe romantic love...think honeymoon.
‘Philia’ was used to describe a close friendship...someone with whom you don’t begin your texts with “Hello __________” .... you just start writing...no need for formalities....you know each other very well....
But the love that’s being described here in chapter 13 is that of ‘Agape’ love...
Agape love describes a selfless love that demands something from us....
...it demands sacrifice.
...it demands putting the welfare of others before that of our own
...it demands far more than mere sentiment....it requires loving action with absolutely no expectation of reciprocity.
...it even demands that we extend compassion and grace toward our enemies!
If you haven’t guessed already...Agape love is very unnatural to humanity...
If you doubt that....Just hop on social media for a few minutes...
Our natural tendency is to extend love to someone else only when there’s something in it for us....when we receive some sort of benefit in exchange for our loving actions...
Extending humble, self-less, sacrificial compassion – especially toward someone we don’t like – is NOT what we want to think of when we think of love...
When we hear the word love, we typically think of those relationships with family or close friends where there is a give-and-take of compassionate responsibilities...
...For instance, those of you who are married (or have been married) ....when you made that oath before God to selflessly love your spouse....
....Be honest...did you truly understand what you were pledging?
...Did you realize that you were swearing to selflessly love your spouse... regardless of whether they loved you in return?
We typically don’t think about marital vows in this light, do we....
Many times, we think about marriage as sort of a contract...a legal document....”You do your part and I’ll do mine”
At a wedding ceremony...In many people’s minds, they are committing to an eros love where they want marriage to be an endless honeymoon....
...Or even a philia love where we envision a matrimonial friendship...
....complete with unspoken – but expected - responsibilities and obligations placed upon each partner...
Very few people truly understand that this passage of scripture...one that is heard at almost every wedding...is not speaking of eros or philia love....
...It’s talking about agape love.... sacrificial love.... selfless love...altruistic love.
So...as we examine the prismatic spectrum of love’s attributes throughout the remainder of this chapter...keep in mind that we are dealing with this agape form of love.
In a way, we are examining...Jesus...since he was the fleshly embodiment of love.
Verse 4 begins with describing love as patient.
Boy...we could do an entire sermon on patience, couldn’t we....maybe even an entire sermon series!
It’s fitting that the first “color” of love....is - for most people – the most difficult to master...
The Greek word for patience literally means ‘Long-Tempered’...
....it means having the ability to be inconvenienced by someone without getting angry or upset...
...and...specifically....it carries with it the ability to refrain from enacting vengeance on someone when given the opportunity to do so...
Our culture – as well as most societies throughout history – LOVES vengeance.
The idea of personally enacting justice upon someone who has wronged you in some way is just.... intrinsically satisfying....at least to our flesh.
I’ll admit, it’s easy to get caught up in stories of vengeance.
I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite movies is ““The Count of Monte Cristo”
It’s so satisfying to see Edmond Dontes enact vengeance upon the people who wronged him in the past....
...and yet...at the end of the story....Edmond realizes that vengeance never satisfied him like he thought it would....
...what he eventually found most satisfying was being reunited with his long-lost fiancé, Mercedes....
Vengeance didn’t satisfy....but love did.
The second “color” of love is that of kindness.
Just as patience will take anything from others...kindness will give anything to others...even to its enemies.
The Greek word for kindness carries with it the idea of service, usefulness, and graciousness.
Kindness not only feels generous...it IS generous.
It not only desires the best for others...it WORKS for the betterment of others.
The place where kindness is tested the most is in the home....
With those people living under the same roof....
It’s usually easy to be patient and kind with strangers...or acquaintances...
But to be consistently patient and kind with immediate family requires a special kind of Holy-Spirit-Powered act of the will.
...and yet, we are told in scripture....as believers...we have access to this power.
If your spiritual antenna is positioned properly....supernatural kindness will naturally – and consistently - flow out of your life ...
....Even to those very familiar family members who know exactly how to push your buttons.
The next color of Love is that of not envying others....or being jealous of what others have...
Envy (or jealousy) takes 2 forms....
One form says, “I want what someone else has”....
If someone has a better car than I do....I want it.
If someone is praised for something....I want those same accolades for myself
The other – and even worse - form of jealousy says, “I wish they didn’t have what they have”
...this form of jealousy is more than selfish, it is actually desiring evil for someone else.
Jealousy is a monster in the lives of many people...including some Christians.
We can get caught up in the worldly idea that we “deserve” what other people have in their lives....even if we haven't put forth the same effort to acquire some of these things.
....or maybe it’s just the circumstances of our lives that cause us to envy others.
Remember the biblical story of the woman who lost her baby....and became jealous of another woman whose baby was still alive....
so she steals the other woman’s baby....and later appeared before King Solomon who – in his wisdom – was able to determine who the true mother was...
Well. ...the envious woman didn’t have any control over the loss of her baby
....Yet, the tragedy of losing her own child did not give her license to be envious of someone else who had not experienced the same kind of misfortune...
...especially the level of envy that drove her to commit the crime of stealing someone else’s child!
Agape love knows nothing of envy....because it understands that – at the end of the day – none of us deserve anything at all...
...and that every blessing in life – even the “Little” ones....are gifts from God...
...Gifts that we need to be grateful for on a regular basis.
The next color hue of love is that of not boasting.
Some of your translations say “brag”
Do you know anyone who consistently brags about themselves?
....aren’t they fun to be around?....not really.
Boasting (or bragging) is the other side of jealousy.
Jealousy is wanting what someone else has.
Bragging is trying to make others jealous of what we have.
It seems the Corinthian believers had an issue with boasting about their perceived accomplishments.
They took pride in their own abilities rather than acknowledging God for giving them their gifts and talents....
C.S. Lewis called bragging “The Utmost Evil”
It is the epitome of pride...which is the root of all sin.
Bragging puts ourselves first....and everyone else – including God – below us in importance.
When you think about it...bragging is just....for lack of a better word....stupid.
Its stupid because no matter what you accomplish...what you achieve...
There will always be someone who has accomplished more...someone who has achieved more...someone who has reached a level of success beyond what you will ever reach.
Think about Jesus...God in the flesh! ....if anyone had a right to brag...it would be Jesus...
And yet....he never boasted about anything.
He remained humble...gracious....meek.
Not only does boasting make someone unfun to be around...it reveals a heart full of pride....based in an illegitimate and elevated view of their own abilities and self-importance....
True agape love never stoops to the level of boasting.
Our next color of love is similar....Love is not proud.
Pride, or arrogance, is the original sin.
It’s the original sin of Lucifer prior to his being cast out of heaven....
And its the original sin of humanity....prior to Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden.
Pride is the foundation of every other sin...because pride is placing our own wants and desires above that of everything – and everyone – else....including God.
Pride is not only wanting material things, status, power, and praise....but its also believing that we deserve material things, status, power, and praise.
Humility – of course – is the opposite of pride.
And probably the best examples of humility in the Bible are those of Jonothan in the OT...and John the Baptist in the NT.
The two “Johns”
One graciously supported the man who was anointed to be the next king of Israel...even though Jonothan was in line for the throne himself...
The other John (John the Baptist)....understood that Jesus’ ministry needed to become more relevant than his own....”He must increase...but I must decrease” was John’s motto after Jesus was publicly revealed.
That is the attitude of Agape love.
Our next color of love is that of not dishonoring others.
Some of your translations may say “Does not act unbecomingly”
Wow...there’s a word we don’t use much anymore....” Unbecomingly”
If someone is unbecoming, they are inconsiderate.....they have terrible manners...they act rudely.
This is huge when it comes to our witness to the world....
How many times have you heard someone say they were turned off to the gospel because of the rudeness of someone claiming to be a Christian...
Always keep this in mind when dealing with others....no matter who they are.
We are to reflect the love of Christ to everyone we meet.
Agape love is much more than good manners...but it is never less than good manners.
Next we have the color of not being self-seeking.
There’s an inscription on a tombstone in a small English village that reads “Here lies a miser who lived for himself....and cared for nothing but gathering wealth...Now where he is or how he fares...nobody knows, and nobody cares.”
That’s a pretty harsh statement...but it carries a good deal of truth.
Paul chastises the Corinthian believers for being too self-seeking...especially in the usage of their spiritual gifts....
Everyone was trying to acquire the flashy gifts of healing... miracles...and tongues...just to show off...
They had no real concern for building each other up....or using what gifts they naturally had for the encouragement of the entire body...
Agape Love is not preoccupied with its own desires....but with the needs of others...
Our next love color is that of NOT becoming easily angered.
Basically....A loving person keeps their cool.
....Even if they are Irish!
I’ve heard certain people say that they are born with a natural temper because of their ethnicity...or genetic makeup.
...and that this somehow gives them a pass when it comes to getting angry at the drop of a hat.
Well....nice try.
It’s basically a way of saying “I really don’t have free will....free will to control my temper in stressful situations”....
But we all have free will....otherwise - if we didn’t - Jesus wouldn’t give us commands to obey him....and expect us to follow them....
....at the end of the day...we need to remember that agape love has authority over our emotions...including anger.
Our next color is similar, Love keeps no record of wrongs.
My son-in-law Logan is an accountant....and accountants deal with ledger sheets that are meant to balance income against expenses....
And....as a business owner for 20 years, I know the importance of keeping accurate – and permanent - records concerning funds that come in....and funds that go out.
But in God’s economy of grace....things are very different.
We are never to keep a personal balance sheet of wrongs committed against us....ever.
Remember those little bottles of ‘White-out’?....the stuff that people used before re-typing and re-printing became so convenient?
Well....as believers...we all need to have a large bottle of spiritual white-out when it comes to erasing those deeds done against us in the “I’m offended” column....
Sometimes it’s not easy to break the seal on that particular bottle...
...But Agape love requires that we do just that...
The final color of love that is written from the negative perspective is this: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Do we see anybody delighting in evil in our world these days?
....yeah....pretty much anywhere we look, right?
It seems that Romans 1:25 is unfolding right before our very eyes...
People are exchanging the truth about God for a lie....
Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4;3 ring true now more than ever before, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
There are a whole lot of itching ears out there today...even within the realm of professed Christianity.
Agape love has no time for Satan’s lies and deception.
Rather...Agape love rejoices in the truth of God’s Word....
...His timeless, infallible, inerrant, immutable Word.
Agape love is having a perfect balance of compassion and truth....empathy and discernment....sympathy and spiritual veracity.
In verse 7 (1 Corinthians 13:7) Paul lists some attributes of agape love from the positive point of view.
“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
What a beautiful summary of agape love!
This kind of love protects the dignity of others....it believes in the best in others....and the best outcome for others...
This kind of love still holds on to the promises of God in the face of great discouragement....
This kind of love literally endures forever...
...because this is the kind of love that we will experience in heaven....the kind of perfect love that flows – and will always flow - from the throne of God.
This is why Paul ends this incredible chapter with those famous words in verse 13 (1 Corinthians 13:13) “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Love is the greatest because – as scripture tells us – God Himself IS love.
....And - until the day we experience agape love with Him in heaven – He calls us to be agape love to those around us.
So...let’s go out and love...like God loves.
Lets’s pray.
