5.01.2009

love.

Chapter 13 might be the most wonderful literature in history. After all Paul has dealt with in this letter, after all his frustration, correction, and teaching, he wants the Corinthians to understand this one thing; love. He wants them to be united as one body, the body of Christ, and this is how that solidarity is achieved; love.

In everything they do, in everything they strive for, in all of their differences, and all the ways they try to get things “right”, it’s all meaningless without love.

One writer even says, “God is love.” (I Jn. 4:16)
Jesus sums up the central theme of the scripture, “love God, and love others”. (Matt. 22:37)

Love is absolutely essential for a follower of Jesus, and this is why we continue to stress loving people with no strings attached.

And so the other day I helped take the food from the MMCC food drive down to Living Water Fellowship. Some men from the discipleship house came out to help unload the groceries. These men are rough men, many rehabbing from addictions and a wrecked life. They were overwhelmed with the amount of food being organized for distribution.
One man asked me, “Why are you all so generous?”
And I got to tell him, “Because we love you.”
And he said, “but you don’t even know us.”
And I responded, “It doesn’t matter, God knows you, and so we love you.”

We are fully known by God, and he still loves us. (vs .12)
love.
An activity we do with our students:
Look at verses 4-7, anytime you see the word love, replace it with your name. _________________ is patient. __________________ is kind.
Can you still read these verses with your name replacing love? Will it still be true?

3 comments:

  1. Ouch, your tough Jared!
    This is what we're going through in the Ladies Bible Study, Too.

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  2. P.S. Thanks for doing a personal blog site just for me!

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  3. Okay, I know I'm at my limit....
    But, I wanted to share another note from my Bible. 13:4-7 "Our society confuses love and lust." I've been becoming keenly aware of the contrast. "Unlike lust, God's kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return." (No strings attached.) "Thus, the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others."
    v 13 "...Love involves unselfish service to others; to show it gives evidence that you care. Faith is the foundation and content of God's message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God loves."

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