Epiphany Week 4

Psalm: Psalm 71:1-6

Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Gospel: Luke 4:21-30

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

I am still a week behind on my posts so I am reflecting on these passages right before Valentine's Day. So it is appropriate that today we read the "Love Chapter" as it is called from 1 Cor.  We have also already looked at the Gospel verses last week when I included them in our Gospel reading, so we don't need to go over them again.

The first thing we have to do is place this reading in the context of the Corinthian Epistle. Chapter 13 is in the middle of a discussion concerning spiritual gifts. Paul begins ch. 12 with these words, "Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this." He goes on to talk about things such as prophecy, teaching, healing, miracle working, and speaking in tongues.

He bookmarks these words by emphasizing the unity that is still found within the church. At the offset he says that there are many gifts, but only one Spirit. (vs. 4) and at the conclusion of the chapter he delivers a well-known section concerning the "Body" of Christ. (12-30) Just as each member of the human body is important, from the toe all the way up to the hairs on our head, so is each member of the Body of Christ. The foot can't say it doesn't need the hand, nor the head say it can get along without the neck! So too, each person in the Body of Christ, the church, is necessary to how the whole thing functions.

The implications are clear: those who teach needs those who heal, those who prophesy still need the administrators, and those who speak in tongues need those who interpret them. All are vital and of value in the life of the church. But, and this is a huge but, (hold in the chuckles here) Paul wants to make one thing clear: nothing in the Body of Christ happens without love. Healing, prophesying, miracles, and speaking in tongues are all great, but Paul wants us to "earnestly desire the greater gifts." (31) These are later defined as faith, hope, and love. (13:13) Of these three however, it is love that trumps all else. "The more excellent way" as he says in the last verse of chapter 12.

I will just briefly say that in chapter 14 he returns again to the idea of spiritual gifts and exhort his readers to pursue them. But the main point he makes even here is that spiritual gifts are to be done for the edification of the church. Seven times a form of the word edification is used in ch. 14. Spiritual gifts are never to be self-serving or self-glorifying. Rather they are always for the purpose of building up those in the Body of Christ.

It is in this context that chapter 13 stands out as an exaltation of love in the purest sense. These 13 verses can of course be pulled out of their context, as they often are, to teach and reprove us in how we live.  They can be placed on pictures and given at people’s wedding. Indeed, In poetic and beautiful language, Paul reminds us that love is so much more than just romantic feelings, obligation, or reciprocity. Love is the binding characteristic that holds the everything together for the follower of Christ. Nothing else is as important as this one thing. It might also be said that nothing else is as difficult to do. But placed within the context of chapters 12 and 14 in 1 Cor., I think the message is heightened and brought straight into the specific life of the church. In all of our relationships between leadership and laity, those in the choir and the sound booth, the custodial crew and the Jr. High group, the college group and the senior-age group, everything is to be done out of our love for Christ and each other!

This is one message that is not hard to understand or convey. Love God, Love others. But it is equally one that has to be interpreted and understood in every context. We can never stop asking how do I love in this situation. We can never stop growing in love. Just when we think we have love figured out, an individual throws us a curveball and our ego has to be checked, and we struggle to respond in love. Love is always about relationships and as such it is never one-and-done. You can't get the answer to love and then you’re good for the next 10 years. Rather, each and every day in each and every interaction, the choice is the same, will I interact in love or will I seek my self-interest, my betterment, my glory.

In this endeavor we can have success and continue to grow only as we are in relationship to the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit. We can’t hope to love in the most difficult circumstances without the Spirit’s presence in our lives. May we pursue God and grow in our relationship with him, and in doing so, may our love for our fellow humanity, as well as for all creation, grow. May it be so.

Grace and Peace.