Nothing Matters without Love - May 8 Readings: 1 Corinthians 13

Today’s Readings

Context

An ironic rebuke, 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most familiar scriptures. It describes the love of God and the love we are to have for one another - a love that is not squishy, tolerant of sin, or weak. It is a gritty love that is based in actions that mimic the love of Christ.

It is given as a direct contrast to the self-serving focus on gifts that was prevalent in Corinth. Paul's more "excellent way" is about demonstrating your spirituality by living out the love and service of Christ, not showing off with flashy gifts and manifestations.

This kind of love never fails. 

Devotional - Nothing Matters without Love

How do you respond when you are attacked, mistreated, or abused by another. It is painful and difficult, and our fleshly response is to fight fire with fire. Yes, our government should enforce justice in this world, but as Christians, we have different weapons with which to fight the spiritual fight in this world. 1 Corinthians 13 describes God's primary weapon - love. When the world rebelled against him and fought his Lordship, he responded with love. And in 1 Corinthians 13 he reminds us that no matter what we do in life, if our lives are not marked by love, they will matter for nothing.

The first three verses are amazing, when you think of what they assert are meaningless without love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

The preceding chapter was a corrective about the Corinthians fascination with tongues and other spectacular gifts. But Paul says if you can display the most amazing spiritual giftings (speaking in the tongues of men and angels) but have not love, it's like a loud, annoying cymbal solo. Meaningless noise. If you have prophetic gifts and insights into all the mysteries of God, but you do not live in God's love, or if you have the faith to work miracles that would wow the world, but you do not love others, all your wisdom and all your miraculous power is in vain. Even if you give all your earthly goods away or become a martyr for Christ, but you do it out of selfish motives, not out of a love for Christ and others, there is no reward. All of this is empty and without value unless love is the motive.

The rest of the chapter goes on to define love as Christlike actions - patience, kindness, forgiveness - all those things that Christ did. When we live in Christ, his love works through us to change the lives around us. We can make more of an impact on the world through the love of Christ than in any other way. It behooves us to remember the words that Paul ended this chapter with.

The greatest of these is love.

Father, may my life not be marked by wisdom or rhetoric alone, but by your love displayed to others day by day. 

Think and Pray

Is the love of Christ the marker of your life?
Where is it that you fail the most in demonstrating the love of Christ?
Remember that unless love is the marker of your life, it will count for nothing.