Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 38 – October 1992

 

The Love That Works

 

Sermon by Rev. J. Vanderreest on 1.Corinthians 13

Reading: 1Corinthians 13, 1John 4:11-24

 

Brothers, sisters, young people; Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who has not been shocked by the rioting, looting and burning that recently took place in the American city of Los Angeles?  The acquittal of the four white policemen was like a spark which ignited a powder keg.  And it was not just Los Angeles.  A whole host of American cities were up in arms.  And why?  Because anger – pent-up anger was unleashed and let loose.  Hatred broke through the thin layers of cultural veneer; deep-seated anger and hatred broke through the barriers of decency and law to erupt in violence and rebellion.

What hurt and pain it inflicted on tens of thousands of people!  Think, for a moment, of the innumerable people who were living in fear and fright.

And what will it bring?  What will be the repercussions even on a world scale?  What will it do for the rights of the black people in South Africa?  If this sort of rioting is possible in USA, the white people of South Africa must be very scared, being outnumbered 3 or 5 to 1.  Many of the whites will argue: ‘If this is possible in USA, we must make sure that it will never happen here.”  What happened in Los Angeles will mean a set-back for human rights in South Africa.

We, in Australia, of course can feel safe.  Well, we have an aboriginal problem, but it is small in proportion.  And so we can return to the order of the day, feeling secure and forget the whole issue.

But is that the right attitude?  Shouldn’t we ask ourselves: ‘Is hatred not also possible in our personal lives?  Could anger and hatred break through the surface of decency and erupt into violence, harassment and abuse?

Apparently, judging from the number of cases of physical and emotional abuse in our society, we don’t seem to be as peaceful and loving as we would like to appear.

How come?  Because of anger!

And anger is usually the result of a lack of love, concern and care.
Every person needs love!
Every person needs to receive love!
And every person needs to give love!

In 1Cor.13, the apostle Paul wrote that beautiful chapter on love.  We want to listen to this chapter and look at some of the things that the Word of God is teaching us.  There are three sections in this chapter.

1.  All or nothing (vs.1-3)

Paul makes some remarkable statements in 1Cor.13.  We could say that in verses 1-3 Paul is saying: It is all or nothing!  Either we love, or we are nothing!  Either we do things in love or they are worth nothing.

It is a very strong statement to make!

Nothing has any value unless we do it in love!

We can give thousands to the poor, but if it is not in love, it is useless!  We can sacrifice ourselves, work ourselves to the bone, but if there is no love it results in nothing!

Even if we have a faith that can move mountains, but fail to love, we are nothing!

What Paul is saying is: to love is of the utmost importance.

Faith without love is of little use; it is an empty faith.

Hard work without love has little effect.

Lots of talk and lots of words without love get us nowhere!

It is true, is it not?

It is so true of our relationships too, is it not?

Being married without love is like living in a shell.  It means utter loneliness!

Having children without loving them is creating monsters!

Having brothers and sisters without loving them leaves us with cold relationships.

If I don’t have love – says Paul – I am like a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  I am off beat; off key; out of tune!  Yes, it may be a lot of noise!  But it is hard to listen to!

2.  Love never fails (Vs.4-7)

In the second section of 1Cor.13, Paul says the same in reverse.  He says it positively.  Love never fails.  The verses 4-7 give us a catalogue of all the things that love is and can do!

Love always helps, always works, with love one cannot go wrong!

Do you know what the problem is with a subject like love?  The problem is that everybody always agrees!  Have you ever come across people who say we should love less?  When we say: ‘There should be more love between people’ – everybody agrees!  Or when one says: ‘We should love each other more as brothers and sisters’ – we all agree!

But Paul wasn’t writing some beautiful poetry or prose in order that everybody would agree that this is something that others should do.  He is saying that we should take a look at ourselves, examine your own life and see whether you have come to love like this?

In fact Paul is saying: if you want to be a person like this, you have to sit on yourself!  You have to learn self-control!  You have to learn to reign in your temper, your anger, your selfish desires.  You have to come to terms with your own sinful, egocentric nature.

Paul didn’t say these things so that we would just agree; but that we would start to do some hard work on ourselves!

3.  Love keeps us humble (Vs.8-13)

That is why Paul says in the next section that love always keeps us humble.  For if we start to work on ourselves and try to exercise more self-control; try a little harder to be more patient and kind, less proud and boastful and more forgiving, then we realise that we have enough work for a life-time.  In fact we realise that we will never finish working on ourselves.  That will keep us humble, says Paul!

Then I come to realise that I only know in part.

Then I will realise that my knowledge is not unlimited, but very limited!

Then we will acknowledge that we are very much imperfect, not perfect.

Then we will realise that there is always room
            to grow!
            to improve!
            to become more loving!

That is the point of time when we will realise that the picture we have of ourselves is very much a poor reflection of what we ought to be.

Paul uses a very nice illustration for this.

He talks about a mirror.  Now we need to realise that Paul is talking about a different sort of mirror that we have today.  In fact the mirror of today defeats Paul’s point.  Our mirrors are so clear that indeed when we look in them we see a true reflection of our physical appearance.  But not so the mirrors of Paul’s days.

In those days a mirror consisted of some polished metal.  The advantage was they were unbreakable, but the disadvantage was that one could hardly see a reflection.  It gave only a very dim reflection.

I wonder how the ladies would fare if they would have to put on their makeup today with a mirror of polished metal?

Paul is saying, that the picture we have of ourselves is not a true picture; it is but a dim reflection of what we ought to be!  We can still improve by miles.  We never reach perfection here on earth, and we need to keep on working on ourselves so that we grow in love and become more Christ-like.

4.  The perfect gift

That is why Paul calls love the greatest gift, because love helps us to become like Christ.  We can only become like him when we exercise love in the self-sacrificing way Christ did.

Christ Jesus came and offered himself so that we could be set free from the penalty of sin.  Christ was crucified and arose on the third day so that by faith we can participate in the new life.  But that new life needs love.  That new life that the Holy Spirit gives us by faith and helps us to love also needs love.

The most remarkable thing about 1Cor.13, congregation, is it’s place.  It stands between chapters 12 and 14.  It comes right in the middle of the subject of worship and spiritual gifts.  It comes right in the middle of the discussion of church and the gifts people have received from the Holy Spirit.  And apparently in Corinth there was some discussion and rivalry about which gifts were more important than others.

But Paul says, look at Jesus Christ!  He has taught what love really means.  Love means to look past yourself to others!  Love means to give sacrificially without end to others!

For without love you are nothing.  Oh, you may have received, through the Spirit, plenty of gifts and talents, but without love you remain poor!  But with love you can never fail, because love keeps you humble.

Love keeps us on our toes, love keeps us working on ourselves.  Love is the perfect gift.

Pray for that gift, congregation.

Cultivate that gift, congregation, in your life of faith!

Cultivate that gift of love, brothers and sisters, in your own life!

For if we want to avoid riots and looting in the streets of our Australian cities, we will have to commence at home.  We will have to learn ‘to love’ at home!  And if we want to avoid outbursts of anger, violence and the abuse of our sons and daughters, we will have to start with self- discipline and love in our own lives.

We need to learn to love.

And keep on learning the whole of our life.

Keep on learning from God, who in his love gave his Son,

Jesus Christ, as an eternal gift of love.

AMEN