|
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
The Rev. Carol S. Wedell
Some things never seem to go out of date - at least not entirely. Last time I was at Geauga Lake, I am sure that in the arcade section, I saw an old-fashioned "Love Test." I'm guessing that many of you may know what I'm referring to. It's not a high-tech electronic device, to be sure. Quite the opposite! You squeeze the handgrip. The more tightly you squeeze, the more lights show up. Theoretically, the more lights that show up, the more loveable you are - ranging from "loser" to "red-hot"!
While a small sign on it surely indicates, "for amusement only," apparently it generates enough income to secure its place among the more glamorous games. It's kind of amazing, when you think about it. We all know that it's just for fun, that you can't measure love by a handgrip. Still, there is something that draws people to the idea that we can measure our love-appeal. (With credit to Carlos Wilton, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Series VII, Cycle C, page 76).
Our epistle lesson for this morning offers a different kind of "love test." In one of the most familiar passages in the Bible, the Apostle Paul offers a way to measure love. Please remember, while these words are read at the majority of weddings, the original context had nothing to do with the love a couple may have for one another. In part, I chose to preach on this passage this morning to reclaim the text for all of us!
Paul is writing to a local church - one that he started. As we acknowledged last week, the church at Corinth was in conflict. There was infighting about just about everything. Some folks were focused entirely on an ecstatic religious experience and thought they were better than the others. The rest of the folks didn't know what to make of it. So, as people often do when they don't fully understand something, they went on the offensive. They bickered. They gossiped. They thought the worst about each other - and let their thoughts be known. It was not a pretty picture.
Word gets back to Paul, which prompts him to write to the congregation. In beautiful language, Paul tries to tell them what it means to be the living body of Christ in the world. He focuses on the word "love." Some of you know that the Greek word that Paul uses for "love" has nothing to do with romantic love. The Greek language acknowledged that there are many types of love, using different words for each type. English lumps them all together.
"Agape" is the type of love of which Paul speaks in this flowing passage. "Agape" is a self-less, self-giving love, that seeks the good of the other, without consideration of what will be gotten in return. Quite simply, it is the kind of love that God showed us through Jesus.
What I love about this passage, is how starkly practical it is. In many ways, it would be more appropriate for a 50th wedding anniversary than for a wedding - for it clearly acknowledges the challenges inherent in love lived out. More specifically, it's really about love lived out among members of the body of Christ - among church members. It's about figuring out how to live together in community.
In the prior chapter which we read last week, Paul reminds them that as the body of Christ, they need the gifts and abilities of each member. Now he suggests that the measure of each of those gifts is love, agape love.
So Paul's words are particularly appropriate for this morning, as we ordain and install new officers, and gather for our annual meeting following worship. To be sure, we are not a church "in conflict." One of the things that drew me to Church of the Western Reserve was that it wasn't riddled with historic and ongoing tension, as too many of our churches are. There are no major divisions, no skeletons in the closet. The longevity of each of our pastors, as well as the stability of membership underscores our essential health.
Yet even having said that, listen to some of the comments I have heard:
"I'm shocked that someone would act like that in church." "I expected more from church members." "I can't believe he/she said that."
Even in a healthy church, someone said a hurtful word or made a thoughtless comment, someone failed to follow through or acted arrogantly, someone lost their temper or didn't say thank you or left someone out, someone took more than their share or gossiped or whined, or......wait a minute. I've done every one of those things at some point or another - haven't you?
Love is patient and kind, it is not envious or boastful, not arrogant or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way. It's not irritable or resentful. How do you measure up? I'll speak for myself and say that even on a good day, I would probably flunk the test. Candidly, the standards are very high.
If we're honest, we know that we have a very tough time living out the kind of love of which Paul speaks. Like every other gathering of people, church folks blow it - and we're no exception. Much as we would like it to be otherwise, the same flaws we see in people at work or school show up here, as well.
You can understand why we would rather keep Paul's words in the "beautiful poetry" category, and avoid applying them to our lives. His words highlight just how far most of us have to go. As Paul delineates the characteristics of love, we begin to realize the limits of our human capacity to love fully.
It's true: we can't measure up. Not on our own. We all flunk Paul's love test. Only one person ever passed it. The love which Paul describes we see perfectly embodied in Jesus. Love looks like Jesus as he touched and embraced the untouchables. Love sounds like Jesus as he called the children to himself and declared them the most important people in the kingdom. Love lived out acts like Jesus eating with those everyone else despised.
Yet hard as we might try, such love is humanly impossible. We cannot fully love those who are closest to us, much less everyone else. In truth, we struggle even to love ourselves. But notice at the conclusion of this morning's lesson, Paul's words, "for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now we know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Cor. 13:12).
Friends, this is the good news: God sees us - I mean, really sees us, knows us - fully knows us and loves us still! Even when we fail every test in the book. That includes every one of you here. Because we are assured of that love, we can dare to look back in the mirror and see ourselves, know ourselves and begin to love and accept ourselves. When we begin that to do the depths of our soul, then we can begin to make agape love real in our lives.
God's love is what enables us to try to imitate the kind of love we saw lived out in Jesus. God's grace reminds us that even when we blow it again -as we will even before today is over - that the love which Paul described is still our goal. We will spend our whole lives striving to grow toward that kind of love.
In the meantime, here's what we are to do: seek to live love out. God calls us to action - not merely words. Even when we don't feel particularly loving toward someone, even when we are irritated, frustrated or tired, those of us who are a part of the body of Christ are called to make love real in our actions.
For in the end, love is all that really matters. Last week at our Session retreat, that answer came up twice - unsolicited! In small groups, we were all asked to answer the question, "How would you like to be remembered?" With minor variations, the most common answer was this, "As one who loved well..." Later when we looked at the most basic foundation of our life together as a congregation, the answer resounded: we were a community of faith grounded in the love of God whom we know through Jesus Christ.
I have shared with you the current tension and conflict within our denomination. Clearly, we are having a difficult time living together as the body of Christ. Last Monday, at a meeting of our Presbytery (which is a gathering of pastors and elders from Presbyterian congregations in Northeastern Ohio), there were two moments when I saw signs of the love of God being lived out.
First, a pastor stood up to thank the Presbytery for the love and support he had received during a recent illness. But he said much more than "thank you." He explained that he had experienced what it meant to be a part of the body of Christ. That's noteworthy, as he is among those who have expressed the greatest distress about the actions of the most recent general assembly. Yet many of those who totally disagree with him were right there for him in his need. His local colleagues moderated his session, and visited his members. Cards, calls, prayers, and food overflowed. Love was lived out.
Then later on, two clergy members of Presbytery came forward to share their story. I'll be honest. Having been a member of this Presbytery for over 16 years, even watching the two of them approach the microphone at the same time was noteworthy. Truly, they represent polar opposites on the theological spectrum. As it turns out, over 5 years ago, they began meeting together. Trust me, it's not because they think alike on much of anything! But they decided to get to know each other. They weren't trying to change each other's minds. They were simply seeking understanding and common ground in Christ. They wrote to the Presbytery urging us to find ways of speaking with each other during times of conflict. Love was lived out.
One of my online colleagues paraphrased Paul this way:
What if I could stand up here and say the most wonderful things,
and sound impressive
and answer everyone's questions,
but I didn't love anyone - what would be the point?
What if we were the most incredible church
where every pew was filled
the preaching was always inspirational
we had a choir that always sang perfectly
and served the best coffee in town
but no one felt love - what would be the point?
And if as a community we teach our children
lots of information and knowledge
and they can recite the books of the Bible
and know all the right answers
but they don't know how to love, we've failed them.
Love is kindness in action, offered simply and humbly.
Love is not meant to make me look good, score brownie points with God,
or draw attention to ourselves.
Love is co-operative;
there are all kinds of ways of doing good
and God is happy to use every way there is.
Love only cares that what's needed is done;
love has the best interests of the other in mind.
Sometimes we grow weary and give up -
we can't think of what else can be done.
But God never gives up;
God's love continues and new possibilities are always appearing.
What we know now is never the whole picture.
What we do now is never the whole story.
In some ways we're like children:
we do what we can and what we know to this point.
But there's still more for us to learn,
to grow into,
to accept.
In some ways, it's like looking in an imperfect mirror.
There's a reflection there,
but it's not quite right,
not totally true.
We are the body of Christ, the image of God -
but not perfectly,
not completely,
not totally truly ..
not yet.
The day will come when we will see.
The day will come when we will know.
Until then, we live in faith, trusting God's love.
Until then, we live in hope, hoping for God's love.
Until then, we live in love, showing God's love as best we can.
because love is the point of it all.
(adapted by Rev. Brian Donst from a Loaves and Fishes resource sheet, Wood Lake Books, 1998)
|
