Sermons

Sun, Jan 30, 2022

They'll know we are Christians...

Series:Sermons
Duration:12 mins 41 secs

Who doesn’t love a good wedding?

Despite all of the planning––

which can all come to naught in these pandemic times;

despite all of the costs––

which can be exorbitant;

despite all of the tensions and strains…

and all of the hassles of deciding at which table to sit that annoying relative;

a wedding really is unlike any other day.

It’s full of laughter and smiles, and the odd tear of joy…

flowers and fine dresses…

families gathered in glad celebration…

and the wonder of two people looking deeply into each other’s eyes…

as, together, they dream dreams for their future.

It’s hard not to get swept along in all of the emotions.

For many of us, it was probably the happiest day of our lives.

And, for many of us too, First Corinthians chapter thirteen is such a part of all that.

Hands up all those who had this reading at their wedding!

Indeed, the majority of the couples that I have married over the years have chosen it…

no doubt, because the words seem so beautiful––

serious, but so full of hope and promise;

so in keeping with the sentiments of the day.

 

And yet… 

those words were never intended for two people getting married. 

They weren’t even intended as some abstract meditation on the nature of love.

Rather, they were written to a specific church…

and they were written in response to specific problems in that church.

The church at Corinth was comprised of very different people…

who came from very different backgrounds.

A small number of them were wealthy and well-to-do…

with considerable power and privilege…

educated, cultured, and influential…

and eager to maintain their standing in their wider society.

So much of their life was concerned with how they were perceived by their peers.

They were accustomed to using their wealth and power to enhance their image and reputation––

and as a means of controlling others.

And they clearly saw themselves as a cut above the rest––

even in the church.

And why not? 

After all, most of the church members were simple, humble artisans and labourers…

uneducated and uncouth…

poor and powerless…

common.

Many of them would have been former slaves.

Quite a number still were.

As a result, the well-to-do members expected to call the shots––

because they were wealthy and cultured, powerful and influential.

And they prided themselves on that.

They expected to be treated with respect and deference…

boasting of the contributions that they had made;

all of the things that they did for the church and the community;

and the number of people that they supported.

They made great shows of their piety.

And yet, they were constantly at each other’s throats––

full of insults, envy, boasting, and arrogance.

The majority of the church members–– 

those who were poor and powerless–– 

let them get away with it…

because they relied upon their benefaction…

because they depended upon their support and protection.

In their world, they couldn’t do otherwise.

So they were willing to be treated like dirt.

 

It was into such a context…

and because of such a context…

that Paul wrote these words that we heard read…

because the Corinthian Christians––

particularly their well-to-do leaders–– 

needed to learn about love.

It didn’t matter how often that they went to Church;

what positions that they filled…

what jobs that they did…

or even how many people that they helped out.

It didn’t matter how eloquent they were;

how good their prayers sounded;

or how pious they seemed.

It was all self-serving if it wasn’t done for the right reason.

It was all ultimately futile if it wasn’t motivated by love.

And so Paul tries to explain what it would mean for them to love:

“Love is patient and kind; 

love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. 

It does not insist on its own way; 

it is not irritable or resentful; 

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, 

but rejoices in the truth. 

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. 

Paul describes love as the exact opposite of the way that the well-to-do Corinthians are behaving:

Love means being patient and tolerant––

even with those who are different or annoying…

even with those whom society says can just be dismissed.

Love doesn’t mean looking down upon others––

adopting an air of arrogance, haughtiness, or pomposity.

Love doesn’t do things to demean or ridicule.

Love doesn’t do things that are rude or harmful.

Love doesn’t engage in competition.

Love isn’t self-seeking or self-serving.

Love doesn’t try to possess or control––

and love isn’t about using people for one’s own benefit.

Rather, love focuses upon the other person;

seeking what is best for that person––

no matter how we might feel;

no matter what.

And loving someone means doing that…

again…

and again…

and again.

Because, for Paul, love is not a warm, gooey feeling.

Nor is it some gushy, sentimental ideal.

Rather, love is a commitment.

Love is a deliberately chosen way of life.

Love is a decision to act towards another person in a particular way––

a decision that’s made and re-made constantly.

Because…

in the end…

loving means adopting the attitude that God has shown humankind throughout history––

the attitude and way of being that Jesus Christ embodied and incarnated––

love is costly, risky, vulnerable, and self-giving.

Only that sort of love will foster true community.

Only that sort of love will nurture the church.

Only that sort of love is fitting for those who claim the name of Christ.

Paul was trying to help the Corinthians to see what it would mean for them to love––

in reality…

in their everyday lives…

in their particular context.

 

So, what would it mean for us, as a faith community, to love?

If Paul were writing this to us today, rather than to the Corinthians, what would he say?

 

Love isn’t a feeling, it’s a way of living…

a way of being, and a way of acting towards others.

More than that…

love doesn’t snipe, or gossip, or complain about people behind their backs…

but treats them with respect.

Love isn’t haughty or elitist…

it’s inclusive and enabling.

Love isn’t weak or passive––

allowing people to spread hurt and harm;

and it doesn’t sit back and expect others to do the hard work or the dirty jobs.

Love isn’t being turned in upon myself, and focussing on me––

on my wants and desires…

on my spiritual growth and wellbeing…

on the way that I want things to be.

And love isn’t engaging in some self-indulgent head-trip… 

one that insulates me from engagement with the real world.

Rather, love focuses on what is best for others;

and on what is best for us all.

Love is supporting, encouraging, and helping––

especially those in need.

Love means taking risks…

going beyond what’s expected or comfortable––

even if that means failing or getting hurt.

Love means doing whatever we can…

so that others may know wholeness and fullness of life;

so that others may encounter Jesus Christ…

here and now…

in our midst…

in us.

 

“For they’ll know we are Christians by our love”.

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