The Greatest of these is LOVE   1 Corinthians 13.8-13

Good Morning . . . today we finish Paul's chapter on love:  

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end;

           as for languages, they will cease;

           as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

   For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

   But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.

   When I was a child, I spoke like a child,

   I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.

   When I became a man, I put aside childish things.

   For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. 

   Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 

   Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13.8-13

Whew….. the enormity of it takes my breath away!

While this chapter is certainly the most important discourse we have on love from any source, and perhaps the most beautiful, it is some of the subtleties that draw my attention this day.  Paul notes that when he became a man, he put aside childish things; in other words, he grew up.  So too, our love must grow up; it must mature.  Loving authentically is evidence that we are growing in love—being willing to share our true selves, and desiring to truly know others as well. 

When we love authentically, born in us is a desire to serve others, which oft takes a little sacrifice on our part.  But because we love, we do not mind the sacrifice at all.  Case in point: one of my Women of Passion holds a spring craft boutique at which she sells her lovely work.  This year, she had a home disaster and cancelled her event, which greatly supplements her (widow’s) income.  Not to be, one of our other Women of Passion opened her home for the grand gala, and then our ladies are bringing tasty treats for the day.  Now, we love Judy, and because of that it is a pleasure to serve her!  ‘What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.’1

         Challenge:  Perform an act of love for someone today.                                                           

‘Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known’ – we only know a part of the picture in most things in this life; but one day, in Heaven, we shall see the Object of our Love face-to-face.  And then, we shall fully know.

I think most of us want to be ‘known’ by someone.  ‘My longing to be known reveals to me the existence of a greater knowing by the One who created me.’2 But don’t miss that Paul says we are already fully known.  Wow! Paul, a romantic?  Maybe.  But our Creator knitted us together in our mother’s womb.  Before we drew our first breath, God knew us, though we shall not ‘know’ until we are with him.  Oh, glorious day!

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

 Note that all the Christian graces will endure, even though ‘faith will become sight and hope will be fulfilled.’  But the greatest of these graces is love; because when you love someone, you will trust him and will always be anticipating new joys.  Faith, hope, and love go together, but it is love that energizes faith and hope.3   And interestingly enough, this is why feeding our understanding of God’s love for us is so critical—‘you will trust him to the degree that you know you are loved by him.’4

Three remain: faith, hope, and love . . .  the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.5

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.6

Love...there's nothing like it.

Christine