Daily Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1 I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels;
but if I lack love, I have become merely
blaring brass or a cymbal clanging.
2 I may have the gift of prophecy,
I may fathom all mysteries, know all things,
have all faith — enough to move mountains;
but if I lack love, I am nothing.
3 I may give away everything that I own,
I may even hand over my body to be burned;
but if I lack love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,
5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered,
and it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not gloat over other people’s sins
but takes its delight in the truth.
7 Love always bears up, always trusts,
always hopes, always endures.
Reflection Questions:Sometimes we think 1 Corinthians 13 is a chapter written for weddings. While its principles certainly apply to marriage, the apostle Paul actually wrote it to a group of Christians who were feuding about prominence and power in their small house churches. He was concerned about all the ways they were misusing good things. So he included this line: “If I give away everything that I have…but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever.” Love, for God and for others, is the only spiritually valid fuel for generosity.
- Review the qualities of love that the apostle Paul listed in verses 4-7. In what ways could each of them cast light on the importance of love in guiding generous actions? What makes those qualities vital in growing toward fully loving relationships between family members, people who work together, and people who worship God together?
- Can you think of situations, real or hypothetical, in which someone could give a great deal (if not “everything” they have), but not have love? If you were the giver, what would be the inner signals to you that you were giving without love as the motive power behind the gift? Why would the absence of love rob a large gift of spiritual value?
Generous God, every morning you give me another sunrise, another day of life. Every day you are patient and kind to me. Grow your qualities more and more in my heart. Amen.
---------------------Insights from Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Paul’s contention in today’s passage is a bit hard to reconcile with human nature: not only are we to be generous, but lovingly generous? Let’s consider this ridiculous assertion a bit more:
Raising 2 boys, we recognized from an early age that sharing is not an inborn/natural trait. It could be a Batman action figure that suddenly becomes the all-time favorite toy when in the possession of the older brother. It could be the passion to scrutinize the strawberries topped on the dishes of ice cream to make sure they are equal in number & mass – even while the ice cream is rapidly melting. Or it could be the devotion to methodically catalog who last cleaned the bathroom mirror, to make sure no one, i.e. especially the record-keeper, is forced to do it twice in a row.
It’s like the story of the young boy in math class. The teacher asks, “If you had $5.00 and your brother gave you $4.00, how much would you have?” The boy quickly responds, “$5.00.” The teacher shakes her head saying, “No. You don’t know your addition.” To which the youngster replies, “No. You don’t know my brother.”
Fortunately for parents we have the example of Jesus to help encourage sharing between the brothers. However, even the admonition to be “like Jesus” can fall short of our goals of equality: Two boys are eying 2 chocolate-chip cookies that are noticeably different in size. Each brother wants the larger cookie. Mom gently suggests, “Which cookie do you think Jesus would choose?” The brothers glumly respond, “The smaller cookie.” “Right, so….?” The younger brother quickly snags the bigger cookie & says to his brother as he walks away, “You be Jesus today. I’ll be Jesus tomorrow.”
Of course as we age, this challenge with sharing/generosity doesn’t dissipate, like the Jack Benny shtick of being a tightwad. A mugger approaches Jack. He demands, “Your money or your life.” Benny pauses, deep in thought. The mugger nervously asks, “Well?” Benny responds, “I’m thinking.” This struggle even intrudes into debates in the public square; however, these disputes tend to focus on how generous we can be with other people’s money – so not much of a challenge.
So, why is it so hard for us to be charitable &, knowing Paul to be a bright guy, why would he raise the standard beyond simple giving to being lovingly generous?
I would submit that Paul might suggest that a heart hardened against sharing/generosity is essentially a faith that lacks trust in the Godly life described in the Fruit of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, etc.). This can be evident in all facets of our life: how we share praise, how we spend our time, as well as how we manage our finances.
Perhaps we are reluctant to be too generous in our praise of others for fear it will embolden them & impact our desired social pecking order – thus, impacting a source of joy in our lives.
Possibly we are hesitant to share our time & talents to assist others, unless we are assured that our efforts will be appropriately valued. However this quid-quo-pro view of kindness negates our ever appreciating (suspicion-free) anyone demonstrating agape love on our behalf.
Finally, we may feel that a life of peace can only be sourced via “enough” financial resources. Of course, our definition of “enough” is ever changing, thus ensuring we’ll be constantly stressed trying to maximize our financial resources – effectively canceling out any hopes of a life of peace.
Paul might remind us that we would do well to mimic Jesus. He lovingly gave of Himself to bring glory not to himself, but to God. He lovingly gave of Himself, not knowing if it would be appreciated. He lovingly gave of Himself excruciatingly aware some would waste His amazing gift of grace. Yet, Jesus knew that a life of love, joy, & peace could only be God-sourced, & He generously gave of Himself beyond human comprehension.
Like the boy with his cookie, maybe today could be our day to be like Jesus.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
---------------------
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Paul’s contention in today’s passage is a bit hard to reconcile with human nature: not only are we to be generous, but lovingly generous? Let’s consider this ridiculous assertion a bit more:
Raising 2 boys, we recognized from an early age that sharing is not an inborn/natural trait. It could be a Batman action figure that suddenly becomes the all-time favorite toy when in the possession of the older brother. It could be the passion to scrutinize the strawberries topped on the dishes of ice cream to make sure they are equal in number & mass – even while the ice cream is rapidly melting. Or it could be the devotion to methodically catalog who last cleaned the bathroom mirror, to make sure no one, i.e. especially the record-keeper, is forced to do it twice in a row.
It’s like the story of the young boy in math class. The teacher asks, “If you had $5.00 and your brother gave you $4.00, how much would you have?” The boy quickly responds, “$5.00.” The teacher shakes her head saying, “No. You don’t know your addition.” To which the youngster replies, “No. You don’t know my brother.”
Fortunately for parents we have the example of Jesus to help encourage sharing between the brothers. However, even the admonition to be “like Jesus” can fall short of our goals of equality: Two boys are eying 2 chocolate-chip cookies that are noticeably different in size. Each brother wants the larger cookie. Mom gently suggests, “Which cookie do you think Jesus would choose?” The brothers glumly respond, “The smaller cookie.” “Right, so….?” The younger brother quickly snags the bigger cookie & says to his brother as he walks away, “You be Jesus today. I’ll be Jesus tomorrow.”
Of course as we age, this challenge with sharing/generosity doesn’t dissipate, like the Jack Benny shtick of being a tightwad. A mugger approaches Jack. He demands, “Your money or your life.” Benny pauses, deep in thought. The mugger nervously asks, “Well?” Benny responds, “I’m thinking.” This struggle even intrudes into debates in the public square; however, these disputes tend to focus on how generous we can be with other people’s money – so not much of a challenge.
So, why is it so hard for us to be charitable &, knowing Paul to be a bright guy, why would he raise the standard beyond simple giving to being lovingly generous?
I would submit that Paul might suggest that a heart hardened against sharing/generosity is essentially a faith that lacks trust in the Godly life described in the Fruit of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, etc.). This can be evident in all facets of our life: how we share praise, how we spend our time, as well as how we manage our finances.
Perhaps we are reluctant to be too generous in our praise of others for fear it will embolden them & impact our desired social pecking order – thus, impacting a source of joy in our lives.
Possibly we are hesitant to share our time & talents to assist others, unless we are assured that our efforts will be appropriately valued. However this quid-quo-pro view of kindness negates our ever appreciating (suspicion-free) anyone demonstrating agape love on our behalf.
Finally, we may feel that a life of peace can only be sourced via “enough” financial resources. Of course, our definition of “enough” is ever changing, thus ensuring we’ll be constantly stressed trying to maximize our financial resources – effectively canceling out any hopes of a life of peace.
Paul might remind us that we would do well to mimic Jesus. He lovingly gave of Himself to bring glory not to himself, but to God. He lovingly gave of Himself, not knowing if it would be appreciated. He lovingly gave of Himself excruciatingly aware some would waste His amazing gift of grace. Yet, Jesus knew that a life of love, joy, & peace could only be God-sourced, & He generously gave of Himself beyond human comprehension.
Like the boy with his cookie, maybe today could be our day to be like Jesus.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
---------------------
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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