Why Love Is the Greatest

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Scripture:

1Cor. 13:8 ¶ Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
1Cor. 13:9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part;
1Cor. 13:10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.
1Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.
1Cor. 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1Cor. 13:13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Observation:

The great love chapter has always had great appeal.  I hear it read at weddings and other events and I wonder whether we really understand what Paul is talking about?  The depths of this love are beyond our comprehension for Paul is talking about the very nature of the Triune God whom we worship.  Everything in the world pales in comparison to God’s nature.  All the things that “spiritual” folks may seek after; prophecies, tongues, knowledge — all of these things are human, but the very nature of God, love, is Divine and is therefore eternal. 

Application:

Unfortunately followers of Christ become absorbed with the thought of earthly things — albeit seemingly spiritual.  This simply reveals our immaturity for we are responding as a child.  But after years of life experience we begin to realize what it is that has true value in life, and those are things eternal.  Therefore we are drawn toward the love of God and our desires are no longer for what we can get from him, our desire simply is him as we long for the time when we will see him clearly, face to face.  Why?  Because faith and hope keep us going in the present, but only God’s love can consume us bringing us to the place of perfection, or completion, in him.

Prayer:

Lord, may we always and continually be drawn toward your love.  Amen.





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