“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #154
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1–3).
Paul has promised to show us a more excellent way, which is the way of love, and he begins by contrasting it with some of its more common substitutes. Those substitutes we might describe as rhetoric, genuine knowledge, powerful faith, mercy work, and martyrdom.
Since Paul is clearly not against those things in themselves, then the task is clearly to make sure that they are done, when they are done, with the right motives and in the right way. The right motives and the right way is necessarily the way of charity. If charity is not involved, then the rhetoric of angels is tantamount to becoming an irritating percussion instrument. If charity is not the driving force, then the ability to explain everything and move anything, is coming from a puff of nothing. And in a move that is surprising to some, Paul is not here contrasting words with deeds. He is contrasting loveless words and deeds with love-driven words and deeds. His next example concerns the person who, apart from love, gives all his possessions to the poor—as Jesus told the rich, young ruler to do. There is no profit; it profits him nothing. Such a man loses all his possessions and his treasure in Heaven. The same thing goes for the martyr who dies in the flames—it is possible to get there from the wrong motives.
Such a grim and cynical beginning to this chapter might cause some to despair. If this is the case, then who can be saved? If this is the case, then how can we ever know if we are following Christ rightly? The following verses show us that love is always out in the sunlight, and never in the shadow. Love is not hiding in the gray areas. Love is pretty obvious, as we will soon see.
The problem in the modern church is that love is redefined as more feeling than action and speaking God’s truth even in a gentle way is viewed as hate not love. So we find many saying they follow the great commandments, but in the details of what love means we find the devil.