A Communion Meditation

I Corinthians 13

 

        With the possible exceptions of Psalm 23 and John 3:16, no scripture is more beloved than I Corinthians 13.  We most often hear this sonnet quoted at weddings. After a few sessions of forgettable counseling, the minister has one last chance to plant a seed of invaluable wisdom into the hearts of the couple.  Paul’s words should have been shared earlier. Young couples seldom recall anything said during the ceremony. The groom stares straight ahead wishing he had paid attention to the vows he will soon be asked to recite. The bride is overwhelmed by this spectacular event she has orchestrated since birth. The groomsmen are recovering from the night before and the bride’s maids are anticipating the party that begins when the formalities of worship conclude.   Mothers are worrying that everything will be perfect and Fathers wonder how just a little ceremony ended up costing so much.  You get the picture. While I Corinthians 13 seems to be the perfect scripture, the ceremony comes with anxieties which eliminate the possibilities for any cognitive transformations.

        But then Paul’s sonnet on love was not written as a homily for a wedding ceremony. First Corinthians 13 was written as an elixir to calms the heated spirits of a church in mortal combat. The church in Corinth had divided into three or more groups and no one was willing to seek common ground. Who was the head of their worshipping community: Paul, Apollos, or Peter? And what was the greatest gift each of these men possessed? Was it intellect, healing, talking in tongues, or their prophetic ministry? In the midst of all this division Paul dares to insert a fourth name and a greater gift. It would appear this was the intention of Paul. So why Paul did think his voice would be heard? The same reason we think our voice will be heard when someone is pigheaded enough to disagree with us. The truth is, as much as we love First Corinthians 13, it is the last thing we want flung in our face when we are overcome with anger and self-righteousness. Let’s say after the service you approached me and said, “Louie, I am not a difficult person to get along with but I believe you are completely misguided when it comes to your views on……… fill in the blank.” What would be your response if I replied, “If you were a patient, kind, and loving person, you would be able to see how right I am?”

        So imagine how responsive the folks in Corinth were to Paul’s edict. First and Second Corinthians are an attempt by Paul to get these folks on the same page. Historically we know he was not successful. They eventually split and became First Baptist, First Methodist and First Presbyterian. Of course I am kidding. The church didn’t officially do that for another 1500 years. But isn’t amazing as an institution we have always been in conflict because our modus apparatus has always been, “I am right and you are wrong.”  So what’s love got do with it?

        Dietrich Bonheoffer wrote, “Love is not a general principle but the utterly unique event of the life and death of Jesus.” From the moment we could utter our first words we were taught, “God is love.” Then we created neighboring definitions which allowed us to brush up against the holiness of the concept but never fully endorse it. You do not have to speak Greek to be familiar with the words, eros, storge, and phileo. Eros refers to love inspired by attraction, passion and desire. Storge is the natural affection one has for a pet or a child. Phileo is defined as an affinity, fondness or friendship.   Then there is agape. This word is used over 300 times in the New Testament but is barely mentioned in the rest of Greek literature. Paul adopts this word for his sonnet. This is the word we find multiple times in the Gospel of John to describe the actions of God. Perhaps this is not more than a word. Perhaps it is a personification of the holy.

        I believe Paul had no intentions of reminding us of what we can become but rather was affirming who Jesus already was. Look what happens when we insert Jesus for Agape.

        If I speak but don’t have the love of Jesus, I am a noisy gong. If I understand everything, if my faith is enormous, if I give away everything but don’t have Jesus, I gain nothing.

        Jesus is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, nor resentful. Jesus bears all things. Knowledge and prophesy will change. Believing in such concepts leaves me as a child, seeing through a dim mirror. But one day we shall understand. Faith and hope abide. But without the love of God, what good are they?

        Perhaps understanding agape is not so much about what we can become but rather about remembering who God is. I hate to say this but I don’t believe anyone, including Mother Theresa, Dietrich Bonheoffer, or Martin Luther King Jr. is capable of always loving unconditionally. We all have a propensity toward jealousy, rudeness, boastfulness, resentfulness, and even celebrating at the expense of others. Yet the patient and kind God, who first loved us, is still loving our sorry selves.   And that love will never diminish no matter what we do.  

        We love in so many ways, yet sacrificial love is usually a little bit above our pay grade. Thankfully we regularly come to the table of grace to be reminded we are not alone. The bread broken, the cup shared, transforms us to become what only Agape imagined we were destined to be.

        To God Be The Glory.                   Amen.