If I have not love, I gain nothing
Sun, 26 February, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
We have now come to Paul’s great love chapter where he rhapsodizes on the vital necessity of our love. Through the use of hyperbole (tongues of angels, understand all mysteries, faith to remove mountains, deliver up my body to be burned), Paul makes clear that in all we do, we should seek to be displaying love to those around us.
What do we learn from this?
It is possible for us to do the right things even great things, but to do them for the wrong reasons. We can do them motivated by the desire for people to praise us. Or we can do them hoping to please God and to be accepted by Him on the basis of our “good” work.
Paul has been talking about how a church should use the various talents God has given its members. There is something important for everyone to do. And everyone has some gift God has given them to use for service to the church. But in all the activity, in all the exercise of these skills, Paul emphasizes that we must do it all motivated by love.
Where is Christ in this passage?
When we think of the love of Jesus Christ, we are drawn to what He did for His people: He took their sins upon Himself on the cross. He bore the punishment due to the people whom He loved. The greatest act ever done was motivated by love.
