CHRISTIAN LOVE – NO ROOM FOR “I” “ME” AND “MYSELF”

The love that the Bible talks about is radical and revolutionary in its essence and its practice. It turns everything, that the world knows and believes, upside down. The focus of Christian love is the “other” and it is the “others'” interest, that comes first, not the “I” “ME” and “MYSELF” of the world. The love that the Bible practices and promotes, is a crushing blow to the ego-centric self-love, that the world believes in, practices and promotes.

Let us look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to see, what this divine love, is all about.
– “4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Let us break this passage, into smaller portions, to see, what this divine love looks like. It helps us to see all that is packed into these few words, that can alter the way we love people, who are not our “own” but are “others” – may be we can call them “Palestinians” – to test our love in a realistic context. Remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan? Much the same.
1- “Love SUFFERS LONG”
2- “and is KIND”
3- “love DOES NOT ENVY”
4- “love DOES NOT PARADE ITSELF”
5- “IS NOT PUFFED UP”
6- “DOES NOT BEHAVE RUDELY”
7- “DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN”
8- “IS NOT PROVOKED”
9- “THINKS NO EVIL”
10- “DOES NOT REJOICE IN INIQUITY”
11- “but REJOICES IN THE TRUTH”
12- “BEARS ALL THINGS”
13- “BELIEVES ALL THINGS”
14- “hopes all things”
15- “ENDURES ALL THINGS”

Matthew Henry expresses these observations, in the context of the above passage.
– “…love [as described in 1 Corinthians 13 is] in its fullest and most extensive meaning, [our] true love to God and man, a benevolent disposition of mind towards our fellow-christians, growing out of sincere and fervent devotion to God. This living principle of all duty and obedience is the more excellent way of which the apostle speaks, preferable to all gifts. Nay, without this the most glorious gifts are nothing, of no account to us, of no esteem in the sight of God.”

The outworking of love, as described in the Bible, and in the above passage, has its roots in the LORD God Almighty Himself. God is the source of this love and expects us, as His children, to practice it, and promote it, faithfully, obediently and without grudging and hesitation. Everything that we as Christians THINK, SPEAK and DO, has to have its origin in “agape love” where self-sacrifice, and self-denial, forms the foundation of all such acts of charity.
– “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:3-4
– “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:12-14
– “Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honouring one another.” – Romans 12:9-10

How about us? What kind of love do we have? What kind of love do we display? What kind of love operates in and through us? It has no scope nor any room for self-centred love. CHRISTIAN LOVE has NO ROOM FOR “I” “ME” AND “MYSELF” May the LORD help us to sincerely evaluate ourselves, and take stock of our lives, and our living. Even so the LORD help us.