The Most Important? (2)

We discussed in the last post, how the writers of the New Testament encountered God's love, and discovered that it was different than any other understanding of love. So, they took a little used word for love, and gave it new meaning.

There is a famous passage in Scripture, where Paul tries to give a picture of this "new" understanding of love. So, I am going to spend some time, using this passage, to paint a picture of this love. Since, a number of these characteristics of love were expressed negatively — "Love is not this …" — I am going to try to express it positively. And since, we have given a simple definition of love — "giving without expectations" — I am going to try to express it in terms of what is being given.

Patient

This is when somebody does something dumb, and you want to hit him, but don't. Human nature wants to retaliate. Love takes a deep breath, and gives mercy, and grace.

Kind

Love does something beneficial, or something to help. Love gives time, energy, and, maybe, resources.

Not Envious

The word translated "envious" in the original language is defined as: "to set one's heart intently on." Setting our hearts intently can be good. If we set our hearts on being kind, that's good. If we set our hearts on another's property, position, or relationship, that's not good. Humans get caught up in what others have. And the fact that they don't have whatever it is. Love gives thanks, and rejoices, when good happens to other people.

Not Boasting/Not Proud

These are two separate traits, but I am combining them, because they seem to be two sides of the same coin. One side promotes one's self. The other side demotes toers. In each case, the message is: "I am better. I am first,"

Love removes the hierarchy. Love gives a humble, honest assessment. This is not say: "I am beneath everyone." This is saying: "We are the same. I am better at some things. You are better at others. I can go first. Or I can go second."

Not Dishonor

If we are "not dishonoring," then we must be "honoring." I understand "honor" to mean: "to act in a way that shows something has value." In cultures, that are charactorized more by honor and shame, people show honor by maintaining connection, and relationship. The show dishonor by cutting off connection, and relationship. So, love gives attention, and involvement, in people's lives. Love gives time and energy.

Not Self-seeking

If "not self-seeking," then we must be "other seeking." This does not mean, it is wrong to take care of ourselves, or, even. to treat ourselves. It does mean love does not get totally absorbed in one's self. Love gives attention to others' needs. Love gives acts of kindness toward others.

Not Easily Angered

This is similar to patient. Sometimes, something happens, and people explode. We need to allow time, and room, for appropriate responses. We do not always see the whole situation, or understand all the motives. Love gives a slow fuse. Love gives time for understanding, and restraint in assigning blame.

Keeps No Records of Wrongs

Love gives forgiveness. Which means we surrender the right to retribution.

Suppose someone borrows money from you, saying they will repay you right away. And they don't. Forgiveness means:

• You surrender your money.
• You surrender getting angry.
• You surrender legal action.
• You surrender not doing good in other ways.

Maybe you don't give them any more money. And maybe, you find out why they haven't repaid you.

Does Not Rejoice with Evil, But Rejoices with the Truth

Goad created the world. He created the physics, the chemistry, the psychology, the sociology, and the anthropology. God also created healthy living: physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Love gives thanks, and approval, when god's design is followed. Because people will be better off.

These next four traits speak about love's commitment. Love gives attention, and involvement, for the long haul.

Protects

"Protect" in the original language means "to cover." It reminds me of an umbrella. Love gives cover. It works to keep bad things away. But, besides that, if someone does something foolish, Someone could say: "Boy! Did you see that? That was really dumb!" And spread information about the failure to everyone. Shame, and embarrassment, could remove the heart from someone. They could stop pursuing good things. Love gives commitment by covering from exposure to ridicule.

Trusts

"Trust" in the original language is the same word as "faith." Faith is, in part, "agree with", and, in part, "stand with." People do not always do the best things. But if we stand with them, and we know them, we believe that they are trying to do the best. Love gives commitment by putting the best interpretation on behavior.

Hopes

Hope has positive expectations of the future. So, love sees the best in people, and expects the best from people. Love gives commitment by envisioning a positive future of growth, maturity, and success.

Perseveres

Love does not surrender to circumstances. We could see people's ongoing failure, or slow progess, and give up on them. We deal with failures, and move on. Love gives commitment by not fixing on failures.

Never Fails

This does not mean that "love always succeeds", or "love is always right." This is more like "love never runs out." There is always enough love. It never runs out, because love comes from God.

This picture of love is how God wants people to love. And it is how God does love. God is always committed to people. He is always gracious, always wanting the best. He gives attention, involvement, time, energy, and, quite often, resources.

The Most Important?

If one were to ask, what is the most important thing in Christianity, it could be argued that love is the most important thing.

When someone ash Jesus what was the greatest — therefore, the most important — command, he answered by quoting two Bible passages. The first said to love God. And the second said to love people.

That being said, can we come to an understanding of what love is. In English, we talk about: loving our wives, loving our country, loving our sports teams, and loving strawberries.

Then, there is love in the original language. It has four words that mean love. There is a word for love for that which one has natural connections to, like: family, country, etc. There is a word for love of common areas with: friends, co-workers, maybe. There is a word for love for that which overwhelms us. The "wow!" factor. It is usually connected to romantic love between men and women. But, the people used this word for love of the gods. So, the "Wow!" factor could be something other than physical beauty.

The word, the Bible uses for God's kind of love, in other literature, usually meant a fondness for one's wife and children. I didn't see this anywhere in my brief research, so I can't prove it, but I have a hypothesis about this.

During the time of the New Testament, arranged marriages were a little more common. So, if someone's parents picked out a good match for them (good character, hard worker, excellent family, beneficial business connection) he\she might be exactly "wowed" by their future spouse. But, they go along with their parents, and get married. And their new spouse might actually not be a horrible person. They might even be kind of nice. So, they develop a mutual respect, and, maybe even, fondness.

So, the writers of the New Testament seem to have taken this kind of nebulous word, and repackaged it as the kind of love God has.

Which is …

There are several passages, where it states that God loved people, so he gave his Son. And Jesus loved people, so he gave his life.

A simple definition of love could be: to give without any expectation of receiving anything back. Which would fit the picture of the Cross. God gave us — in Jesus — right standing with him, acceptance into his family, redemption, and justification, knowing there was nothing we could give in return.

And Scripture says we should follow God's example. We should love like he loves. We should give, and not expect anything back.

How would that look?