Love Does Not Boast; Love Is Not Arrogant

I am going to include two characteristics in this post, because I think they are two sides of the same coin.

Boasting is excessively, and ostentatiously, talking about, and stressing, one's accomplishments of possessions. Boasting is a call for people's attention. It is expressing why the boaster is higher and better.

Being arrogant is having an inflated view of one's self. It is one person regarding himself as higher, superior, and more important. And if that person is superior, and more important, then the other people are not.

Boasting puts one's self above others. Arrogance puts others below one's self.

Love is not boastful, or arrogant. Love does not self above, or others below. Love holds others on the same level. Love treats others equally. Love regards others as equally important, and equally necessary.

Love Does Not Envy

Envy is an intense discontent, or resentment, concerning the possessions, or qualities, of another person. For example, one person sees another, who intelligent, or pretty, or has a Mercedes, or a particular group of friends. Seeing this arouses irritation, feelings of discontent, dislike, or irritation with the other person. And negati. ve emotions generally produce negative behavior. For example, he could begin to speak about the other person in a negative, belittling, or insulting way.

But love is not envious. It sees the other person with desirable qualities, or possessions, and, at the very least, it does not raise any intense feelings. It does not cause discontent, dislike, or irritation. 

And, maybe, to formulate it in a positive way, love might generate gratitude on the other person's behalf.

"Gee! It would be pretty cool to have a car like John's. But I am really glad he has one. I am thankful for his good fortune."

Love is Kind

Kindness is another concept that is a little different in English and the original language of the Bible.

In English, it seems like kindness has the connotation of being friendly, warm-hearted, and sympathetic. Although, there is the idea of "acts of kindness."

In the original Biblical language, kindness refers to someone having a heart to promote someone else's good, prosperity, or happiness, in a concrete way. It seems to focus more on service, or practical benefit.

So, kindness seeks another person's best by practical acts of service, or generosity. It surrenders time, energy, and resources for another person's good.

Love is Patient

The first quality on the list of love characteristics is patience. Patience in English is: the ability to wait calmly, and without complaint, amidst negative circumstances. Patience in the original language paints a slightly different picture.

Patience in this case is a compound word. The first part means long. The second part is a picture of the center, or hub, of energy. It can be translated as patience, forbearance, or long-suffering. It is trying to paint a picture of restraint in the face of provocation.

One way of looking at it: it is the opposite of having a short fuze. Having a short fuze is an English idiom, that indicates a person's tendency to get angry quickly when faced with any negative input. So, someone, who is patient, has a long fuze ... a very long fuze.

Patience seeks another person's best by not adding fuel to the fire. Anger tends to stir up more anger. Which will not solve any interpersonal problem. Patience is a mindset that values solving any issue, because the person is valuable, and the relationship with him is valuable.

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God's Priorities

Jesus was talking with a group of people, and someone asked him what was the most important commandment. Jesus quoted a part of the Bible that said we should love God. That was command #1. And command #2 was to love people.

How does one love God? After all, it's not like we can give him a birthday present, or treat him to dinner.

At the Last Supper, Jesus shared with his disciples that we show God love when we keep his commandments. So, in order to keep command #1, we need to keep command #2.

There are a lot of people who call followers of Jesus hypocrites. Many, because we say we are supposed to love people, but we do not. And this is partly true. As followers of Jesus, if we are honest, we know that we continue to sin, because sin is still present in our lives. We are forgiven, but not yet perfected. So, we do not always follow Jesus as we should. 

But, I think we could argue that, because of sin, not one single individual maintains their standard of right and wrong. So, everyone on the planet says one thing and does another. So, everyone on the planet is a hypocrite. 

Just as there are some people who are more moral than others, there are some people who are less hypocritical than others. But everyone has a moral standard, and everyone breaks it at some point. Which ー someone acting contrary to their beliefs ー is the definition of hypocrisy, as I understand it.

Another part is how one defines love. One loves one's spouse, or partner. One loves members of one's family. And one loves pizza. These are all loves, but these are all different from one another.

Scripture recognizes multiple kinds of love: between spouse/partner, between friends, between parents and children, and one that should be expressed to neighbors, strangers, and enemies. In other words, everyone!

Scripture does not give a definition for this love. But it does give a list of characteristics that the author (Paul, in this case) intends to paint a picture of what this love looks like. I am intending to do a series of short posts to examine each of these characteristics. I am hoping to increase our understanding of love, and, maybe, I can grow in loving people better.

The Way Into The Most Holy Place

 As Israel was escaping from Egypt, and returning to Canaan, God gave instructions for building the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was intended to be a connection between Israel and God. It was also intended to be a picture of that connection.

There were areas, and artifacts, that were used to cleanse Israel from wrongs they committed. And there was one place that the presence of God resided. No one could enter that area, because each person's sin cut him off from God's presence. God was with his people, but sin prevented a close relationship.

Once a year, the high priest would enter that special place, after intense preparation, to offer a sacrifice of a perfect lamb -- one without blemish. The sins of Israel, committed unknowingly, would be covered by the blood of that lamb.

I noted earlier that the Tabernacle was a picture of the connection between God and people. And it has become a picture of God's solution for sin, and the reconciliation of people to God.

We could not enter God's presence because of our sin. But Jesus, the only one without sin, entered the Most Host Place for us, as our high priest. And he entered the Most Holy Place, as the unblemished lamb, for sacrifice.

The high priest brought the perfect sacrifice into God's presence; and the blood of the sacrifice covered the sins of all people. When the sins of people have been cleansed, they now have permission to go directly to God. There is no sin blocking them anymore.

It is written in the Gospels, that when Jesus died, immediately, the very thick, strong curtain, intended to block people from the Most Holy Place, was torn in two. There was nothing to block normal, every day people from moving into God's presence. Each person has the opportunity to stand next to God's throne, to hear God's voice, and to see his face.

Jesus mad provision for this. We do not have this right, or opportunity, until Jesus' provision becomes ours. That's why the Bible talks about faith. God wants everyone to have this close, and intimate, access. And Jesus' death gives us the means to open the door, and use the opportunity. But faith is the open hands to take the means as our possession. And taker the open relationship as our possession. We can say to God, "You have made this opportunity, this gift, available. I want to take what you are giving."

God is still concerned about sin, and about how we live our lives. But because of Jesus, our high priest, and the torn curtain, a whole, new way of dealing with right living becomes possible, and available to those who respond in faith.