Paul Didn't Write Greeting Cards - 1st Corinthians 13

It's that time of year again. Guys, as soon as she finishes putting up with the last vestiges of our yearly obsession with pigskin tonight, she expects our attention to be focused elsewhere. She wants us to replace thoughts of footballs with flowers, the coin toss with candy, and quarterbacks with cupids.  February is here and as soon as the Super Bowl is over, guys, our focus is supposed to be on love. The month surrounding Valentine's Day is upon us.

While Valentine's Day had some debatable origins, my theory is that it is maintained nowadays by the greeting card industry. The truth of the matter is that, as far as holiday sales go, the sale of Valentine's Day cards is second only to Christmas cards. Sadly, though, most of us guys must not be too good at remembering our girlfriends or wives because women account for 85% of all Valentine's card purchases.

"Sad, Preacher? Give me a break. We have more important things to worry about than candy, flowers, and little cards with hearts and weapon-wielding, diaper-clad babies with wings." What makes it sad, my brothers, is that probably the greatest words about love were written by a man.

In the latter half of Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth (at least his first letter as we have recorded in our Scripture) come the words that have been read in about half the weddings I have either officiated or been part of.  The words can be found in a number of getting cards, such as this wedding congratulatory card, "'Love is patient, love is kind...' 1 Corinthians 13:4, '...Love...burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.' Song of Solomon 8:6, 'Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot wash it away.' Song of Solomon 8:7, '...Love builds up.' 1 Corinthians 8:1, 'Love never fails...' 1 Corinthians 13:8. God is life-and love is all you need. Congratulations on your wedding-May your lifetime together be beautiful."

On the count of three, everyone can say,"Awww.  Isn't that so romantic?  It is...and while Song of Solomon is written all about the romantic love found between two lovers, perfect for a romantic getting card, Paul didn't write for Dayspring, Hallmark, or any other getting card company. Paul's word are meant to be much more powerful than just getting card drivel, or words to make a wedding party feel all warm and fuzzy.

To understand what Paul is saying to us, we need to understand a little something of what was going on in the church of Corinth.  The church in Corinth was full of anything but love. It was a church divided. It was a church full of folks that thought they were better than one another.  It was a church in conflict.

Paul addresses this problem from the very beginning of the letter. In chapters one and three, he addresses the folks who are arguing that they are the truer Christian based on who had baptized them.  It was almost as if they were playing a round of my pastor is better than your pastor. Paul reminds them that it is about Christ and the loving sacrifice He made, not about the work of any earthly teacher or leader.

In chapter six, he addresses the fact members of the church are taking each other to court. He first fussed at them for going into the secular court system, suggesting that believes should handle those kind of problems amongst themselves.  However, he says, you shouldn't be filling a lawsuit to start with, he says it is better to be wronged or cheated by your fellow Christian and leave it to God to sort out than to sue them.

In chapter eight, Paul addresses the fact that this site of arrogance has developed between followers of Christ based on whether or not they should eat God that had been sacrificed to an idol. The group that knows it is harmless is looking down upon those followers who are troubled by the fact they believe it is a compromise of their faith. Paul warns them that they should never take an action, whether they think they are in the right or not, that might compromise or weaken the faith or another.

In chapter eleven, Paul deals with conflict concerning the Lord’s Supper.  When the early Christians would gather, they would share a common meal, including the Lord’s Supper—every time they gathered, not just once a month.  Paul discovered in Corinth that there would be those who came, and without regard for how many folks were there, or how many were coming, they would just set in to eating until they were content, often not leaving enough for everyone.  Paul warns them against this disregard for their brother and sister and tells them , if you are going to be that hungry, eat at home before you come.

Finally, we find in the chapter preceding our reading this morning, Paul reminding folks that they are all part of one body, each with different gifts, different abilities, different talents. Evidently the people of Corinth saw themselves as individuals and each individual thought their particular gift was the most important and that folks with other gifts were not quite as important or essential.

"Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body.... The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ ...Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way."

As Paul addresses all of these conflicts, it seems to culminate in chapter thirteen that we read today.  Paul says The most crucial part of our relationship with other believers is that it be marked by love.  (That should not surprise us given that Jesus told His disciples that the world would know that someone was a follower of Himself if their lives were marked by love.)  Paul says it doesn't matter how great a person you are, no matter what great, and even sacrificial things you have done, if you don't have love it isn't worth a thing. Paul says it doesn't matter if you can speak so eloquently about God that the international president of Toastmasters would now at our feet, that if our lives are not marked by love, then to God we might as well be fingernails coming down a chalkboard.  He goes on to say that even if we have the faith that Jesus spoke of, so that  we can tell a mountain to move and it does, but we don't shine fourth love in our lives, then in the eyes of God we might as well be invisible. Finally, Paul says, if we sell of all or possessions and give the money to the poor and even lay down our lives for the Christ, but don't do it on the basis of love, then we have earned nothing in the eyes of God. Paul then offers us a list of what love truly looks like, what it is and isn't. It has been attributed to being what the unconditional, self-sacrificial love of God looks like--yet for Paul this is not just a description of the love of God, it is a description of the love that we should have for all those around us.  Paul says of all the things that could mark our lives, including faith and hope, the most important thing we should have in our lives is love.

The reality of life is that we will have conflicts and disagreements with those around us. There will be times where our brothers and sisters will fail, disappoint or even wrong us. There will be times where we fail, disappoint, or wrong them.  How we respond to those times is what is important. Paul tells the church in Corinth and tells each of us that our response should be the response of God, the response of Christ, the response of love.

While Paul didn't write getting cards, and his words are not meant to be warm and fuzzy or romantic like the first wedding card I shared, I did find one, in this love filed month, that I think Paul would have approved, because while addresses to a couple on the verge of being joined together, it would apply to us all: "In Christian marriage [our in your lives as brothers or sisters in Christ], the power of God's love makes all the difference. As we trust Him to provide, when we feel like being selfish, His love makes us servant-hearted. When we feel like being critical, His love makes us self-controlled. When we feel like holding onto hurts, His love makes us graciously forgiving...[then offering the words of Paul from chapter 13]...Today and ever after, you're wished the beautiful reality of God's perfect love to make your life together richly satisfying in every way...."

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.