Rev. George Miller
May 5, 2024
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Today’s Scripture is so beautiful, so
poetic that it tricks the reader into thinking it’s a cozy blanket to wrap oneself
inside of.
The truth is that this reading comes from
a place of chaos, a time of change, and an era of heartbreak.
The Church in Corinth is in upheaval.
This young congregation is going through
changes, changes that are coming too fast, too quickly for anyone to fully
realize what’s going on, much less how they feel.
The church Paul is writing to is a church
on the edge, a church doing things no one else is doing,
a church made up of people who have often
been seen as on the outskirts of society.
They are people from different
backgrounds, raised with different beliefs, and organizational styles.
What has brought them together is the Good
News of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Crucified, Christ Resurrected is what
binds this group together with an understanding
that the best way to experience Jesus is
to be Christ to the community, by
Feeding the hungry,
both at the Communion Table
and on the streets.
Offering healing and wellness,
both through hands-on care,
and empowering words of affirmation.
By providing care,
both through the needs of the body,
and the concerns of the soul.
As they do all this magnificent, glorious
work,
they are making it up as they go along.
So squirmishes develop.
Disagreements arise.
In-fighting takes hold.
Those who have been there from the
beginning can’t figure out how to be patient with those who are new.
Those who are new don’t understand the
need to do things as they have always been done.
And everyone has a different idea of how scripture
is to be understood,
a life of faith acted out,
and how to proclaim the idea
that a man could be killed and
still experienced via the Resurrection.
So they fight, they bicker,
they are angry.
And, as modern psychologists tell us,
anger is often a sign of fear.
Fear of the unknown, fear of being seen as
not good enough,
fear of consequences for saying Christ is
King, and not the emperor.
Fear is masking and molding the people of
Corinth.
So Paul does what he does best- he uses
his words. Paul speaks, and he is
unafraid.
He speaks via this letter to the Church, a
letter to be read at their next gathering.
And in this brave, bold letter, Paul lays
out a way of thought that not only recenters the church,
but he writes it in such a way that its
poetry calms their worried spirit.
Paul says “Hey, don’t get so caught up in
all you are doing and think you need to do.
It’s great if you can be prophetic, it’s
great if you can be generous, it’s great if you re showing up and speaking out,
but if you do these things for the wrong
reason, you might as well be a noisy gong.”
Paul says to them “Do all you do out of
love.”
But
not just any kind of love- AGAPE love.
Agape love is a love that comes from God,
a love that inspires one to look beyond
themselves and to give and serve in delight.
Agape love is the kind of love that comes
from outside of you, and puts a smile on your face.
So here is Paul talking to a church that
is going through change, a church that is living in fear, a church that is
turning upon itself,
And he poetically, pastorally says-
“Agape.-
Do what you do with the presence of God
and a delight in your spirit.”
To a church that has become impatient,
unkind, fully of envy, self-centeredness, and irritability,
Paul pastorally says
“Agape.”
“Agape is patient.
Patient with the moment,
Patient with one another.”
“Agape is kind and content.
Kind to one another;
Content with the gifts
God has given.”
“Agape is community-based
and calm.
It looks out upon others,
it finds rest in the Lord.”
Paul could have composed a letter saying “Hey! Stop it right now,
before I pull this car over and make you
walk the rest of the way.”
He could have shamed them,
Silenced them,
Disempowered them.
Instead, filled with love for Christ,
And Holy Spirit wisdom,
Paul says
To this scared, unsure group-
“Take a breath.
Focus on Christ.
Focus on love.”
“Love does not have an expiration date. Love is not limited.
Love is not dim, dark, or smudged.”
Paul says to the people.
“Because of Christ,
We have all grown,
And we are still growing.”
“In Christ, we have learned so much, and there
is still so much to know.”
Let us set aside our worry, our fear,
Our disagreement for this moment.
Let’s focus on what really matters.
Faith.
Hope. Agape.
Faith that God is with us.
Hope in the Holy Spirit.
Agape that comes from taking
all we learned from Jesus and
applying to our communal existence.
Though we may face
barren desserts,
Raging seas,
And burning fires,
We
do not go alone.
For God goes before us.
And the Lord knows the way.
For that, let us say
“Amen.”
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