Love Suffers Long! Series

II. PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT AGAPE LOVE

A. Do you understand the difference between agape love & erotic love?

1. In Scripture the Greek word used here for love is "Agape." It is some-times called "divine love" because it is the word that is used to express God's love. It is an unselfish love that caused God to give Himself so that the world might be saved from its sin. This is Agape love.

Let me define Agape love & challenge you to remember that definition. "Agape love moves you to help without expecting any reward."

Our first reaction might be, "That's not such a big deal. I do lots of nice things without expecting anything in return." Good! But I wonder if that is really true?

Basically, we are rather selfish, & every time we do something, we expect something in return. At the very least, we expect some appreciation or some recognition for what we have done. And if we don't get it, "Well, I know when I'm not appreciated."

It is also the kind of love that causes a parent to go through some difficult times with a child who declares, "If you really loved me, you would let me do what I want to do."

Agape love is a love that does something, that does whatever is required, & expects no reward in return.

2. In contrast, there is “Eros” - & this is defined as a "love that is controlled by desires." It wants something, & it acts to satisfy that want.

It is a love that is not willing to endure suffering for someone else's sake. By its very nature Eros love is concerned only with its own desires & will move instantly to eliminate its own suffering, whatever it might be.

But look at Jesus. On that terrible night before His crucifixion, when Jesus & the apostles reached Gethsemane, Matthew 26:37-39 tells us that He took Peter, James & John with Him into the garden,

"...and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.' ... Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.'

But then He immediately prays, "Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done." That is Agape. That is long suffering. That is Christ saying, "I will suffer through it all, for the sake of others."

B. But I want you to notice that there is a great difference between suffering long & suffering endlessly.

Paul says, "Love suffers long," & we, as his students, raise our hands & ask, "But teacher, how long do we have to suffer?" Paul says, "I can't tell you that. It may be a year. It may be 10 years. It may be only tomorrow. But love suffers long."

"Well, we like deadlines, Paul. We would like to know just exactly how long we are going to have to suffer." But Paul doesn't tell us. He simply says that "love suffers long," & he leaves it dangling there.