1 Corinthians 13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
This is a special day for the Moffatt family, as a Father, I had no daughters until I served in Sri Lanka, I now have two daughters. Today I thank Uncle Quintus for walking Ayodya down the aisle, and I thank Sachin’s wider family for welcoming her into your family at this joining of our two families we celebrate.
We here are, all participating today in, celebrating the union of two precious people by marriage. Ayodya and Sachin have by God’s grace found one another and today we join in this celebration of their love for one another. This love is not the sort of love that is fleeting or self-seeking but a love of unity and purpose, a love that will last a life time, possibly developing into a long history of family and descendants, a love that was inspired initially by an attraction to one another but as their relationship has grown their love is growing deeper in the knowing that they are now more aware of one another and that they will balance the other in marriage. But knowing that their love for one another can be a love that is sustaining and energising, as they support one another and travel together in their life journey, in doing this the depth of their relationship and understanding of one another will continue to grow. This in the same way that Christ looks upon his church and while seeing things that need to advance, loves his people still. As Christ helps us develop and grow, in marriage you will bring to one another strengths and encouragement.
The Apostle Paul in his first letter to the church in Corinth had to spell out for the people what true love looked like. The people of that place were traders and merchants and it was a place of people coming and going and commerce where many world views meet. But they were until this time unaware of what true love was. There was also a bit of one upmanship, going on in the infant Church. People claiming to be of more use or importance because of the gifts that God had given them. As Paul points out to them you might have these gifts, they are useful, but actually, every individual and what they bring to the Church is important and all have a part to play in building God’s kingdom here on Earth. In the passage of time, all these seemingly very important things will cease or pass away where they meet eternity, and Paul points out if you don’t have love you have nothing.
Love in the Church and today I will point out love in the marriage is most important. Sachin and Ayodya, you enter into marriage as a couple in love, this passage gives you something to aim at, to those here today also can you exchange your name for that of love?
Sachin is patient, Sachin is kind. Sachin does not envy, Sachin does not boast, Sachin is not proud. Ayodya does not dishonour others, Ayodya is not self-seeking, Ayodya is not easily angered, Ayodya keeps no record of wrongs. Sachin and Ayodya do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. Sachin and Ayodya always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere. At times in marriage this will be hard but the ideal is set by Christ himself who is all of these things and asks us to love our neighbours as ourselves and to do unto others as we would do to ourselves. To live selflessly.
As a couple Sachin and Ayodya, I would ask you to view one another always from a place of love, there will be hard days, there will be disappointments, illness, messes will occur, plates will break, finances might get stretched but in all this; love one another and be that person who loves the other, selflessly considering them.
Today we ask God’s blessing not just on your wedding day but upon your marriage and the years ahead that you have together.
May God bless you and keep you,
Growing your relationship through love to strength,
A strength where you understand and encourage one another,
Knowing that you are stronger together,
As you do his will in your lives.
Amen
