“What one word summarizes the Ten Commandments?” I think that the Bible’s answer to that question surprises many people. In the Scriptures God tells us that the one word that summarizes the Ten Commandments is “love.” But how can that be? Aren’t the Commandments a list of “dos” and “don’ts” or “thou shalt” and “thou shalt nots”? Aren’t they just demands God puts on all people? What do they have to do with love?
Our Savior Jesus explained how the word “love” is a good summary of all God’s commands. When Jesus was asked which Commandment was the greatest, he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And he went on to say, “Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37 & 39, 40) Far from being just a list of what to do and what not to do the Ten Commandments are really the definition of love for God and love for others.
In our gospel lesson for this Sunday we heard Jesus say that he had a “new command” for his disciples. They were to love one another. But if love summarizes the Ten Commandments how was that a new command? It was a new command because through Jesus the disciples would look at the Ten Commandments in a new way and love others in ways they had perhaps not done before. And it was also a “new command” because Jesus told them to love one another “as” he had loved them.
The disciples had witnessed how Jesus kept the Ten Commandments perfectly. And the morning after Jesus gave them that “new command” they would see God punish him for the times they had broken the Commandments. Then they would see Jesus alive again proving that they were forgiven and loved by God. After that they wouldn’t view God’s demands as a burden—a bunch of “dos” and “don’ts.” No, they would gladly love one another with the same love God had shown to them in Christ Jesus! The Ten Commandments would help define and guide their love for God and others.
Our service this morning is focused on the fact that we are to love one another. In order to better understand what that means we will direct our attention to what has been called the “love chapter” of the Bible. Usually when we define something we say what it is and what it isn’t. The Apostle Paul does that for us in these verses. Let’s ask God the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins of not loving as we have been loved, and then lead us to follow God’s command to love others. By God’s power we will be led to:
“LOVE, GOD’S WAY!”
I. The necessity of love – vv. 1-3
II. The actions of love – vv. 4-7
III. The permanence of love – vv. 8-13
In this letter that we call “1 Corinthians” the Apostle Paul addressed a long list of spiritual and practical concerns connected specifically to the Christian church in Corinth. In the first eleven chapters he wrote about divisions in the church, lawsuits between Christians, sexual immorality, marriage, adiaphora (that is something not commanded or forbidden by Scripture), worship, and the Lord’s Supper. Then beginning in Chapter 12 and continuing through Chapter 14 Paul addressed the issue of spiritual gifts among Christians. If the word “love” summarizes God’s Commandments, it would be fair to say that the word “unloving” summarized the congregation of Christians in Corinth. They needed to once again love as God had love them.
I.
I invite you to open your worship folder to page 10 so that we can look at our Second Scripture Lesson verse by verse. Follow along as I read the first paragraph—verses 1-3. As I read these verses try to pick out what God is telling us about love. The Holy Spirit inspired—he breathed into—the Apostle Paul these words. “If I speak in the tongues 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, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Since God is love showing love is an essential part of our relationship with him and with each other.
So how would we connect these words about the necessity of love to our lives today? A Christian author used four phrases to summarize the thoughts in verses 1-3. The first phrase. “Impressive Eloquence Without Love is Nothing but Empty Noise.” In other words a person can say all kinds of nice things and even sound very religious. But if there is no love behind the words it’s just noise! Like a gong or a cymbal banging. The second phrase. “Impressive Knowledge Without Love is Nothing but Empty Arrogance.” Ouch! This one may be the biggest danger for pastors. After attending college and seminary we can get to know God’s Word pretty well. But if we are not loving others that knowledge will just lead to pride and arrogance. We’ll be missing the whole point of God’s revelation to us. He tells us about his love for us so we then love others as we have been loved by God. The third phrase. “Impressive Faith Without Love is Nothing but Empty Confidence.” A person with a faith that can move mountains would seem to be on solid ground. But the problem is that without love for others that faith is fruitless. And the final statement. “Impressive Sacrifice Without Love is Nothing but Empty Service.” I am hoping that this will be an eye-opener to us all. We can do acts of service for others. Perhaps we volunteer here at church for this or that. We lend a hand when others need us. Maybe we even go the extra mile and do more than people are asking or expecting. But if we aren’t doing these things out of love they are empty actions.
To love others God’s way we see the necessity of love being shown in our lives. Today we confess that we have been resounding gongs and clanging cymbals. We may know our Bibles well. Our faith may be strong. We may give of ourselves to others. But love has often been missing! Today we need our souls filled with God’s love. We can only find that it our Savior’s love for us. We hear his voice through the Word of God today. His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper remind us of his love for us and that renews our love for one another! Yes, to love, God’s way we see that love is a necessity. Words, and knowledge, and faith, and good deeds only have meaning when they are prompted by love.
II.
Let’s go back to page 10 in the service folder and the second paragraph in our Gospel Lesson. As I read those verses I want you to count the actions of love that the Apostle Paul mentioned. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor 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.” Well, how many did you come up with? 15 verbs! Loving others God’s way means putting our love into action. Perhaps we should each pick a couple of them to reflect on today. I don’t know which ones challenge you the most but let’s go through some of the ones that most people seem to struggle with.
“Love is patient, love is kind.” Those two phrases sound simple enough, don’t they? Those who keep the command to love are patient and kind toward others. But what a monumental challenge it is to be those things! We can quickly see how often we fail to love because of our lack of patience and our unkindness.
Instead of being patient with others don’t we often cut them little or no slack? When our spouse forgets what he or she has forgotten so many times before, we throw patience out the window and let the harsh words fly. When our children struggle with a task that seems so easy to us we jump all over them with criticism. “Can’t you do anything right?” As we sit in traffic we boil over at the things the drivers around us are doing. When the pressure at work rises our patience wears thin. Once we are in an impatient mindset everyone is too slow to please us. It doesn’t matter if we are at a grocery store, or a restaurant, or at the post office, or getting our driver’s license renewed, we show no patience toward anyone. Unlike the deodorant commercial our patience frequently doesn’t last when life turns up the heat.
Right after patience the Apostle Paul listed “kindness” as an action of love. So often our kindness toward others goes no deeper than polite pleasantries and common courtesy. In the original language this word has the idea of an action that proves love. So to show true kindness to others our actions must be motivated by love. In that way we keep the command to love.
After looking at only two facets of Christian love we quickly see that we have not kept the command to love. Thankfully we have a Savior who was completely patient and kind in all his dealings with others. Think of how patiently he instructed his disciples even when they were slow to understand and believe. Jesus patiently answered the attacks of his enemies. He showed total patience in the face of false accusations. He showed kindness to the young and the old, to the rich and the poor, to friends and enemies. And for all the ways and all the times we have been unkind, Jesus was punished. On top of that our patient and kind Savior now lives in us so that we can keep his command to love. He is continually transforming us to be more like him.
After stating the fact that love is patient and kind the Apostle Paul was directed by the Holy Spirit to describe what love does not do. “It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” Once again we see how we have failed to keep the command to love. We look at the life, or the talents, or the looks of others and we wish we could trade places. Envy grows in our hearts like dandelions on our lawns. Boasting and pride follow envy as we feel the need to prop ourselves up in comparison to others.
The Apostle Paul continues his definition of love. “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” These phrases continue the previous thoughts. Being rude, being self-seeking, being easily angered and keeping a record of what others do against us are all products of a heart that loves itself more than others. Think about why we are rude toward others. Isn’t it because we want to put ourselves first? And when we are quick to become angry isn’t it because we feel someone is intruding on our time, our stuff, or our way of doing things.
Then the Apostle Paul goes on to tell us that those who keep God’s command to love don’t keep track of those who wrong them. He says that love “keeps no record of wrongs.” Would any of us be tempted to keep a record of the things others have done against us? Perhaps we don’t have such a list in a notebook or on our computer. But we all seem to have long memories when someone has done something against us.
Remember the question that Peter asked Jesus about keeping a list of the sins done against a person? “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Peter was actually being generous in comparison to the thinking of many at that time. But Jesus answered him, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)
A few years ago I ran across and article that was made up of quotes from children concerning love. The article began with the question, “What is love, from a kid’s point of view?” “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.” “Love is when someone hurts you, and you get so mad, but you don’t yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.” “Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay.” “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” “Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”
To “love God’s way” we see love jumping into action. That’s the kind of love he showed to us. It led him to take action to save us. He sent his Son to live and die in our place. We now are invited to love as we have been loved—to love in the way God has shown his love. We have 15 actions to think about today. May God the Holy Spirit lead us to repentance. And may the love of God renew us today to show the actions of love.
III.
Once again, let’s go back to page 10 of our worship folders. Follow along as I read the last paragraph—verses 8-13. As I read these verses try to pick out what additional truth God is telling us about love. “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.” Love, God’s way is essential, it shows itself with actions, and it is permanent. Love will outlast everything else.
I think the best way to illustrate the point is to look at “big three” that the Apostle Paul mentioned in the last verse of 1 Corinthians 13. Faith, hope, and love---but the greatest of these is love. Once the world as we know it comes to an end, and God creates a new heaven and a new earth, all the things we now hope for and all of the promises that we now put our faith in will be fulfilled. So the only thing to last into eternity is God’s love for us and our love for each other.
Love. Yes, that one word summarizes the Ten Commandments. Love for God. Love for others. Love is the law of God. James 2:8 says that loving your neighbor as yourself is the “royal law found in Scripture.” Galatians 5:14 says that, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.’” In his letter to the Romans the Apostle Paul declared that all the commandments are “summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Romans 13:9-10) May God continue to convict our sinful nature of its unloving thoughts, words, and actions. And may he empower us to keep his command to love. May we love, God’s way! With love that is essential to our faith and the foundation for all we say and do. With love that shows itself in actions. And with love that has the same permeance as God’s love for us. Amen.
