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FUNERAL HOMILY: POSSESSING LOVE
by Marion Clark
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 1 Corinthians 13:9-13
Funeral Homily: Possessing Love
Marion Clark
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Introduction
How appropriate for you to have chosen the passage that exalts Christian love-agapé. Before the New Testament was written, it was a rarely used, nondescript word. It took the gospel to bring it out of obscurity and into the glorious position it now inhabits. For only agapé love could fulfill the conditions as set forth in this chapter's expression of the love that rises out of the gospel.
The first three verses exalt agapé love by setting forth what we do not have when we do not have love. If we think that great deeds make us great; if we speak in miraculous tongues; if we have prophetic powers that reveal mysteries and deep knowledge; if we exercise such faith that result in miracles; if we make great sacrifice with our possessions, even with our lives; surely such deeds should make us great.
Not without love-agapé love;. Otherwise, such deeds become only self-serving and ultimately vain. They lead to pride, even arrogance. Even self-sacrifice becomes self-serving either to win praise or try and save what we cannot part with. Without agapé love we end up with nothing.
What is so special about this love? Verses 4-7 explain.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
This moving, beautiful description of agapé love is not about what it ought to be; not what it would be if it were perfect-it is agapé love. Anything less is not such love. There are other forms of love-romantic love, friendship/brotherly love, and family love. They each have their terms, and they each aspire to have the qualities listed here though none reach the full measure. That is why we can still say to a family member, ''You know I lo ...
Marion Clark
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Introduction
How appropriate for you to have chosen the passage that exalts Christian love-agapé. Before the New Testament was written, it was a rarely used, nondescript word. It took the gospel to bring it out of obscurity and into the glorious position it now inhabits. For only agapé love could fulfill the conditions as set forth in this chapter's expression of the love that rises out of the gospel.
The first three verses exalt agapé love by setting forth what we do not have when we do not have love. If we think that great deeds make us great; if we speak in miraculous tongues; if we have prophetic powers that reveal mysteries and deep knowledge; if we exercise such faith that result in miracles; if we make great sacrifice with our possessions, even with our lives; surely such deeds should make us great.
Not without love-agapé love;. Otherwise, such deeds become only self-serving and ultimately vain. They lead to pride, even arrogance. Even self-sacrifice becomes self-serving either to win praise or try and save what we cannot part with. Without agapé love we end up with nothing.
What is so special about this love? Verses 4-7 explain.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
This moving, beautiful description of agapé love is not about what it ought to be; not what it would be if it were perfect-it is agapé love. Anything less is not such love. There are other forms of love-romantic love, friendship/brotherly love, and family love. They each have their terms, and they each aspire to have the qualities listed here though none reach the full measure. That is why we can still say to a family member, ''You know I lo ...
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