Relationships - Its All About Them

This morning I am back in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, reading one of his most famous passages.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13 NIV:
[1] "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."

[13] "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

I was reading these verses and wondering about the Greek word that was translated love, for there a three. The word in this passage is agape, which is generally defined as brotherly love, but is a love of commitment, not just a passing affection. It is usually between two people, and is the result of a deep relationship. The interesting thing about Paul's statement is that he does not define the object of this love, which is important in that this would define which brother, which friend, which relationship resulted in this love.

I believe that Paul left the object unannounced because he was speaking of the fullness of our relational call as members of the Body of Christ, to love both the Lord and our fellow brothers and sisters. We cannot love one and not the other.

In Matt 22:36-40, Jesus talks about Loving God, and the same Greek word is used. The verses are as a follows:

[36] “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
[37] Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus provides the understanding of Paul's statement, it is a love for God and for our neighbor or those around us. Again this love is not some passing affection, but rather a knowing, deep loving, committed relationship. It is love showing itself through action, but at the same time it is the foundation or cause of the action. Without this love and relationship, the good works Paul describes are empty. The reason is described by Paul, he says its just a clanging cymbal or gong, in other words done so the person can boast. Jesus uses similar phrases and ideas in describing the Pharisees (Matt 6:5; Matt 23:5) and it is not a good thing.

In other words it is relationships that give meaning to all that we do. It is relationships that are the vessel in which we minister. It is our relationships that define us. Relationship with God is our first commandment, and relationships with others is our second. In the Kingdom, the most important investment is into relationships. It is all about relationships, first with God and then with our neighbors.

Amen Lord! Help us to understand and invest in that which is the most valuable, the most important, the greatest treasure - our relationship with You, and with each other.