Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Begin the day by reviewing v1-3 once again. Then move on to today's verse. This one is one of the more well-known verses in this chapter so it'll probably be an easier one for you. Same rules apply - repeat, repeat, repeat.
Matthew Henry's Commentary says....
Some of the effects of charity are stated, that we may know whether we have this grace; and that if we have not, we may not rest till we have it. This love is a clear proof of regeneration, and is a touchstone of our professed faith in Christ. In this beautiful description of the nature and effects of love, it is meant to show the Corinthians that their conduct had, in many respects, been a contrast to it. Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness; it does not desire or seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Not that charity destroys all regard to ourselves, or that the charitable man should neglect himself and all his interests. But charity never seeks its own to the hurt of others, or to neglect others. It ever prefers the welfare of others to its private advantage. How good-natured and amiable is Christian charity! How excellent would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it were more under this Divine principle, and paid due regard to the command on which its blessed Author laid the chief stress! Let us ask whether this Divine love dwells in our hearts. Has this principle guided us into becoming behaviour to all men? Are we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a call to watchfulness, diligence, and prayer.
Wesley's Notes:
The love of God, and of our neighbour for God's sake, is patient toward, all men. It, suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; all the malice and wickedness of the children of the world: and all this, not only for a time, but to the end. And in every step toward overcoming evil with good, it is kind, soft, mild, benign. It inspires the sufferer at once with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection. Love acteth not rashly - Does not hastily condemn any one; never passes a severe sentence on a slight or sudden view of things. Nor does it ever act or behave in a violent, headstrong, or precipitate manner. Is not puffed up - Yea, humbles the soul to the dust.
And, finally - from John MacArthur....
Love is patient, verse 4, patient with people is the Greek verb, emphasizing the fact that we’re talking here about relationships in the church. To say that you’re patient means that you’re slow to become angry, you’re slow to become frustrated when dealing with troublesome people, difficult people. You are long tempered would be another old word, or old phrase to describe this. Patient with people which embraces forgiveness, tolerance, understanding.
Secondly, love is kind to people. And the word actually means, as we pointed out last time, useful. You find ways to be useful. Kindness is not something superficial. Kindness is finding ways to render useful service to someone else maybe, it’s comfort. Maybe it’s encouragement. Maybe it’s knowledge. Maybe it’s wisdom. Maybe it’s companionship. Even with those who have wronged you, or those who are distant from you, or critical of you, love is useful, it finds ways to minister to people no matter who they are, even if they tax one’s patience.
Thirdly, love does not envy. It is not jealous of other people. This is the first of eight negatives. It doesn’t compete. It doesn’t resent. It doesn’t become bitter. It doesn’t hate other people, their success, their place in life, their looks, their possessions, their position. It rejoices in everything that others have, even if the one loving has very little. It is not jealous because if you love someone, you don’t wish that you had what they have and they didn’t have it. You don’t have those kind of thoughts toward people you love. People you love, you wish they had everything, every possible good things, blessed thing. And the more they have, the happier you are because that’s how love behaves.
Number four, love does not brag. And the word here is the word for a windbag. It’s not a blowhard. Outward bragging is designed to make people feel inferior. The reason you parade your accomplishments, your achievements, tell the stories that you tell so very often when you brag is because you want other people to feel inferior to you. You seek public accolades. You want to be the one who is one step above others. Jealousy wants what others have. Arrogant, boasting, bragging is calculated to cause others to want what you have. Say that again. Jealousy wants what others have; bragging wants to make others want to have what you have. Either of those is an attitude of love.
And then number five, we talked about love is not arrogant. Arrogant is the driving motivation behind the bragging. It’s a high opinion of oneself, conceit. And this is so foundational that I will put it in a positive sentence. Only humble people love...only humble people love. Arrogant people do not love, they’re not interested in other people’s issues, they’re not interested in other people’s lives. They do not desire to be patient with them. They don’t care about being useful to them. They’re more than happy to brag endlessly in front of them because they are consumed with themselves. Only humble people love.
This is such a hard verse to put into practice isn't it? And yet it is the fruit, the proof, of our faith. And only possible through submitting to the Holy Spirit's lordship in our lives.
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