The Greatest of These
The Greatest of These
“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. 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. 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. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:1-3, 8 & 13 NIV
What’s love got to do with anything you say, it has everything to do with it. The Lord knew exactly what this world needed. Love. And because of love He sent his only begotten son into the world showing us in real time love, mercy and compassion. Dear hearts, no matter what you are doing or trying to do in service to others, whether it be financial or time, without love we not hitting on nothing.
The “love chapter” is a common nickname for this chapter. It is famously read at many weddings. Written by the Apostle Paul, it defines true, selfless love as an action and concludes that love outlasts all other spiritual gifts. It includes selflessness, humility, kindness, grace, and endurance.
While frequently associated with romance and marriage ceremonies, the original text addresses unity and community conflict within the early church in Corinth. Paul wrote this chapter to emphasize that extraordinary spiritual abilities—such as prophecy or profound knowledge—are completely meaningless without a foundation of unconditional, sacrificial love (often referred to in the original Greek as agape).
The chapter is most famous for its concluding verse, the greatest of these, which elevates love above all other virtues. It famously states: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” At the end of the day love is not what you say; love is what you do. Love is an action word. Amen.
Remember friends, we are each other’s keeper and the only time we should be looking down on someone is when we are helping them up.
