Love -- The Basic Christian Call
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series III, Cycle C
During the 56 years of his life, Adolf Hitler did incredible harm and was responsible for the death of millions of people. Yet in all of the horror that he unleashed, there were pinpoints of light and nobility. One German soldier, Private Joseph Schultz, was one of those pinpoints.
Schultz was sent to Yugoslavia shortly after the Germans invaded that country. He was a loyal, young, German soldier on patrol. One day the sergeant called out eight names, his among them. They thought they were going on a routine patrol. As they hitched up their rifles, they came over a hill, still not knowing what their mission was. There they encountered eight Yugoslavians, standing on the brow of a hill, five men and three women. It was only when they were about fifty feet away from them, when any marksman could shoot out the eye of a pheasant, that the soldiers realized what their mission was.
The soldiers were lined up. The sergeant barked out, "Ready!" and they lifted their rifles. "Aim," and the soldiers got their sights set. Then suddenly in the silence that prevailed there was the thud of a rifle butt against the ground. The sergeant, the seven other soldiers, and those eight Yugoslavians stopped and looked. Private Joseph Schultz walked toward the Yugoslavians. His sergeant called after him and ordered him to come back, but he pretended not to hear him. Instead, Schultz walked fifty feet to the mound of the hill and he joined hands with the eight Yugoslavians. There was a moment of silence, and then the sergeant yelled, "Fire!" Private Schultz died that day, his blood mingled with those of the innocent men and women. Found on his body was an excerpt from Saint Paul: "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7).
This true story from World War II demonstrates the concept of love as articulated by Saint Paul in his famous passage from 1 Corinthians. The many manifestations of love are brought together by Paul who understood this powerful emotion through his imitation of Jesus and the latter's commandment of love. We are similarly called to love without reservation.
Saint Paul begins his teaching by describing the many ways love excels all other virtues. He says one may be able to speak with great force and angelic quality, but if there is no love behind the words, the person is a noisy gong or clanging symbol. Clearly, the intent, the reason one speaks is of great importance for Paul. One must speak with the proper intent -- never to injure, but always to demonstrate love. This does not mean, at times, that hard words are not necessary. Tough love may demand words that others do not want to hear; to act in any other way would not be a demonstration of love.
The apostle then speaks of the power of love over prophecy. We may have been given the gift to understand great mysteries and the opportunity to proclaim them to others, but without love we are not utilizing the gift in an appropriate manner. Knowledge is given to aid others and to build the kingdom of God. If, however, we do not have love in our use of this knowledge it is easy to misuse it or to utilize it in inappropriate ways. It will not be used to build the kingdom.
Again, Paul says we may have faith so strong we can move mountains, yet without love we have nothing. Faith in God mandates that we have great love; faith without love cannot be faith in God, for God is love.
Lastly, Paul says if we give all we have away and give our bodies over for others to use in some way but do not possess love we gain nothing. There is no activity of charity or compassion that can be rightly done without love. We may give but if there is no love behind our gift, then most probably we are giving only to be noticed by others, not for the appropriate reasons.
Thus, Paul provides ample evidence to the reality that love is the basic Christian virtue. It is the foundation upon which all is built; it is the root from which all of Christianity blossoms. Love is absolutely essential if we are to live the Christian life as Jesus outlined it in his words and deeds. While Paul could not have read any of the gospels, he seemed to know a great deal about Jesus, including his new commandment of love. Jesus expresses it powerfully.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
-- John 13:34-35
Paul's idea that love is the base of Christianity is clear, but how can we know we actually love as Jesus commanded? The apostle helps us answer this question by providing an important list of qualities present in one who loves. First, he says love is patient. We know patience is a virtue in short supply these days. The humorous little prayer demonstrates our difficulty with patience: "O, Lord, grant me patience and give it to me now!" We don't want to wait for anything these days, in our world and in our personal lives, both of which mandate instant answers and results. We are all impatient, especially when we have no control over responses or results. Paul suggests if we truly love we will demonstrate patience.
Next, he says love is kind. Often impatience leads to a very unkind attitude; we become angry quite readily. The way we approach people and situations is too often far less than kind. We are adversarial; we are right and others are wrong. We somehow believe if we are too kind we demonstrate weakness and others will take advantage of us. Yet, Paul suggests we are not people of love if we cannot demonstrate kindness to our brothers and sisters.
The apostle continues by saying love is never envious or boastful. There are certainly major problems in our society today. We are always trying to impress people with who we are or the things we do. We observe this in many professional athletes, television and movie stars, and politicians. But even more Paul is suggesting that a boastful or envious attitude will destroy relationships. True love for another cannot allow us to be envious of who others are or what they do. We are told by Paul that love is never resentful. If we are envious we are often resentful of what others have been given. We desire their power, wealth, prestige, or some combination of these three. We cannot "lord it over others" simply because circumstance or situation has placed us above others on the corporate or social ladders. True love is incompatible with attitudes that differentiate between peoples or place one person ahead or behind another.
Paul concludes his discussion of love's qualities by providing a list of attributes that demonstrate the positive nature and hopefulness of love. He says love bears through any hardship. We know love is greatly tested when problems and the vicissitudes of life come our way. The person of true love can look down the road and bear through to the end. This is possible because people who love can believe all things are possible. With love, meaning with God, all things truly are possible. We can hope in all things because with love hope is possible. As a popular expression goes, "Hope springs eternal." Love will endure to the end.
Yes, Paul believes love is eternal. While prophecies end through their fulfillment, tongues will fall into disuse, and even knowledge will be lost over time, love will endure. Prophecy, knowledge, and all other ideas are only found in part, but love is eternal. Love is the fulfillment of our life. Paul expresses this idea by seeing love as the adult response to life. In the end, he summarizes his teaching by saying, of all the great virtues of faith, hope, and love, the greatest and, therefore, the base of the Christian life is love.
How can we manifest this great love of God? Joan Baez, the famous folk singer of the 1960s, sang a song titled "Love Is Just A Four Letter Word." The lyrics of the song express the idea that because love is a short word of only four letters it might be thought to be a simple concept. We know, however, that this base virtue of the Christian life is anything but simple. Its manifestations are many. As Private Schultz understood by his heroic actions, love never delights in evil, but rather rejoices in the truth.
The Greeks, a wise and highly sophisticated ancient civilization, understood the complexity of love. Their language uses three words to express the one we have in English. The concept of eros speaks of specialized romantic love. Obviously this is an integral element of love where men and women demonstrate their total commitment to each other in marriage. All the qualities of which Paul speaks must clearly be put into a relationship of eros. Unfortunately, today we often see the consequences when one or both parties in such a relationship cannot fulfill the qualities and characteristics of which Paul writes.
The Greeks used the word phileo to describe brotherly and sisterly love. We have many relationships with members of our family, good friends, colleagues and associates at work, as well as neighbors in our city or town. We must show love for them as well. We cannot like all people; we will only choose to associate for social recreation with a limited group. Others, let us face reality, we might choose to avoid for a whole host of reasons, some of which might be appropriate, but others not very sound. Yet, we are called to demonstrate love to all. In essence we are called to respect people, to never seek our advantage over them, nor denigrate their person or the ideas they express simply because we do not agree. Love calls us to show this common respect.
Lastly, the Greeks use the word agape to express their highest form of love -- service to one another. While Paul's exhortation on love, on initial examination, does not seem to speak of service, yet all of these qualities are endemic to it. Service requires us to go out of our way, beyond our immediate purview to meet the needs of some of our brothers and sisters. In such endeavors we must show patience and kindness. We must never be boastful or arrogant, placing ourselves above others. We have all heard the expression, "If not by the grace of God, there go I." Our Christian commitment to love calls us to serve others. We must never shirk this most important responsibility.
The manifestations of love are many. Few of us will ever be tested to love as was Private Schultz. His faith constitution was obviously strong, and he made his decision to stand with the Yugoslavians as an act of love. Still, we are challenged on a daily basis to show love, to manifest in our lives with spouses, friends, and associates, and God's people more generally the special qualities of love that Paul describes today. Let us take some time to look into our hearts and ask, "How have we loved today? What more do we need to do?" When we find the answers, let us have the courage as did Private Schultz, Saint Paul, and Jesus of Nazareth and manifest love to others in all that we say and do. If we can, our reward in heaven will be great. Amen.
Schultz was sent to Yugoslavia shortly after the Germans invaded that country. He was a loyal, young, German soldier on patrol. One day the sergeant called out eight names, his among them. They thought they were going on a routine patrol. As they hitched up their rifles, they came over a hill, still not knowing what their mission was. There they encountered eight Yugoslavians, standing on the brow of a hill, five men and three women. It was only when they were about fifty feet away from them, when any marksman could shoot out the eye of a pheasant, that the soldiers realized what their mission was.
The soldiers were lined up. The sergeant barked out, "Ready!" and they lifted their rifles. "Aim," and the soldiers got their sights set. Then suddenly in the silence that prevailed there was the thud of a rifle butt against the ground. The sergeant, the seven other soldiers, and those eight Yugoslavians stopped and looked. Private Joseph Schultz walked toward the Yugoslavians. His sergeant called after him and ordered him to come back, but he pretended not to hear him. Instead, Schultz walked fifty feet to the mound of the hill and he joined hands with the eight Yugoslavians. There was a moment of silence, and then the sergeant yelled, "Fire!" Private Schultz died that day, his blood mingled with those of the innocent men and women. Found on his body was an excerpt from Saint Paul: "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7).
This true story from World War II demonstrates the concept of love as articulated by Saint Paul in his famous passage from 1 Corinthians. The many manifestations of love are brought together by Paul who understood this powerful emotion through his imitation of Jesus and the latter's commandment of love. We are similarly called to love without reservation.
Saint Paul begins his teaching by describing the many ways love excels all other virtues. He says one may be able to speak with great force and angelic quality, but if there is no love behind the words, the person is a noisy gong or clanging symbol. Clearly, the intent, the reason one speaks is of great importance for Paul. One must speak with the proper intent -- never to injure, but always to demonstrate love. This does not mean, at times, that hard words are not necessary. Tough love may demand words that others do not want to hear; to act in any other way would not be a demonstration of love.
The apostle then speaks of the power of love over prophecy. We may have been given the gift to understand great mysteries and the opportunity to proclaim them to others, but without love we are not utilizing the gift in an appropriate manner. Knowledge is given to aid others and to build the kingdom of God. If, however, we do not have love in our use of this knowledge it is easy to misuse it or to utilize it in inappropriate ways. It will not be used to build the kingdom.
Again, Paul says we may have faith so strong we can move mountains, yet without love we have nothing. Faith in God mandates that we have great love; faith without love cannot be faith in God, for God is love.
Lastly, Paul says if we give all we have away and give our bodies over for others to use in some way but do not possess love we gain nothing. There is no activity of charity or compassion that can be rightly done without love. We may give but if there is no love behind our gift, then most probably we are giving only to be noticed by others, not for the appropriate reasons.
Thus, Paul provides ample evidence to the reality that love is the basic Christian virtue. It is the foundation upon which all is built; it is the root from which all of Christianity blossoms. Love is absolutely essential if we are to live the Christian life as Jesus outlined it in his words and deeds. While Paul could not have read any of the gospels, he seemed to know a great deal about Jesus, including his new commandment of love. Jesus expresses it powerfully.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
-- John 13:34-35
Paul's idea that love is the base of Christianity is clear, but how can we know we actually love as Jesus commanded? The apostle helps us answer this question by providing an important list of qualities present in one who loves. First, he says love is patient. We know patience is a virtue in short supply these days. The humorous little prayer demonstrates our difficulty with patience: "O, Lord, grant me patience and give it to me now!" We don't want to wait for anything these days, in our world and in our personal lives, both of which mandate instant answers and results. We are all impatient, especially when we have no control over responses or results. Paul suggests if we truly love we will demonstrate patience.
Next, he says love is kind. Often impatience leads to a very unkind attitude; we become angry quite readily. The way we approach people and situations is too often far less than kind. We are adversarial; we are right and others are wrong. We somehow believe if we are too kind we demonstrate weakness and others will take advantage of us. Yet, Paul suggests we are not people of love if we cannot demonstrate kindness to our brothers and sisters.
The apostle continues by saying love is never envious or boastful. There are certainly major problems in our society today. We are always trying to impress people with who we are or the things we do. We observe this in many professional athletes, television and movie stars, and politicians. But even more Paul is suggesting that a boastful or envious attitude will destroy relationships. True love for another cannot allow us to be envious of who others are or what they do. We are told by Paul that love is never resentful. If we are envious we are often resentful of what others have been given. We desire their power, wealth, prestige, or some combination of these three. We cannot "lord it over others" simply because circumstance or situation has placed us above others on the corporate or social ladders. True love is incompatible with attitudes that differentiate between peoples or place one person ahead or behind another.
Paul concludes his discussion of love's qualities by providing a list of attributes that demonstrate the positive nature and hopefulness of love. He says love bears through any hardship. We know love is greatly tested when problems and the vicissitudes of life come our way. The person of true love can look down the road and bear through to the end. This is possible because people who love can believe all things are possible. With love, meaning with God, all things truly are possible. We can hope in all things because with love hope is possible. As a popular expression goes, "Hope springs eternal." Love will endure to the end.
Yes, Paul believes love is eternal. While prophecies end through their fulfillment, tongues will fall into disuse, and even knowledge will be lost over time, love will endure. Prophecy, knowledge, and all other ideas are only found in part, but love is eternal. Love is the fulfillment of our life. Paul expresses this idea by seeing love as the adult response to life. In the end, he summarizes his teaching by saying, of all the great virtues of faith, hope, and love, the greatest and, therefore, the base of the Christian life is love.
How can we manifest this great love of God? Joan Baez, the famous folk singer of the 1960s, sang a song titled "Love Is Just A Four Letter Word." The lyrics of the song express the idea that because love is a short word of only four letters it might be thought to be a simple concept. We know, however, that this base virtue of the Christian life is anything but simple. Its manifestations are many. As Private Schultz understood by his heroic actions, love never delights in evil, but rather rejoices in the truth.
The Greeks, a wise and highly sophisticated ancient civilization, understood the complexity of love. Their language uses three words to express the one we have in English. The concept of eros speaks of specialized romantic love. Obviously this is an integral element of love where men and women demonstrate their total commitment to each other in marriage. All the qualities of which Paul speaks must clearly be put into a relationship of eros. Unfortunately, today we often see the consequences when one or both parties in such a relationship cannot fulfill the qualities and characteristics of which Paul writes.
The Greeks used the word phileo to describe brotherly and sisterly love. We have many relationships with members of our family, good friends, colleagues and associates at work, as well as neighbors in our city or town. We must show love for them as well. We cannot like all people; we will only choose to associate for social recreation with a limited group. Others, let us face reality, we might choose to avoid for a whole host of reasons, some of which might be appropriate, but others not very sound. Yet, we are called to demonstrate love to all. In essence we are called to respect people, to never seek our advantage over them, nor denigrate their person or the ideas they express simply because we do not agree. Love calls us to show this common respect.
Lastly, the Greeks use the word agape to express their highest form of love -- service to one another. While Paul's exhortation on love, on initial examination, does not seem to speak of service, yet all of these qualities are endemic to it. Service requires us to go out of our way, beyond our immediate purview to meet the needs of some of our brothers and sisters. In such endeavors we must show patience and kindness. We must never be boastful or arrogant, placing ourselves above others. We have all heard the expression, "If not by the grace of God, there go I." Our Christian commitment to love calls us to serve others. We must never shirk this most important responsibility.
The manifestations of love are many. Few of us will ever be tested to love as was Private Schultz. His faith constitution was obviously strong, and he made his decision to stand with the Yugoslavians as an act of love. Still, we are challenged on a daily basis to show love, to manifest in our lives with spouses, friends, and associates, and God's people more generally the special qualities of love that Paul describes today. Let us take some time to look into our hearts and ask, "How have we loved today? What more do we need to do?" When we find the answers, let us have the courage as did Private Schultz, Saint Paul, and Jesus of Nazareth and manifest love to others in all that we say and do. If we can, our reward in heaven will be great. Amen.
