1 Cor. 13 "I Am Nothing"

1 Corinthians 13 – Brandon Hatmaker “I Am Nothing”
Monday, June 30th, 2008

In chapter 13, Paul gives us a full list of the things we often think offer us spiritual significance. They are the things and are symbolic of things that we tend to gain personal value from or most often the things in which we measure personal success in faith.

Yet Paul said that even in these things, we are nothing and gain nothing without love.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-4

Our church’s recent study of the Book of John has given me a fresh reminder of Jesus’ mode of operation that Paul discusses in chapter 13. Simply put, it’s all about love and action motivated by compassion for others.

In John 5, Jesus had made his way to Jerusalem for a feast for the Jews. While he was there, he stopped by the Sheep Gate Pool. A place where hundreds of those who were sick and diseased crowded with hopes of healing from the stirring of the waters.

I love it that Jesus picked out one guy. He chose a guy that was unable to help himself into the pool. He was a guy that had been unable to walk for 30+ years. Scripture says he was an invalid. Jesus healed him. He didn’t use the pool. He just told him to get up, take up his mat, and walk (even on the Sabbath).

Later we see that this was the man who pointed Jesus out to the Pharisee’s as the one who told him to “carry his mat” on the Sabbath, which was against the Law. He sold Jesus out. This act of healing was the catalyst in the increasing tension for Jesus in Jerusalem. The tension that eventually led to his death on the cross.

This was not an accident. Jesus knew what He was doing. He knew in the eyes of others, he was breaking a major religious Law. He knew how it would be received. He knew it would cause tension. He was using it as part of the plan to redeem.

Here is the crux of the story for me: Even in an action that caused tension leading to his death, Jesus used an act of compassion. He healed. He didn’t just stir up trouble and talk trash. He shared love, and God’s purposes prevailed. He did the same with the woman at the well in teaching about grace, with the royal official in teaching us about faith, with the feeding of the 5000 in teaching us about the bread of life, with the healing of the blind man and revealing our spiritual blindness, with the woman caught in adultery to teach us about mercy… the list goes on and on, and is always through an act of love and compassion.

But…

We worry too much. We worry that if we really choose this path of compassion that things won’t get done, maybe out of a fear that we won’t succeed. We fear that we’ll let God down if we don’t accomplish what we set out for. We fear that others won’t see us as leaders or won’t appreciate our methods and choose not to follow us. For me, it’s always been related to a lack of trust and faith, even more so, to a lack of revelation (vision) from God. That’s my fault, because God has been speaking through the life of Jesus from the very beginning.

Simply put, pressed down, in its simplest form and at the heart of it all, Paul said it and Jesus lived it, without love we are nothing. Nothing. We gain nothing and we are nothing. The word used for love is closely translated “charity”, an act of affection or benevolence.

So we have to be careful. We have to search our hearts and motives often. Paul reminds us that even, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

We so easily make it about us. Even serving. We so easily lose perspective and can even give of ourselves selfishly… that’s crazy. And humbling. Almost seems impossible. Maybe that’s the key… we simply cannot do it of our own strength. That’s why Jesus reminded us in John 15, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” That’s an easy connection that is easily forgotten.

I’m glad it’s about love. I’m learning to trust love more. In love there is redemption. There is always a plan for reconciliation and mercy. There is always a fan for the underdog, always a hand for the down and out, always a place of healing for those seeking healing. Love takes the pressure off that we so often place ourselves under. The pressure that leads to condemnation that scripture tell us does not exist. The pressure that leads to worry that scripture tells us not to hold. The pressure that steals our joy, that Scriptures says is not only our inheritance, but in the Lord is our strength.

We have a great example through Jesus. It can certainly be trusted.