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“WE ARE NOT NOTHING”

1 Corinthians 13:2

I want to start by taking you back to last Sunday’s Gospel reading for a moment. If you recall, Jesus had entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and had been handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. The portion that He chose to read to those assembled was, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And then He proceeded to tell those gathered there, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing;” meaning, He was the Anointed One of whom Isaiah spoke; Jesus was the Christ.

And you might recall the reaction which His statement produced from the crowd. They tried to kill him for making that claim.

Well, to show that He was completely truthful in what He was saying, Jesus not only made that bold assertion but, as we hear in today’s text, He also backs up His words. The Gospel reading picks up right where last week’s reading left off. We are told that the Lord went down to Galilee and proceeded to cast out demons, cure sicknesses, and pronounce the forgiveness of sins. In other words, He did exactly what He said He would do—“to proclaim good news to the poor… proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind… set at liberty those who are oppressed.” There was an inseparable link between His words and His actions.

And, according to our Epistle reading for today, the same inseparable link is expected of those who follow Christ as well. If you say that you are a Christian, then that claim should be backed up by your deeds of love. Otherwise, you can speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but without the evidence of love, you are nothing more than a loud, clanging, annoying musical instrument. And even if you claim to have certain spiritual powers and exceptional Scriptural knowledge, or a faith to move mountain, but haven’t demonstrated the fruit of love that goes along with such a faith—all of your boasting isn’t worth a thing. And it certainly doesn’t matter how much you might claim to have given in donations or offerings—if it’s only a matter of pride, rather than a matter of love, you won’t gain a thing.

So, what is that love that backs up the claim to be a Christian? What does the genuine article look like?

Love is patient and kind. In other words, it isn’t quick to label someone as a ‘disappointment’, just because they might not have lived up to your personal expectations. Love does not envy or boast. Rather it is content with what God has given to them when it seems as though others might have more. Nor does it brag in an attempt to make oneself appear superior to another. Love is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; as though one’s own way is the faultless way. Love is not irritable or resentful, especially when someone happens to sin against you; for, we know that somewhere along the way we have probably been guilty of the same offense toward someone else. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, as we are so often prone to do especially in the midst of gossip. But, rather, love rejoices with the truth; especially when that truth builds someone up and encourages them instead of tearing down their character.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

And we say to ourselves—that’s a tall order. Yes, it is as lofty as anything can possibly be. And for many, it would be at this point that they simply throw their hands up in the air if to say, “Well, what’s the use in even trying?” And they simply content themselves with the empty claim of being a Christian without the God-given proof that they are a Christian.

And, yes, it certainly is a God-given proof of which we are speaking. Having given His Son, not only to die for us but also to live within us, He’s not about to let us off the hook so easily. Like Jeremiah in the Old Testament reading, who wanted to wriggle out of his calling as a prophet by claiming, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” “But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’.”

Isn’t that something? God wouldn’t allow Jeremiah to say such a thing—to even suggest that He was exempt from God’s calling was forbidden. For, the Lord continued, “to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” You cannot argue with God. When He speaks, we must obey; especially when it comes to His command that we should always treat one another in love.

But, here’s the thing about God’s commands—yes, He most certainly recognizes our shortcomings. He knows exactly what kinds of people He is dealing with. He knows our limitations. Therefore—listen carefully—whatever God requires of us, He makes sure that He gives to us. Therefore, He says to Jeremiah, concerning the people to whom He is sending the prophet, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” And Jeremiah says, “Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.”

Christians are people who are to back up their claim by demonstrating their love for others. And, so, what does God do? That’s right—He places His love into our hearts.

There are no excuses on our parts. We can’t say, “No, I just can’t do it. I can’t love those who don’t love me in return. I can’t forgive those who have trespassed against me.” We simply cannot cling to that groundless defense; because God knows better. He knows the holy gifts that He has given to you.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” Spiritually speaking, you are no longer children. Yes, you are children of God in regard to the relationship you have been blessed to share with the heavenly Father. But, no longer can we try to use that as an excuse to behave in a childish manner; not when there is so much at stake; not when there is a fierce battle to be waged against sin and the forces of evil.

The fact that, in the Gospel reading, our Lord was engaged in casting demons out many who were possessed reminds us of what God’s Word tells us—namely, that, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places,” (Eph. 6:12). The old evil foe is still very much alive and at work; and blissful ignorance does not stand a chance against his powers. Likewise, the Christian who is not willing to accept that God is at work in us by the power of His own Spirit to enable us to act according to His good pleasure… that person is nothing.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.” Well, that very same Spirit is also upon you as well. And, therefore, God has every right to expect that your life will be a reflection of the faith, hope, and the love that He has poured into your hearts.

Thanks be to God—we are not nothing. We are more than something. We are those who have been redeemed by Christ, born again unto a lively hope, and filled with power of His love—to live as those whom we claim to be, by His most precious grace.





Jeremiah 1:4–10

4Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” 9Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”



1 Corinthians 12:31b—13:13

31bI will show you a still more excellent way. 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.



Luke 4:31–44

31[Jesus] went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 38And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 42And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.