[CHAPTER II.]
LOVE, THE MOTIVE POWER FOR SERVICE.
Let me call your attention to Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, thirteenth chapter: In reading this passage let us use the word “love” instead of “charity”:—“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.”
It is a great thing to be a prophet like Daniel, or Isaiah, or Elijah, or Elisha; but it is a greater thing, we are told here, to be full of love than to be filled with the spirit of prophecy. Mary of Bethany, who was so full of love, held a higher position than these great prophets did.
“Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease: whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
The enemy had got into that little Church at Corinth established by Paul, and there was strife among the disciples. One said, “I am of Apollos;” another, “I am of Cephas;” and another, “I am of Paul.” Paul saw that this sectarian strife and want of love among God’s dear people would be disastrous to the Church of God, and so he wrote this letter. I have often said that if every true believer could move into this chapter and live in the spirit of it for twelve months, the Church of God would double its numbers within that time. One of the great obstacles in the way of God’s work to-day is this want of love among those who are the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we love a person we will not be pointing out his failings all the time. It is said: “Many rules of eloquence have been set forth, but, strange, to say, the first and most essential of all has been overlooked, namely, love. To address men well they must be loved much. Whatever they may be, be they ever so guilty, or indifferent, or ungrateful, or however deeply sunk in crime, before all, and above all, they must be loved. Love is the sap of the Gospel, the secret of lively and effectual preaching, the magic power of eloquence. The end of preaching is to reclaim the hearts of men to God, and nothing but love can find out the mysterious avenues which lead to the heart. If then you do not feel a fervent love and profound pity for humanity, be assured that the gift of Christian eloquence has been denied you. You will not win souls, neither will you acquire that most excellent of earthly sovereignties—sovereignty over human hearts. An Arab proverb runs thus—‘The neck is bent by the sword, but heart is only bent by heart.’ Love is irresistible.”
Look at these words: “Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not.” How often it happens that if one outshines another there is apt to be envy in our hearts toward that one; we want a great deal of grace to keep it down. “Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” One of the worst enemies that Christians have to contend with is this spirit of rivalry—this feeling, “Who shall be the greatest?”
Some years ago I read a book that did me a great deal of good. It was entitled, “The Training of the Twelve.” The writer said that Christ spent most of His time during the three years He was engaged publicly about His Father’s business in training twelve men. The training He gave them was very different from the training of the schools at the present day. The world teaches men that they must seek to be great; Christ taught that His disciples must be little; that in honor they must prefer one another; that they are not to be puffed up, not to harbor feelings of envy, but to be full of meekness and gentleness, and lowliness of heart.