The Most Important Thing (Part 1)

Love is the most important thing in life!

February 26, 2019

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, 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 charity, 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 charity, it profiteth me nothing."

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Part 1

These verses for today are from the “love chapter” of the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13.  Before listing the qualities of love, the Apostle shares some comparisons to help us understand just how powerful this quality of love is.

“…and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.”
Imagine having the ability to speak like an angel, one of God’s heavenly messengers.  We could speak heavenly words and never be tongue-tied or make a mistake in our grammar or diction!  Our thoughts would flow, and our message would always be crystal clear.  We could out-speak the greatest human orators.  But then this verse points out that there is something far greater than the ability to speak like an angel, it is loving others.

A loveless person is a “sounding brass,” loud and noisy, but it’s sound irritating, and no one care to listen to it.  And a “tinkling cymbal,” the Greek word is of a “war-cry,” a terrible sound.

It “… properly denotes a loud cry, or shout, such as is used in battle; and then also a loud cry or mourning, cries of lamentation or grief,”1 (Barnes).

Picture it, when we are unloving, anything we have to say sounds like the harshest noises that no one wants to hear.  I might have the best “salvation testimony,” but if I am unloving, who will listen to my words?

Come back tomorrow to see why love is so crucial for us.

 

 

 

1.  Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.