The best among them isLove ! ( 1 Corinthians 13 : 1 - 7 ) 13 Though I speak with thetongues of men and of angels , and have not charity , I am become as soundingbrass , or a tinkling cymbal . 2 Andthough I have the gift of prophecy , and understand all mysteries , and allknowledge ; and though I have all faith , so that I could remove mountains , andhave not charity , I am nothing . 3 Andthough I bestow all my goods to feed the poor , and though I give my body to beburned , and have not charity , it profiteth me nothing . 4 Charitysuffereth long , and is kind ; charity envieth not ; charity vaunteth not itself , is not puffed up , 5 Dothnot behave itself unseemly , seeketh not her own , is not easily provoked , thinketh no evil ; 6 Rejoicethnot in iniquity , but rejoiceth in the truth ; 7 Bearethall things , believeth all things , hopeth all things , endureth all things . Corinthian church was fullof trouble , even though God gave them so many bless , they didn ’ t seemsatisfied . They didn ’ t love each other , but they fought each other . Why did God bless and givepowers of Holy spirits to saints ( to us ) ? It is for to serve church well whichis the body of Jesus . But they didn ’ t use it to serve church but just for showoff . Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians chapter 13 to fix their wrong point of view for the spiritual gift . Today ’ s text gives usvery important message to us which is “ Every spiritual gift is unless an lessyou have love . ” Many saints of Corinthian church knew how to speak tongue , and prediction . However they missed most important piece “ Love . ” We can saythat is like a hamburger without a petty . So , Paul said “ Though I speak with the tongues of men and ofangels , and have not charity , I am become as sounding brass , or a tinklingcymbal . ” In other word there is no reason to exist . The short story “ One wish ” is one of Hermann Hesse ’ s works . Plot is likethis , When a baby born some old man came to baby ’ s mom and ask what is herwish . The mother said “ I wish this baby would love by every people in theworld . ” The wish came true as the baby grow up the baby loved by everyone , buthe became arrogant because he only knows to be loved by someone , but don ’ t knowhow to love someone else . When the baby ’ s mother meets the old person again sheasked her baby ’ s to learn how to love others . Like this story love others isimportant . ▶ There is an engraving titled “ The just man , like sandal wood , perfumes the blade that cuts him down ” byFamous artist Rouault . How beautiful way of express love ? To perfumes someonetries to hurt him . Today ’ s text have specificlist of true love . ▶ Verse 1 says “ Though I speak with the tonguesof men and of angels , and have not charity , I am become as sounding brass , or atinkling cymbal . ” This means if you have spiritual gift that makes youlook great and admirable still you are useless like a cymbal without love . Hitler was the one of thegreatest speakers , but he had no love in him . He made countless young souls togo to war and terrifying world . on the other hand , Livingstone who spreadGospel to the Africa was by his love towards natives not by his great speech . ▶ Verse 2 says “ Andthough I have the gift of prophecy , and understand all mysteries , and allknowledge ; and though I have all faith , so that I could remove mountains , andhave not charity , I am nothing . ” Ability to predict future , move a mountains , what agreat power ? But miracles without love makes him only good liar or first classreligious con man . Like Moses turned hisstaff into a snake , Egyptians also knew how to do that , but those power werenot from God and it cannot save a single soul . In Acts , Simon the magician alsotrying to by Spiritual gift with money , but he end up cursed . Spiritual gift withoutGod ’ s love is good for nothing . ▶ Verse 3 says “ Andthough I bestow all my goods to feed the poor , and though I give my body to beburned , and have not charity , it profiteth me nothing . " What is this mean ? Ifyou spend all your money for poor people without love it is useless . When wesee people donates their wealth to poor people or build a school for people itseems like miracles , especially these days it is very rare . But those miraclescould be self - satisfying , and could be for one ’ s proud without love . WhenPharisees do charity work they blew a horn before they do why ? To show off andlet world know they are helping people in result they were criticized by Jesus . In past history of Korea , manyuniversity students killed them self by pour gasoline on them and light it upbecause they hated the wrong society system and politics . They only had hate , resist , despair in their mind there was no love of salvation . In Korean War , 300000 Chinesesoilder were died for their ideology , communism . People can die by their beliefand faith . But without God ’ s love it is not good why ? Now the communism iscrushed . Some people die because ofmoney or for the name of one ’ s family but there is no salvation or eternallife . ▶ Through verse 4 ~ 7 we can see the 15 characteristics of the truelove . The love that Paul said is called Agape it is very different fromEros which is love between male and female . In Agape there are sacrifice , endure . So what are the characteristics in Agape love ? ⑴ Agape love endures . Endure here means endure without complaining , and endure with know thereason and endure with joy . One of the father of the churches Johannes Chrysostomus said “ Agape love is not avenge to people whoharm you when you able to . ” We might lack of this , endurance , we complain to easy , we give up so easy , but Gods love is different . If God didn ’ t endure for good towards human , wewill not be in God ’ s grace . ⑵ Love is gentle . Gentle means gentle , generous , and kindness . It isnot only represent mental statement but also the act towards others . Thegreatest president in U . S history Abraham Lincoln had many friend but also manyenemies . one of his political arch enemies Stanton called Lincoln as “ Low cunningclown , or Original Gorilla . ” However , when Lincoln elected as the president hemade Stanton as the Minster of National defense . Some of Lincoln ’ s friend weremad and asked him why he did that . Then Lincoln answered “ Because he is theright person for that position . ” When Lincoln was assassinated Stanton criedand crawled upon his body and said “ Here , the greatest leader in the worldhistory is lying . ” ⑶ Love doesn ’ t jealous . Definitionof Jealous is Anger which created by seeing other ’ s success , wealthy , fame , andhappiness . ▶ Adam and Eve had two sons , they separately offeredsacrifice to God . But God didn ’ t take older ones . So , older one was mad at himand eventually killed his brother . Who was the older one ? It is Cain . Jealousy causedthe first murder of history . Joseph ’ s brothers also had this jealousy in theirmind , because Joseph was their father ’ s favorite . They sold Joseph to Egypt asa slave , Jealousy is evil . ⑷ Love doesn ’ t bragging . The focus of Jealous isother people , and focus of boast is oneself . Boast maximize one ’ s work . Thereis old saying “ Empty vessel makes most sound . ” Please , how far can human goanyways ? ⑸ Love is not arrogant . Arrogance is ignoring , underestimates others in obvious way . An arrogant personthinks he or she is the best . ⑹ Love is not rude . We can hurt others feeling by being rude and think “ it is okay to be act like this because we are close , well I still love them . ” But love is not rude . ⑺ Love doesn ’ t follow one ’ s benefits . One of the characteristics of the apocalyptic era ispeople becoming selfish . They don ’ t care about others , what they care isthemselves need . But true love agape shares and gives . Inthe book ‘ Nine the three ’ by Victor - Marie Hugo there are story about mother . When the France revolution isgoing on , group of solider were travelling through the forest . They saw a mother and threechildren . Then the mother took the breed and breaks it into three pieces andgives it to her children . one of the soldiers saw that and said “ Doesn ’ t shehungry too ? ” then the sergeant said “ You idiot , that is how mother is . ” Love of mother doesn ’ t want abenefit , which is why the love of mother is higher than sky and deeper than theocean . ⑻ Love doesn ’ t get mad . Nowadays people easily get mad at something , maybe because we are living incompletion based society system . However we shouldn ’ t follow the trend , whybecause sprit of God never stays with someone angry . When we see the Act , Stephen was killed by stones thrown by his enemy , while he was hitting by thestones he prayed for the enemies . True love doesn ’ t get angry . ⑼ Love doesn ’ t think evil . Evil acts are come from evil thoughts . Crimes are coming from the thought thatwants to get some benefit from the others . Love doesn ’ t like that . ⑽ Love hates injustice . ⑾ Love enjoys with truth . Truth means Jesus here that iswhy Jesus said “ I am the way , thetruth , and the life . ” ⑿ Love endures everything . Endure also means covering or hiding . Love is like aroof that covers everythings . Love doesn ’ t criticize or reveal other ’ sweaknesses but protects other by cover and hide it . 1 Peter 4 : 8 says ” And above all things have ferventcharity among yourselves : for charity shall cover the multitude of sins . ” ⒀ Love trust everything and believes . 사랑 은 모든 것 을 믿 고 신뢰 합니다 . True love Comes from relationship based on the trust . Like husband trust wifeand wife trust husband , children trust parents and parents trust children . Brothers and sisters in the church should trust each others . ⒁ Love wishes everything and endures . Human changes all the time , believing thatpossibility of someone can change ( in a good way ) is love . Love gives a power to endure even if we are damaged . Jesusendures hardships because He loves us and His love will never ever go away . ▶ Verse 13 said , “ And now abideth faith , hope , charity , these three ; but the greatest of these is charity . ” There is no bible textsaying wealth , fame , and enjoyment can make you happy . Bible says “ He that loveth silver shall not besatisfied with silver ; nor he that loveth abundance with increase : this is alsovanity . ” ( Ecclesiastes 5 : 10 ) ⑴ but the greatest of these ischarity ! Human ’ s love is more likely tobe the love with conditions . When the condition is change , love also changes . But what is the real love ? It is love of God who also loves sinners . The agapelove of God is great love and it will never change . Isaiah 49 : 15 says ” Can a woman forget her sucking child , that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? yea , they mayforget , yet will I not forget thee . ” God never forgets us . Conclusion ) ▶ ' Augustine ' once said “ Thereis the simple way to see who is God ’ s children and who is Satan ’ s children . ” Heconcludes a person with love is God ’ s and person without love is Satan ’ s . Sotoday , this moment what is my life ? How do I live ? Does the ture love of God iscoming out from bottom of my heart or is there only fake , imitated love ? Let usask ourselves .