These verses are frequently read at weddings, but in their setting in this letter, they are a call to look outward to the needs of others, sandwiched between two chapters on the Spirit’s gifts (1 Corinthians 12 and 14). Love is opposed to the self-promoting culture of Corinth – and much of today’s world – for love focuses outside ourselves. Paul approaches this from two angles.

First, he uses several examples to show that without an attitude of love, actions are empty (vs 1–3). Lots of these examples reflect gifts mentioned in the previous chapter: tongues, prophecy, knowledge, understanding, faith. Do them without love and nothing is achieved, because they won’t point others to Christ, but draw attention to the doer.

Second, Paul piles up fifteen characteristics of love in just four verses (vs 4–7), some positive (what love is) and some negative (what love isn’t). True spirituality, true knowledge of God, is not about feelings. Rather, the way you know if a person is spiritual, says Paul, is by their generous love, reflecting and pointing to the love of Christ for us.

‘Love divine, all loves excelling, / joy of heaven, to earth come down’.¹ 

1 Corinthians 13 is one of the few passages that today’s non-Christians might recognise. This presents an opportunity for us to embody what is set forth here and commend the source of the love which, by his grace alone, we are able to share. 

These verses show what real love is, the love that is exemplified in Jesus. Read the passage slowly, replacing the word ‘love’ with ‘Jesus’. Not only does everything fit, but the characteristics of love are fleshed out as we think of the many ways Jesus practised them in his ministry. He is the embodiment of divine love. These verses call us both to worship him and to follow him. 

Notice especially how ‘patience’ and ‘perseverance’ bookend verses 4–7. These particular qualities explicitly underscore the truth that you can’t hurry love. By definition, being patient and persevering takes time. If we live at 100 miles an hour, hurtling from place to place and person to person as we work through our never-ending lists of tasks, then we simply won’t be able to love as God defines it. If we are to show Christ-shaped love we have to take time, to be patient with that awkward person, to persevere when a relationship needs work. John Mark Comer calls us to the ‘ruthless elimination of hurry’,² a vital challenge when we live in an ‘accelerated culture’ which demands that we put our foot down and head for the fast lane.³ This may mean paring down our unfeasible to-do lists (which are often self-generated) and simplifying our lives. If we don’t do this, we won’t have time to show patience and perseverance. It then follows we won’t have time for something that is central to faithful discipleship. We won’t have time for love. 

Are there things you can cut from your life, distractions which erode time for patience and perseverance with those God has given you specially to love? 

¹ C Wesley, 1707–33  ² Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Hodder, 2019  ³ D Coupland, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, Abacus, 1992