On Monday, we began a three-part series on the famous “Love Chapter” of the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13. We noticed how, in the middle of teaching on the subject of spiritual gifts, Paul shifted into a discussion on the nature of love. Why did he do that? Because without love, Paul explained, none of the gifts matter. OK, so what is love anyway? Today, let’s continue with the next five verses and see how Paul answered that question:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Cor. 13:4-8)

In these passages, Paul first tells us that love must be a way of life by giving us practical examples and applications of what love is and does. First, love is patient and kind. Patience is when we continue to act in a loving way toward someone whose behavior tempts us to stop loving them. And kindness is when we demonstrate love by meeting their specific need at that moment. Paul then goes on to tell us what love is not. Love isn’t jealous, or boastful or rude. When someone is acting in one of these ways, they are not acting in a loving way. And if we demand our own way or are always irritable, we are not showing the loving attitude that Jesus has toward us. So far, Paul has told us what love is and what love isn’t. Now he gives practical examples of what love doesn’t do. Love means that we don’t hold a grudge when we’ve been treated badly. Of course, none of us want to think that we would rejoice in injustice but when we eagerly pass along juicy gossip about someone’s sin, that's exactely what we are doing. Finally, Paul returns to tell us what love does. It rejoices in the truth. We celebrate with others when something good happens in their lives. And when things go wrong, a loving person will support you and hope for the best, never giving up on you even when you or your situation may not appear to be getting better.

Try this: Change the word "love" to your own name in today's passage. Read it out loud. Does that describe you? Now change the word “love” to “Jesus.” Jesus is patient and kind. Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Jesus does not demand His own way. Jesus is not irritable, and Jesus keeps no record of being wronged. Jesus does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. That's what Jesus is like...and that is very Good News!