Love without all the Puff

Scripture Passage that Caught my attention today: 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3 but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Observation: People who REALLY know things don’t have to make a big deal about it. Those who don’t really know things have a tendency to want to make a big deal about things.

Application: I’ve often enjoyed watching and/or working with people in skill trades—especially those who have been doing such work for a long time. Generally speaking, they are not the kind of people who promise too much and deliver too little. They don’t tend to rush into things. They tend to take the time to prepare properly and then do the job right. They are well aware that, even then, sometimes things can get more complicated then expected. No matter; they see the job through.

The Apostle Paul is careful not to boast much about his own experiences other than to point out what God through Christ has been kind enough to do through him. And in this passage he shares how important it is to embody the love that we proclaim. Here he shares that knowledge puffs up but love builds up. Later, in chapter 13, he will say that if we understand all knowledge but do not have love, we are, well, “nothing.”

“Nothing,” by definition, is less than not much. It’s a pretty bare term that takes the air out of anything that we’ve endeavored to puff up.

“Do you love me?” said Jesus to Peter a few times in John chapter 21. Peter always replied with variations of, “yes, you know that I love you.” Jesus asked him to prove it; “feed my lambs.”

Perhaps it was Jesus’ way of saying that it was time for all the puffing to stop and the loving to begin.

Prayer: Dear Lord, as humans we tent to huff and puff with great regularity and a fair amount of pomp and circumstance. But that’s not really what you had in mind now, is it? Didn’t think so. Thanks for the reminder. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Joshua 15-17 and 1 Corinthians 8)