When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
When Jesus told his parables, they were at times so subtle that the intended target may have missed it. The Prodigal Son parable, for instance, attacked the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. This anecdote, seemingly about Paul’s growth to maturity, was more of an accusation against the Corinthian church that they were thinking like children. It is also a message for us that we will never be truly mature until we see Jesus face to face. We will see Jesus and Jesus will see us!
That has an amazing effect on how we live our lives. At least it should. The result of our walk with Jesus Christ, along with the spiritual gifts, is the message of verse 13, faith, hope, and love. Even our faith is a gift of God and the hope that it gives us. But as Paul wrote, the greatest of these gifts is love. That is the great result of faith and hope. We love the Lord, one another, and our neighbor. Such is the gift that we even pray for our enemies, at the command of Jesus.
Dear Lord, thank you for the gifts of faith, hope, and love. May we share the love of Jesus with someone today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church