‘Love… is not rude (does not dishonour others), it is not self-seeking…’ (13:5)
Our ultimate model of love is Christ. Christ shows us what God is like in His perfect love. Jesus was and is not rude or self-seeking. A Christian or church in which the Spirit is working will grow in Christ-like love.
If we worship, seek to know and learn about Christ, we will become less rude and self-seeking. However, if we give our minds to rude entertainment we will become less considerate. We are encouraged:
‘In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…’ (Philippians 2:5)
We do not model ourselves on successful celebrities, business leaders, characters on the screen, social media influencers… we are to seek the same mindset as Christ Jesus. We are not left in the dark as to what having the same mindset of Christ means:
‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!’ (Philippians 2:6-8)
Jesus served the Father and us by going to the cross for sin. Self-giving love is to inform our definition of God and what it means to be like Him; Martin Luther wrote:
'The cross itself will be the foundation and criterion of all thought about God.' (Martin Luther)
In Jesus’ death we see the glory of God - His love and nature - like nowhere else. Here we see how we have been loved. However, the cross also informs us how we are to love others. William Klein wrote:
'The wisdom of the cross, by contrast, serves others, no matter how much it costs.' (Klein, William)
Jesus was not rude (dishonouring) and self-seeking. He did the will of His Father as He went to the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, as He approach His death, He prayed the ultimate unselfish prayer:
‘Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ (Matthew 26:39)
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