Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, IS NOT PUFFED UP; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NKJV).
Pride
Most uncooked things that puff up are bad. This has been true for ages, and throughout history puffing is a precursor to putrescence. Decomposing bodies puff just before they burst. It's a rule.
Prideful love is an oxymoron of sorts, like dry wetness, or brilliant darkness, or clear mud, but it's possible to experience prideful love. In fact, it happens all the time among humans. The most glaring symptom is the uneven couple, also called loving down, or pity love. One of the pair is (or believes him/herself to be) better looking or smarter or more powerful or more moral or more spiritual or more whatever, as long as the "whatever" is something deemed valuable. It happens among and within families, too, biological as well as church families, social circles, work cadres, you name it. Wherever humans relate there be pride. It's a rule. And just as in the physical world, pride is a precursor to ugly things.
The thing about pride and true agape love is that they cannot coexist. In the context of this verse, I believe Paul is referring to someone who thinks from the human standpoint that the mere fact that he or she bestows love is something to be proud of, and that's ridiculous. Secondarily, the apostle may also be describing someone who believes that the mere fact of their loving someone elevates the value of that someone, which is equally ridiculous. These are preposterous delusions for one simple reason, agape love is not possible without the Spirit of God pouring out His love in our hearts, and what is ours by gifting can never be something about which we can boast, or feel proud. And by its very nature, God's love is without pride. It is the essence of humility.
Love that is puffed up is not love of the other at all. It is love of self. We humans excel at self-love, despite popular wisdom to the contrary. We do not lack self-esteem, we are filled with it to the point of bursting (see first sentence). Everything we do in our natural state is tainted, infected really, with pride. And like a red and swollen lesion, unchecked and untreated, soon that site of infection can spread and ultimately kill.
As always, the remedy is Jesus, knowing of Him and knowing Him. He is the perfect example of love without pride, the love that nurtures and restores, that brings to bear all goodness and no darkness at all. The love that sacrifices everything, including pride, for the good of the loved.
Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having LOVED His own who were in the world, He LOVED them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:1-5, NKJV).
Pride
Most uncooked things that puff up are bad. This has been true for ages, and throughout history puffing is a precursor to putrescence. Decomposing bodies puff just before they burst. It's a rule.
Prideful love is an oxymoron of sorts, like dry wetness, or brilliant darkness, or clear mud, but it's possible to experience prideful love. In fact, it happens all the time among humans. The most glaring symptom is the uneven couple, also called loving down, or pity love. One of the pair is (or believes him/herself to be) better looking or smarter or more powerful or more moral or more spiritual or more whatever, as long as the "whatever" is something deemed valuable. It happens among and within families, too, biological as well as church families, social circles, work cadres, you name it. Wherever humans relate there be pride. It's a rule. And just as in the physical world, pride is a precursor to ugly things.
The thing about pride and true agape love is that they cannot coexist. In the context of this verse, I believe Paul is referring to someone who thinks from the human standpoint that the mere fact that he or she bestows love is something to be proud of, and that's ridiculous. Secondarily, the apostle may also be describing someone who believes that the mere fact of their loving someone elevates the value of that someone, which is equally ridiculous. These are preposterous delusions for one simple reason, agape love is not possible without the Spirit of God pouring out His love in our hearts, and what is ours by gifting can never be something about which we can boast, or feel proud. And by its very nature, God's love is without pride. It is the essence of humility.
Love that is puffed up is not love of the other at all. It is love of self. We humans excel at self-love, despite popular wisdom to the contrary. We do not lack self-esteem, we are filled with it to the point of bursting (see first sentence). Everything we do in our natural state is tainted, infected really, with pride. And like a red and swollen lesion, unchecked and untreated, soon that site of infection can spread and ultimately kill.
As always, the remedy is Jesus, knowing of Him and knowing Him. He is the perfect example of love without pride, the love that nurtures and restores, that brings to bear all goodness and no darkness at all. The love that sacrifices everything, including pride, for the good of the loved.
Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having LOVED His own who were in the world, He LOVED them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:1-5, NKJV).
