A brief funeral sermon on 1 Corinthians 13

 

Our reading from 1 Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings.

But that’s not its original context.

Paul is writing to the Christian church at Corinth, which he recently founded.

And no bride in Corinth would have chosen this passage for her wedding.

In context it is a telling off, really.

The Corinthian Christians have been behaving badly and Paul is showing them the more excellent way of love:

He’s telling them to stop fighting and competing and so on, and to love one another like real Christians.

God’s love should cause them to love one another.

They need to repent and change.  

 

It seems fitting to speak of love at a funeral.

Death gives us perspective.

It shows us what really matters.

And love is surely what we rightly care about most, when we stop to think about it:

Those we have loved.

Those who have loved us.

 

You’ll be thinking of your love for ********, and her love for you, and all that she loved.  

 

Love is what matters most and what lasts, what we long for and what we remember.  

The Bible would tell us that we are made from love and for love.

That we often fall short of love.

But that God is love.

And that he goes on loving us – even though we’re not always entirely lovely.

In fact, he loves us so much that he gives his only Son, whom he loves, for us, that whosoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus has a love stronger than death.

He is the risen Lord of life and love.

His love has won and death is vanquished.

And he offers his love to us today – to all who will receive him in repentance and faith.

 

So our great reading about love is not just for weddings or for funerals.

It raises our eyes to the God who is love, who loves us.

And it calls us to depend on that love today and every day, to receive the free gift of his love, knowing that even the grave cannot overcome it.

May you know and love the God who is love, and may that love overflow to others, for Jesus’ sake.

Amen.