Love is never boastful

Norah Summers February 06, 2022 0 0

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1 Corinthians 13:4, Luke 5:1-11 (NIVUK)

(1 Corinthians 13) 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

(Luke 5) 1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding round him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’

5 Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

If I say I am never boastful, am I boasting? This is about attitudes, but also about language.

Haven’t the words ‘positive’ and ’negative’ acquired new connotations!

We usually perceive’ love’ as a positive word, a positive emotion – but sadly we know that both aspects can be, and are, frequently abused.

The themes of the reflections this week are all expressed in negatives – all the things that love isn’t or doesn’t.

So, love is never boastful or conceited.

Now, it is a fact that I am much better at loading the dishwasher than my husband is, but it isn’t conducive to marital harmony to boast about it.

Besides he is better at cutting the grass (though I’m better at doing the edges).

We have never fallen out about any of these things, which are essentially trivial, but it is easy to see how one person’s feeling of superiority can mean the other’s inferiority, and can lead to real humiliation and worse.

Real love is never boastful.

PRAYER:

Loving God,

God of positive love,

the love which seeks the other’s good,

the love which is not conceited,

the love which does not put anyone down –

teach us to love ourselves and others,

giving proper respect and worth to all your people.