The Supremacy Of Love

“In his book Chicken Soup for the Soul, Eric Butterworth tells of a college sociology class that was sent into the Baltimore slums to take case histories of 200 young boys. The students were required to write an evaluation of each boy’s projected future, and in virtually every case, they wrote, “He hasn’t got a chance.”

“Some twenty-five years later, another professor came across the earlier study and decided to do a follow-up study. With the exception of twenty boys who had died or moved, the study revealed that 176 of the remaining 180 boys had gone on to surprising success, with many becoming lawyers, doctors, and leading businessmen.

“When the men were asked for the reasons that contributed to their successes, they all pointed to one particular teacher who had influenced them. The teacher was still alive, so the professor went to visit her to ask how she had influenced boys seemingly destined for poverty and crime to become such success stories. “It’s really very simple,” she responded. “I loved those boys.”*

The life-changing power of love is truly amazing! It’s also something that the Bible has taught all along. Notice how Jesus emphasizes it. When someone asks Him about the greatest commandment, here is what he says: “And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets”” (Matthew 22:37-40). I suppose that’s why Paul would promote love as supreme over human and angelic speech, over prophecy and knowledge, and over sacrificial generosity (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). These things are all important in their own way but will fail. But love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Even faith and hope, as vital as they are, yield to the supremacy of love -- “...the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). 

God loves you!

Mike

*Robert R. Kopp, Logans Ferry Presbyterian Church, New Kensington, PA