Love

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."  1 Cor. 13:1-3
Usually we only hear or read these verses and those that follow them from 1 Corinthians 13 at weddings. At this Passover/Resurrection season, I was drawn to think about these verses. The Apostle Paul was a no-nonsense taskmaster when it came to teaching true doctrine to his churches, yet he preached the above as the most important thing to seek in his spiritual life, and it had nothing to do with doctrines, holy behavior, do's and don'ts. Religious excellence and charitable behavior on their own have nothing to do with it, even though Paul was a most excellent candidate in all of these things: he had a death experience, and saw paradise, then returned to the living. He was given direct revelation from Christ. He was schooled in the Torah all of his life by the most expert teachers of his day. Of his Jewish background, and scriptural learning, he could out boast anyone. Of spiritual gifts and apostolic authority, there was no one greater. Instead of these claims to excellence, he talks instead about a more excellent gift. It is a gift so great that it makes all other spiritual gifts and knowledge nothing by comparison. Even Paul the Apostle, if he is without this greatest gift, becomes nothing. Without this great gift, even mountain-moving faith becomes nothing. This greatest spiritual gift that Paul is talking about is, of course, love, also called "charity" in some translations.
The Greek word used is agape, and it does indeed men "love". The meaning, however, is not really expressed completely to us by that one word, "love". Agape is not just an emotion of the heart, but an attitude of the head that dominates a life. In describing the word, the Concordance says it means "affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love, love feasts, dear". The root word agapao means "love, beloved, to welcome, to entertain, to love dearly, to be well pleased, to be contented with a thing". This root word brings to mind the declaration of the Father regarding His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased (Mt. 3:17, Lk. 3:22, 2 Pet. 1:17). We then continue back to another root word, phileo, which means "to approve of, to like, sanction, treat affectionately or kindly, to show signs of love, to kiss as a mark of tenderness (therefore the irony in Jesus' question of "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Lk. 22:48), personal attachment. Back further, we find the root, philos, meaning "a frend, associate, wish one well, companion", and most interestingly, "friend of the bridegroom who asks on his friend's behalf the hand of the bride and renders him various services in closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials".
The Concordance explains that it derives its connotation of the word "love" from that word's use in the Song of Songs, which describes love in several chapters and verses. We could say that the revelation from King Solomon and one importance of this poetic and mysterious Book in scripture is the unveiling of "Love". This verse from Song is among the several noted:
"He brought (go in, enter, come with, attain to) me to the banqueting (wine) house and his banner (large military standard, as was used over each of the twelve tribes of Israel, to look, behold, chiefest, to cover over, the idea of shining bright light, conspicuous, distinguished, furnished or arrayed) over me was love (love, desire, friend, lover)."  S/S 2:4
We might then be able to say that in our Communion (like the house of wine) with Jesus, He has set a standard over us as a thirteenth tribe, and that tribe is the tribe of Love.
The Song of Songs also associates the love shared between the lovers with fragrance in several verses. The spices and oils of this fragrance include myrrh, frankincense, henna blooms, fragrant powders, spikenard, saffron, cinnamon, lilies, Rose of Sharon, cedar and fir, and others. Of the Bridegroom it is exclaimed, "Your name is like perfume/ointment poured out. No wonder the young women love you. Draw me away!"  S/S 1:3-4
The priests of the tabernacle were anointed with a fragrant oil which set them apart, or sanctified them. It was the fragrance of their office. The fragrance of holiness was not found in their performance of the Law, but in the fragrance associated with Love, the fragrance of the Name that is poured out. When the alabaster box was broken in love and devotion to anoint Jesus, it sent forth a fragrance (Mt. 26:7-13). Like the alabaster box, when Jesus' body was broken, did it send forth a fragrance? If so, it was the fragrance of Love.
The Law and the prophets are not fulfilled with men's religious attempts at righteous acts, but in Love (Mt. 22:36-40, also see Deut. 6:5).
Man often defines "love" as the allowance or tolerance to do whatever we desire without fear of correction or censure, but this is a lie, a counterfeit. As we can see, Love, instead, is the womb, the primordial sea, that produces righteousness, holiness, and perfection rather than license and self-indulgence, that remedies sin, and does not produce the sin that harms ourselves and others. Authentic Love is patient, and kind; it does not envy, and does not parade itself in arrogance. It does not behave rudely, and is not selfishly pursuing its own interests. It cannot be provoked, and does not think evil. It does not rejoice in wickedness, but in truth. Love believes, hopes, endures, and never fails (1 Cor. 13:4-8). Love is indeed the greatest gift, as Paul said.
Jesus told us to abide in His words, and He gave us a new commandment. Our identity to the world as disciples of Christ is known in the Love we have one for another:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love (agapao) one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  Jn. 13:34-35
Peter was referring to Prov. 10:12 - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." - when he wrote: "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 1 Pet. 4:8
Therefore we can say that as the blood of Christ was poured out, Love was poured out to cover our sins. For God so loved the world that He gave (see above, the gift nature of Love) His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (Jn. 3:16). On this Love hangs all the Law and the prophets. On this Love hangs the purpose and will of God for us from before the beginning.

Our Father God IS Love (1 Jn. 4:7-8, 16).