Monday, February 11, 2013
326 - Lazarus, Love, and Patience
Spirituality
Column #326
February 12, 2013
Current in Carmel – Westfield – Noblesville – Fishers – Zionsville
February 12, 2013
Current in Carmel – Westfield – Noblesville – Fishers – Zionsville
Lazarus, Love, and Patience
By
Bob Walters
Valentine’s
Day is a great holiday to have in the middle of winter – the passionate warmth
of love imprinted on our minds and bodies amid the frost and desolation of
mid-February.
The
great chapter about love in the Bible is generally considered to be Paul’s 1
Corinthians 13 in the New Testament, but it has nothing to do with the
excitations of Valentine’s Day. Paul is
describing the divine love of Jesus Christ and the example it should be in our
lives as Christians, not the roses and romance of modern culture. And a central aspect of divine love, Paul
teaches, is patience.
Theologian Kenneth Bailey offers fascinating insight on patience as the language of divine
love in his truly excellent book Jesus
Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Bailey
cites the lessons of patience in Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man
(Luke 16:19-30), and amplifies them using Paul’s passage on love along with
other familiar Bible stories. Here is Bailey
(pp 389-390):
“In his
matchless definition of Christian love (agape),
Paul lists characteristics that are found in such love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The list begins with one form of patience (makrothymia in Greek) and ends with a
second form of patience (hypomone).
“Makrothymia is a composite word
consisting of makran (far away) and thymos (anger). As a single word makrothymia has to do with ‘putting one’s anger far away.’ This is the patience of the powerful who are
able to wreck vengeance on their enemies but choose to be patient and refrain
from doing so. It is the patience of
David standing over the sleeping body of Saul when Saul went to kill David (1
Samuel 26:6-25). … David’s aide urged him to kill his sleeping enemy. But David exhibited makrothymia and stayed his hand.
“The
other form of patience, hypomone, is
also comprised of two Greek words. The
first is the preposition hypo
(under). The second is mone, which has to do with
endurance. The person with hypomone is willing to “remain under”
great stress or suffering. The primary
biblical example of this virtue is Mary standing silently at the cross and
choosing to not walk away. … Lazarus
exhibits both of these forms of patience.
In his earthly life … he was longsuffering and full of hypomone. … At the side of Abraham (in heaven), he
demonstrates makrothymia, he puts his
anger far away.”
Divine
love, then, is inextricably linked to merciful Christ-like patience, while
Valentine’s-Day-type love is often marked by passionate human impatience.
May we have the Godly
discernment and wisdom to know when those we love need our patience more than
our passion.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) had no idea patience was this much of a virtue. For Valentine's background, see "classic" column Valentine's Day for the Birds.
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