Love - Lesson 8: Love Lived Out (6) – Is Not Provoked, Takes No Account of Evil

Love

Lesson 8: Love Lived Out (6) – Is Not Provoked, Takes No Account of Evil

1 Corinthians 13:5b is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

James 1:19-20 [19] So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

Romans 12:19-21 [19] Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” [21] Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

PROVOKED, pp.

Excited; roused; incited; made angry; incensed.

“provoked.” Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. 2015. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/provoked (22 September 2015).

The Main Points for This Lesson:

This series of lessons will center around love as seen in chapter 13 of the apostle Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians. The purpose of these lessons is to teach about love: love's importance; what love looks like lived out, including what it is and what it isn't, and what it does and what it doesn't do; love's greatness.

In previous lessons we have seen that love is patient and love is kind. We have also been looking at what love is not and does not: Love doesn’t envy; Love doesn’t brag; Love is not proud; It doesn't behave itself inappropriately; It doesn't seek its own way. In this lesson we will continue this by considering that love is not provoked, and love takes no account of evil. These items are not separate and unconnected. It seems that in some way or another each item affects another.

Love is not provoked. What does it mean to “be provoked”? When you become excited, roused or angry by someone or something, you are provoked. Some translations say that love is “not provoked to anger.” Love is not provoked. Love is patient, and is not quick to become angry with someone or something. James wrote that we should be quick to hear and slow to anger (James 1:19-20).

When we are provoked, we do things we should not do. It leads to outbursts of anger (Galatians 5:20), murder, hate, not speaking to someone, getting even or getting revenge, etc. Hence James rightly teaches us that the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.

Why are we provoked? Love is not provoked, so we know that love for God and love for our neighbor is not (usually) the cause of our being provoked. What is the cause? We are tempted to blame someone or something else outside of us. “You made me angry,” may have come from our lips at some time. However, the cause for our being provoked is most often found within ourselves. Pride and self-seeking are two common causes for being provoked. In my pride, I tell myself that others must treat me a certain way, and if they do not, I am justified in mistreating them. When they don't treat me with the honor or respect I think I deserve, I am provoked to anger towards them. In my selfishness and self-seeking, I decided that getting my way is necessary to my happiness. When someone or something prevents me from getting my own way, I am provoked to anger. A third common cause for being provoked is related to the next characteristic of love, taking account of evil. When I assume the worst about others, I am likely to misunderstand their actions and motives as being bad, and as being against me. By God's grace, we can learn to live out the love that is patient, and that is not proud, and does not seek its own. And so we will find that love is not provoked.

Love takes no account of evil. What does it mean that love takes no account of evil? We may think that it means we remain purposefully ignorant of the evil behaviors and choices of another person. However, the examples we see in the Bible lead us to another understanding of this. It is an understanding with two sides to it.

On one side, love does not take account of evil so that it prevents us from doing good to another person, or showing them mercy or compassion. Love does not allow the evil (past evil or even present evil) of another person to prevent it from doing good to that person.

On the other side, love does take account of evil so that it may, if possible, know how to best help and serve the other person. We do not find Jesus ignorant of the sins of others. He knows what is in the hearts of men. Yet he does not let such knowledge prevent him from helping men. Rather, his knowledge of our true condition, our true sinful condition, becomes the reason he spends time as a man with men. He came to seek at to save the lost.

When we take account of evil (in a negative way), we will most likely respond with evil. We will repay evil with evil. Through Jesus' example, and the admonition of the apostle Paul (Romans 12:21), we understand that we are not to be overcome by evil, but should overcome evil with good. Again, does this mean that we pretend that the other person did not do something evil, or even something evil to us? No. But it does mean that we do not take account of that evil in such a way that it leads us to repay evil for evil, rather that are able to overcome that evil with good.

Love does not assume the worst of others. We may tempted at times to assume the best of ourselves and the worst of others. I always mean well, even when I do something wrong. The other person definitely did not mean well, even if they didn't do something completely wrong. This is another way we take account of evil. But love does not do this. Love is not unrealistic, but being realistic does not usually mean thinking or assuming the worst about others.

Love is willing to forgive the repentant sinner. When someone turns from their sins to God, love does not allow the past sins of that person to become a reason for separation of distance. The apostles remind us that we all have sinful pasts, and that we were all washed and sanctified and justified by God through Jesus Christ.

Love is not provoked to anger. And love does not allow the evil of others to become a reason to repay evil for evil. May we seek the help of God, who is love, to love one another, and all men, with such a love as this.

Suggestions:

To open the lesson, pray for the teacher and the students.

Let the children know that we are having some lessons on 1 Corinthians 13, about love. While 1 Corinthians 13 is not the only place God teaches us about love, it provides a very helpful, practical, and (perhaps) easily understood description of love.

In this lesson, we will learn about what love looks like lived out in our lives.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:5b. Love “is not provoked, takes no account of evil,” is the focus of this lesson.

Ask the children if they can explain what it means to be provoked. Have they even gotten angry because someone did something or said something to them that they didn't like? Ask them why they became angry? Write some of their answers on the board.

Read or tell the story in 1 Samuel 25:1-42 about David being provoked at Nabal's response, and David's decision to kill Nabal and all the men of his house. Mention the part about Abigail persuading David to not carry out this murder. Ask the children, Was David provoked? Why was he provoked? Was it really Nabal's fault?

Explain that David had several chances to kill king Saul, who was much worse than Nabal, and David wasn't provoked then. Help them to understand that David was provoked because of pride and self-seeking. Nabal didn't treat him as he wanted to be treated. And David didn't get his own way. Because of his pride and self-seeking, these things led David to be provoked. If it wasn't really Nabal's fault that David became angry, but the fault of his own pride and self-seeking, why do you think you might become angry?

Tell the children that love takes no account of evil. Ask them what this means. Explain the two sides of this. On one hand, love does not let the evil of another person lead it to repay evil for evil. On the other hand, love does recognize the evil of another person so that it can best help them.

Read or tell the children the story in Luke 7:36-50 about Jesus and the woman who was a sinner. Explain that Jesus did know that the woman was a sinner. Did he let this knowledge prevent him from showing kindness and mercy to her? No. In fact, this knowledge was one of the reasons to show kindness and mercy to her.

To close the lesson, pray with the children (perhaps that we could learn to love others through appropriate behavior and by dying to self), and have all the children read the Lord's prayer together.

Stories:

IS NOT PROVOKED

1 Samuel 25:1-42 [5] David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. [6] You shall tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. [7] Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t hurt them, neither was there anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel. [8] Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.’” [9] When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. [10] Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. [11] Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?” [12] So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words. [13] David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David; and two hundred stayed by the baggage. [21] Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good. [22] God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”

This takes place before David was made king of Israel. He and his men had protected the shepherds and sheep of Nabal in the wilderness. Nabal repaid David with evil for his good. David was provoked by Nabal and his response. Now David was overcome by evil. He was ready to take revenge by killing Nabal and all the men of his household. It was pride, not love, in David's heart that lead him to be provoked by Nabal's response. Pride within our hearts is often a reason or the reason that we are provoked to anger and evil by another's words or deeds. Love is not provoked, for love is not proud, and does not seek its own.

TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF EVIL

Luke 7:36-50 [36] One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table. [37] Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment. [38] Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.” [40] Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.” [41] “A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?” [43] Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” [44] Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. [45] You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” [48] He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” [50] He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Jesus was eating in the home of Simon the Pharisee. A woman who was a sinner came in and began wetting Jesus' feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Simon knew that she was a sinner. It seems that he was taking into account the evil of this woman's life, and so Simon would not have allowed her to come near to himself. He thought that Jesus must think the same way. He assumed then that the reason Jesus allowed the woman to touch him was that Jesus did not know that the woman was a sinner. Jesus, however, was not ignorant. He knew the woman was a sinner. He did not ignore this fact. Although he knew the evil of this woman's life, he did not take account of her sinful life in such a way as to be unwilling to help her, or show compassion or mercy.

More Stories and Examples:

IS NOT PROVOKED

Esther 3:5-6

Haman is provoked by his own pride when Mordecai won't bow down.

TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF EVIL

Matthew 9:9-13 [9] As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. [10] As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [12] When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. [13] But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ [] for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

John 8:2-11 [2] Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them. [3] The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the midst, [4] they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. [] What then do you say about her?” [6] They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger. [7] But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” [8] Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. [9] They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. [10] Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?” [11] She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”

Other Verses:

IS NOT PROVOKED

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.

Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance the same day, but one who overlooks an insult is prudent.

Proverbs 14:17 He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.

Proverbs 14:29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.

Proverbs 16:32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 [8] Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. [9] Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the gentle [the meek], for they shall inherit the earth.

Romans 12:17-21 [17] Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. [18] If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. [19] Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” [21] Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

James 1:19-20 [19] So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 4:7-8 [7] But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer. [8] And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF EVIL

Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance the same day, but one who overlooks an insult is prudent.

Proverbs 26:4-5 [4] Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. [5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

This proverb illustrates the application of love taking no account of evil. In the first part, love does not take account of evil, that is, love does not let the folly of the fool lead him to repay evil for evil in his words. In the second part, love does take account of the evil of the fool so that instead of a foolish or evil answer being given to the fool, a wise and helpful answer may be given instead.

Isaiah 1:16-20 [16] Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. [17] Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow.” [18] “Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. [19] If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; [20] but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”

Jeremiah 11:19 But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I didn’t know that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

Jeremiah 40:13-16 [13] Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, [14] and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam didn’t believe them. [15] Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: why should he take your life, that all the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish? [16] But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, You shall not do this thing; for you speak falsely of Ishmael.

Matthew 9:10-13 [10] As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [12] When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. [13] But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ [] for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Romans 12:17-21 [17] Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. [18] If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. [19] Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” [21] Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

VERY SIMILAR IN THIS RESPECT

Philippians 1:9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;