“Incurvatus or Excurvatus Love?”
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13
2-2-2025
In the name of Him who is love incarnate, dear friends in Christ. As strange as this may sound, having to learn Greek at the Seminary ironically helped me understand English more. That’s because there are over 50,000 of our words that are derived from the Greek language. That’s also true of Latin, which is closely related to Greek. So even though you’ve never studied either of these ancient languages, if you have a modest understanding of English, then you can figure out a lot of words in them. Which leads me to the title of this sermon. It contains two Latin words that I’m going to use repeatedly so I need you to understand their meaning. Trust me, this is going to be easier than you think.
The first word is “incurvatus.” It means to curve inward: in-curvatus. Okay, that was rather simple. So what do you suppose “excurvatus” means? Well, the “ex,” as in exit, means “out.” So excurvatus means to curve outward. Now the question in the sermon title will make more sense: “Incurvatus or Excurvatus Love?” Believe it or not that’s the simple comparison that St. Paul is making in our Epistle Lesson. He tells us what true Christian love is and what it isn’t. He says that Christian love is always excurvatus and never incurvatus. The problem is that our sinful human nature insists on being incurvatus. That’s the condition that each of us was born with. We’re turned inward and always looking for what’s to MY advantage or pleasure.
If you examine every sin that’s ever been committed since the fall in the Garden of Eden, you’ll see that it was the result of incurvatus. Why did Adam and Eve eat of the forbidden fruit? They were looking out for their own selfish interest. After they sinned there was a never-ending conflict between them. Why? Because due to their fallen nature they would now always be looking for whatever worked to their own selfish advantage. Why did Cain kill Abel? Incurvatus. He was only focused inward and his offering didn’t please God. So, he selfishly murdered his brother out of jealousy. I could give you numerous other examples in the Old Testament but let’s shift our attention to the problem that St. Paul was addressing with the Corinthians.
It should come as no surprise that this young Christian Church would be struggling with this very same issue. Yes, they were followers of Jesus but they were still sinners just like you and me. That sin interrupted and harmed the loving Christian fellowship they were supposed to be enjoying. I encourage you to take the time to read through all of 1 Corinthians and you’ll see that incurvatus was at the root of all their problems. These folks had formed cliques which boasted about who their favorite Pastor was. Why would they do that? It made them feel superior to others. In a similar vein, they were making a mockery of the Lord’s Supper by dividing themselves into groups based on income and status. Paul also took them to task for how they were handling their spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues. Everybody wanted to be able to do that because it supposedly showed that they were more spiritual than others. If you read on in chapter 14, Paul tells them that it’s fine to have this gift of speaking in other languages, but if it isn’t being used to help your brother or sister in Christ then shut up and keep it to yourself. You see, incurvatus love was rampant in their church
That’s really Paul’s whole point in our text. He goes through a short list of things that are examples of the incurvatus love that was negatively impacting the normal function of their Church. Speaking in tongues, prophetic powers, special knowledge of the mysteries of God, a strong faith, and even sacrificial living are all swell things. But if the motivation behind their usage is incurvatus love–that is, turned inward–then those gifts are worthless and even harmful. If a believer used any of those gifts for the selfish reason of feeling spiritually superior or for their own advantage, then it’s sinful. However, if those gifts are used for the benefit of others, then that is excurvatus love which is Christ-like love.
If you want to know what that excurvatus love looks like, Paul gives us a brief description. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” You see, each one of those is the exact opposite of selfish, incurvatus love. That’s because excurvatus love is always seeking the good of others. Even when it isn’t comfortable or easy, excurvatus love willingly suffers anything for the benefit of others. Excurvatus love is focused outward, not inward. It is the fulfillment of God’s command that you are to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But our sinful nature constantly screws this up and gets it backwards. We are consumed with incurvatus love.
What about when we so quickly lose our patience with others? After all, my time is valuable. Therefore, I don’t want to wait in line behind that little old lady who can’t get her wallet out fast enough to pay the cashier and then has the gall to count out the exact change! And sometimes, if I really get ticked off, I might just blow up and give you a piece of my mind. Why? It’s because that makes me feel better... even if it hurts someone else. Incurvatus!
Pornography is rampant now in various forms because of the easy access through our computers and movies and cell phones. But isn’t this a blatant example of selfishness? We use those images for our own personal pleasure. We couldn’t care less about the damage it has done emotionally or spiritually to that person in the picture. And we couldn’t care less that we’re desiring something that God has said doesn’t belong to us. Our only concern is making me happy. Incurvatus!
How about here at Church during the service? Let me ask: Why do you put money in the offering plate? Is it so that you can feel good about yourself or think that you’ve given more than others? Incurvatus! I’ve actually watched teenagers and grown adults who have texted on their cell phones rather than focus on God’s Word. I even had a member who would blatantly hold up his church mail and read it during the sermon. {Yes, your Pastor sees those kinds of things from the pulpit. And yes, I know he was trying to send me a message.} Incurvatus! When a child is fussy during the service, do you get irritated instead of thanking God that we have children here? Incurvatus! If the church service is a little longer because of a Baptism or Holy Communion, do you get impatient rather than thanking God for the blessings of these Sacraments? Incurvatus! When you think about our delinquent members are you concerned about their souls or are thinking you’re better than them because you are at least here in worship? Incurvatus!
What about when you have the opportunity to help someone in need right here in your own community? Are you willing to do so without recognition or do you insist on bringing attention to yourself? There’s a poem by Ruth Harms Caulkin that hits the nail on the head. It’s titled: “I Wonder”
You know, Lord, how I serve You
With great emotional fervor
In the limelight.
You know how eagerly I speak for You
At a women’s club.
You know how I effervesce when I promote
A fellowship group.
You know my genuine enthusiasm
At a Bible Study.
But how would I react, I wonder
If you pointed to a basin of water
And asked me to wash the calloused feet
Of a bent and wrinkled old woman
Day after day
Month after month
In a room where nobody saw
And nobody knew.
That, my friends, is a good test to see what is motivating your actions.
The examples are endless, but they all point to our inward focus on ourselves. The only cure is to engage in a good kind of incurvatus. Look inward at your filthy, sinful heart. Examine it in the light of God’s Law and see how terrible of a sinner you really are. Look inward and see that you deserve nothing but condemnation. Look inward and see that you can’t do anything to save yourself. And then, look outward to Jesus Christ who died to save you. His whole life was excurvatus love. Everything He did was for the benefit of others. He didn’t suffer and die on the cross in order to gain fame or recognition for Himself. He died so that we could be rescued from our sins. Jesus always had in mind what’s best for us, regardless of what it cost Him.
Purified by His forgiveness our hearts are now filled with His same excurvatus love. Living in humble thankfulness and guided by the Holy Spirit, we can now show the kind of love that St. Paul described for us. We can truly love others like we love ourselves and put their needs ahead of our own. When we do that, Christ’s Church is a beautiful thing to behold. In a world that’s consumed with sinful, selfish, incurvatus love; we can shine with the excurvatus love of Jesus. And we pray that this Christ-like love will draw sinners to God where they too will receive the blessings of His forgiveness and salvation. May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!