We’ve heard of the “power of love,”“brotherly love,” and “a face only a mother could love” – but what exactly is “labor of love?”
Paul begins writing I Thessalonians with a prayer c thanks for the Christians there. They had some doctrinal and ethical issues that needed to be addressed, but they were definitely on the right track with zeal and passion L. God and a desire to serve Christ Jesus. Paul writes, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and Labor of love and steadfastness of hope ur Lord Jesus” (I Thessalonians 1:2-3).
This is a little different arrangement of the Christian triad (faith, hope and love). The intensity possessed by these Christians in each of these qualities is extra-significant. They have a hard working faith, a laboring love, and hope that really hangs in there in spite of difficulties. But why does Paul use two different words to describe their active exertion in faith and love? Why not put them together? The answer lies in the way they exerted themselves.
The word translated “labor” (Greek = kapos) is sometimes translated “beating, trouble, pain, distress and hardship.” It also carries the idea of weariness, fatigue, and exhaustion. These Christians are not only loving others in action, but they are exerting themselves to the point of exhaustion. In fact, one scholar teaches that after they were totally exhausted, they kept on doing loving deeds for others. This is seen in II Corinthians 8 when they, as one of the Macedonian churches, make some major sacrifices to help others.
This is a sobering example of servanthood for all of us. Sometimes we don’t want to do anything for others and sometimes we complain, but what an inspiring model the Christians at Thessalonica provide for us to labor for others out of love – past the point of exhaustion. It’s how Jesus labored in love for us and hopefully we grow to put our love to work with this kind of intensity.
Mike