A Christian's Perspective of Valentine's Day

 

            Today is Valentine’s Day.  For many people, it is a day to shower their significant other with flowers, candy, and a romantic night out.  For greeting card companies, restaurants, and florists, it is one of their most profitable days of the year.  Somehow, we’ve managed to change the focus from love and caring for those closest to us to a commercial festival where we each try to outdo everyone else.

            As Christians, every day should be Valentine’s Day.  Each day we should be exhibiting the love of Christ both to those we care most about and to those we simply encounter along the way.  Jesus said that people will know that we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13: 35).  He also said that we are to love as He loved (John 13: 34)

            So, what does Christ’s love look like?  The Gospels show all the aspects of His love very clearly, but I would like to focus on just a few attributes of the love He reflected while He walked this earth.

            First, He took the time to “see” people.  In John 9, He saw a man who had been blind from birth, and He didn’t wait for the man to ask to be healed.  He saw the need and responded.  Unlike the man’s neighbors who weren’t even sure if he was the same man, Jesus “saw” the man for who he was.  The neighbors were so used to the blind beggar that once he was able to see, they didn’t recognize him.  It was Jesus who took the time to look beyond the man’s infirmity and see his heart.  That is love.

            Second, He didn’t mind being interrupted by those who had a need. In Luke 8, Jesus was asked by a ruler of the Synagogue to come to his home to save his dying daughter.  Jesus left for the man’s home, with a huge crowd following him, including a woman who had been sick for 12 years.  Not wanting to burden or interrupt Jesus, she sought to touch the hem of His garment, having faith that it would be sufficient to provide the healing she so desperately needed.  She wasn’t wrong.  Immediately, her bleeding stopped, but at the same moment, Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”  Now, I am quite confident that Jesus knew exactly who had touched Him.  He wanted the opportunity to acknowledge the woman’s faith, and He wasn’t concerned about the interruption in His journey to heal the sick child.  He not only healed the woman but also showed her a love that she probably hadn’t experienced for twelve years.  After all, under Jewish law, blood makes you unclean, so that no one wants to be near you.  Jesus interrupted His plans to show this woman love.

            Finally, the greatest example of Jesus’ love is the cross.  In John 10, He makes it very clear that His death was voluntary.  He said, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10: 18a NIV84).  In the same chapter, He reminds us that He is the Good Shepherd—a shepherd who cares for, protects, and guides His sheep.  He is also a shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.  “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13 NIV84).  We weren’t His friends when He gave His life for us.  We were still sinners when Christ died for us (Romans 5: 8).  That is true love!

            As we celebrate today, I hope that each of us will take the time to “see” the people we encounter, see life’s interruptions as opportunities to love and encourage others and be willing to make sacrifices for others.  Let’s display the love that Christ intended so that the world will know that we are His disciples.

John 9: 1 – 12

Luke 8: 40 – 48

John 10: 7 – 18

John 15: 12 - 13

Romans 5: 6 - 8

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