Genesis 45:3-15; 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 30-42; Luke 6:27-38

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Is it too late to reflect on Valentine’s day? For many people, I know a day passed is a day already put out of our mind. But it’s a funny coincidence that our texts for this week deal in large part with love. Valentine’s day is a day devoted to love. It’s a day where we make sure to do something special to remind a spouse, or significant other about our love for them. Even beyond this, we extend the day to those we love in general, namely, friends and family. 

Valentine’s day is a day where we are reminded that relationships take work… lots and lots of work. Relationships don’t just happen on their own. They’re based in large part on the effort and time we put into them. In this way, relationships are like investments. You invest yourself into a relationship with someone, so that you may receive a return or reward on that investment. For so, the other person puts in their time and effort too.

It's no surprise then that we’re timid to make “risky” investments. We don’t want to spend valuable resources (time, money, creativity) on a relationship that we’re not sure we’d get a return on. But hear what Jesus has to say, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them,” Luke 6:32. Love your enemies? Be merciful to all people? Give of your valuable resources and expect nothing in return? What Jesus asks of us is an even more difficult task.

If all we do is love people we get along with, people we know will return love to us, indeed, we are no different than anyone else. To say it simply, we’ve embraced the ways of our world, the ways of sin when we look only for “selfish” love, the “what’s in it for me?” love. And that’s the problem. When we act, love, live no differently from everyone else; when we treat our faith as nothing different, when we cheapen the love of God to only those we find it easy to love.

Valentine’s day is indeed about love. But it was first and foremost about God’s love. It was about the way that God loved us so much that he “invested” of himself when we were enemies. It was about the difference God’s love made in our lives. For God gave us His own Son, Jesus Christ, that we may experience a love unknown in our world. So, Christ displayed that love by going to the cross. He poured out all of himself into his relationship with you, never expecting anything in return. “We love because He first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). For God still pours all of himself into his relationship with you. He is merciful to us, forgiving us our sins, and “measuring” to us eternal life! So, by God’s love for us, may we live, love, and act differently that others may know God’s love for them!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayers:

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.