February, a month that has a day named after a groundhog, is also known for the month that celebrates love, Valentine’s Day.
As you may or may not be aware, Valentine of Rome was a priest and a physician. He was martyred on February 14th, 269, thus giving us the date of Valentine’s Day, named after Saint Valentine.
According to historians, a love letter from Margery Brews to her fiancé John Paston, dating back to February 1477, is the oldest Valentine’s Day letter, thus giving us the Valentine’s Day tradition of a love note.
This Valentine’s Day tradition is one of showing love to that special someone in your life of whom you love dearly.
When Jesus told the audience to love their neighbors as themselves, they asked Jesus the question, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. According to Luke 10:25-37, a man was stripped of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest and a Levite saw him and passed by on the other side. A Samaritan saw him and had compassion on him, bound up his wounds and took him to an inn to restore him back to health.
The question Jesus asked was, “who was this man neighbor?” The answer given was, “the one who showed mercy.” Jesus instructed them, “go and do likewise.”
The attitude of so many is; do unto others before they do it to you. But, the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is how we are instructed to live. The actual quote from the Bible is from Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Simply put, this phrase means to treat others as you would like to be treated. If you want to be loved then love others.
Jesus said in Luke 6:27-28, 35-36, (NLT), “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”
John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Jn 15:12, This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.
Love is more than just words in a letter, love is an action. Love is helping, love is giving, love is going the extra mile. Love is what we have been instructed to show daily, not just one day of the year! Show love, show mercy, show compassion, show kindness to people who are hurting because people need to see the love of Jesus through our acts of love.
Follow the example of God. For God so loved the world that He gave.
