How the True Spirit of Valentine's Day Mirrors the Meaning of Lent
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He suffered the agony of crucifixion and separation from the Father to save us from our sins. On the cross, where He suffered most, He paid the price for our rebellion and sin. As Peter wrote, quoting from Isaiah, “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV). God took something terrible, the painful death of His Son, and used it for our good: to bring salvation and redemption to all who believe.
Throughout Lent, we are reminded of how redemption and joy came out of Jesus’ painful experience on the cross. Christians spend forty days in preparation by praying and fasting (sacrificing something to spend more time focused on God). The reminder of the physical pain that Jesus experienced is heightened on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Holy Week. Then Resurrection Sunday comes, and we experience anew the awesome truth that Jesus is risen (Luke 24:6). With immense joy, we worship and celebrate Him.
Similarly, Valentine’s Day shows us how suffering can bear spiritual fruit. When St. Valentine was in prison, he healed the prison guard’s daughter. As a result, the guard and his family all placed faith in Jesus. St. Valentine’s time in prison, which involved discomfort and pain, was not in vain. God used it to help more people hear the gospel and place faith in Him.
The overlapping of Valentine’s Day and the start of Lent also teaches us that love for Jesus leads to action. The season of Lent is filled with reminders of what God did to redeem and restore us to a relationship with Himself. God’s love was not inactive or passive. He could have left us in our sins but did not. Instead, God the Father sent His one and only Son to die for us and rescue us from the punishment we deserve (John 3:16). Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (NIV). His love led to action.
When the Apostle John discussed Jesus’ act of sacrifice, which is the very definition of love, he emphasized that we should also be willing to lay down our lives for others (1 John 3:16). Christians devoted to Jesus will gladly pour out themselves for their Lord and others. Again, we see that love leads to action.
Love motivated St. Valentine to help fellow Christians even when it was risky. He also shared Christ with others even though he was imprisoned. Like other martyrs throughout time, St. Valentine stayed faithful to Jesus even when doing so brought suffering and death. He would likely have echoed the celebration of the disciples who rejoiced “because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41, NIV).
When we love Jesus more than anyone and anything else, we will willingly give all in service to Him. Giving up dreams, items, and even our very lives is worth it since we have received something far more valuable – an eternal relationship with Jesus. Our love for Him will compel us to live with wholehearted devotion, but only because He first loved us.
Lent begins on Valentine’s Day this year. We might think these occasions are unrelated, but they have a great deal in common, especially if we consider the historical meaning of Valentine’s Day instead of the cultural associations with the day. The overlapping of Valentine’s Day and the first day of Lent teaches us about the connection between love and sacrifice, suffering and redemption, and devotion and action.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Kara Gebhardt
