“So now abide faith, hope, and love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13
It is the third century after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Roman Emperor is Claudius II. Claudius was an army officer under the emperor Gallienus from 260 to 268 A.D. He succeeded to the throne after Gallienus was assassinated. Claudius’s reign was marked by war, especially the battle with The Goths. Claudius, in his short reign, had a hard time getting men to enlist in the army. Because
Claudius wanted to recruit lots of men to be soldiers in his army, therefore he outlawed marriage. He believed that marriage was an obstacle for men to join the military. He also felt marriage was a
deterrent for all soldiers because it distracted them from their duties.
During Claudius’s reign there was a man living in Italy who had also worked as both a priest and a doctor. This man was named Valentine. Historians pick up his story after he began working as a priest. He became famous for marrying couples who were in love but couldn’t get legally married in Rome. After he conducted a wedding for a young Christian woman and a Roman soldier (who was a pagan) Emperor Claudius he sentenced him to jail.
During his time in prison Valentine continued to reach out to people with the love that he said Jesus Christ gave him for others. In jail he became friends with his jailer who became so impressed with Valentine that he asked him for help with his daughter who was blind and needed someone to read material for her so she could learn.
Emperor Claudius heard of Valentine’s action in prison and came to like him. He offered to pardon Valentine and set him free if he would renounce his Christian faith and agree to worship the Roman gods. Valentine refused to deny Christ . Instead he encouraged Emperor Claudius to place his trust in Christ for forgiveness of his sin. Claudius became so enraged that Valentine would accuse him of being a sinner he sentenced Valentine to die.
On February 14, 270 A.D. Valentine was beaten, stoned, and beheaded. Before his death, Valentine wrote a note to encourage the jailer’s daughter to stay close to Jesus and to thank her for being his friend. His note was signed: “From your Valentine.” It is said that this note inspired others to begin writing messages of love to people on February 14th.
What can we learn? While there are some things we have trouble with in Valentine’s story (marrying a believer to an unbeliever, for example) we also see the evidences of “agape” love in his life. First, we see love is courageous. Valentine upheld God’s standard of marriage in a time when Christians were being persecuted for their faith. He did not back down from his faith either in that instance or later when he was offered a pardon if he would deny his faith. Second, we see love is kind. Despite being placed in a Roman jail, Valentine was willing to help the jailer’s daughter. He took the opportunity God gave him and used it to reach the people who God brought into his path. In this regard he reminds us of Joseph in Pharaoh’s prison. Third, we see love encourages others. Even as Valentine was sentenced to die he encouraged the jailer’s daughter to continue living for Christ. Love thinks of the best for others, not one’s self. Finally we see love is remembered long after it is given. away A simple act done at one point in time can have long lasting, even eternal impact.
That is what the love of Christ on the cross does for us. It is His love that shines through us to others,. So remember on this day God’s love is not cards and flowers but “agape”.