We all love romance, a good story. Remember the first time you saw a Disney movie? A kiss, true love. Mushy stuff. Here is a story of how Valentine’s Day got started:
The early church was a persecuted church. The Romans had a slew of gods that they worshipped in the Pantheon. They even worshipped the emperor. The Christians, of course, refused to obey this practice. All they had to say once a year was that Caesar was lord and their lives would be set. But they only said Jesus is Lord so it cost them their lives. Over three hundred years this went on until around 300 AD Constantine rose to power. Back then the term “atheist” was what you called a Christian. Today, it is those who don’t believe in God. The term “Martyr” is given to who is persecuted and killed for what they believe in. The Christians were martyrs. Over the course of time, these Christian Martyrs went to their death praying for forgiveness for their persecutors. This was having a great impact on all of Rome.
In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno, the queen of the Roman gods. She was called the goddess of women and of marriage. The next day, the 15th, started the feast of Lupercalia. On the eve before Lupercalia, the names of Roman girls were written on little slips of paper and put in a jar. The young men would draw a girl’s name from that jar and they would be paired for the whole festival. Sometimes for the whole year! It was often that they would fall in love and marry. Hence, the tradition of valentines.
Emperor Claudius II, or Claudius the Cruel, was having a hard time getting soldiers to join in his many bloody campaigns, and he thought the reason was that men didn’t want to leave their loves, or families. So, Claudius cancelled marriages and engagements in Rome. He had also outlawed Christianity, so he could be worshipped as a god. A Christian bishop named Valentine who came from a town called Interamna, less than70 miles from Rome, thought these decrees were wrong, so he invited the young couples to come and see him. He secretly performed marriage ceremonies for these couples.
Well, word got out, and Valentine was brought before the emperor. After seeing that Valentine was convicted to his cause, Claudius tried to get him to renounce Christianity, and serve him. In exchange for that, he would pardon him and make him powerful and give him privileges that only Claudius could. Bishop Valentine held to his faith, and because of this was sentenced to be executed – 3 times! To be beaten, stoned and decapitated! Many young couples came to the jail to visit Valentine as he waited for his executions. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. One of these was a young blind girl – the daughter of his jailer. Her name was Asterious. Valentine prayed for Asterious’ healing and God answered his prayer. She got her sight! After the miracle, they fell in love. On the day of Valentine’s executions, Valentine wrote Asterious a not thanking her for her love, loyalty and friendship. He signed it: “Love, from your Valentine.” To this day, this message is the motto of our Valentine’s Day celebrations. So, Valentine was beaten, stoned and decapitated because he wouldn’t renounce Christ and believed in the sacred institution of marriage and love on February 14, 270 AD.
This story reminds me of another story of a martyr we all know. Jesus. In John 3:16, one of the most popular verses, we read that “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.” God loves you so much; He went through several executions for you. He was beaten, bruised, ripped, and stabbed. He was pierced, and torn, and killed all for you. Thank you, Lord. That we may never forget.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Pastor Rob.
