The Love That Counts

February 14 is Valentine’s Day – a day devoted to the exaltation of romantic love. To celebrate the day, all sorts of cards are sent out emblazoned with hearts of red and filled with words of love. Candy hearts by the pound are given and eaten – inscribed with words like: “Be Mine,” “Kiss Me,” “Melt My Heart” or that secretive acronym “ILU.” Of course, this holiday is nowhere mentioned in the Bible, nor is there any scriptural evidence indicating that romantic love, or its apostate cousin, lust, needs to be celebrated. Most humans have no problem celebrating that kind of love and likely are mindful of it on a regular basis. While holidays celebrating romance are absent from the pages of the Bible, there is ample evidence that it is desirable and a blessing for males and females to enjoy romantic love - in a marital relationship. Marital love, however desirable and good, is secondary to another love that is emphasized as being crucial for those who desire to enter the Kingdom of God. This love is written of often in the Bible and is at the core of real Christianity. Christ mentioned it in the Sermon on the Mount, which contains foundational principles of Christian belief.

Matthew 6:1-3

¹"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them… ² … when you do a charitable deed,… ³ … when you do a charitable deed, …

The KJV translates “charitable deeds” as “alms.” The ESV and NIV translate the Greek as “give to the needy.” The lexicons indicate that these charitable deeds are the result of feelings of mercy and compassion that rise up in the heart when we see someone in need. Performing acts of giving to the needy is rooted in having the spiritual trait of brotherly love. This important behavioral evidence of real Christianity is spoken of throughout the Bible. Christ told His disciples on Passover night, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Love for others is given as a sign of true Christians. It is the sign that Christ emphasized on the evening prior to His crucifixion.

This giving to the needy is encoded in the statutes and judgments.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11

⁷ "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, ⁸ but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. ⁹ Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you. ¹⁰ You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. ¹¹ For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.'

This passage indicates that the poor will never cease from the land. Why? Some will say it is because they are lazy, shiftless, worthless, no goods who never do anything to get out of poverty. But have you ever thought that there is another reason why some are poor and suffer from a variety of causes? If there were no poor or needy or those who were suffering, how could we develop the spiritual attribute of giving and caring and showing compassion? Have we never considered that an individual’s suffering is not always about them, but it may also be about us? If we are like the priest and the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and pass on by someone in need, have we allowed their suffering and need to be in vain? On occasion, does God allow others to suffer so we can form character? In the United States, a country of immense wealth and prosperity, there is still plenty of opportunity to show brotherly love and help the needy. The IRS indicates (2004) that the bottom 50% on the socioeconomic ladder earn only 13% of the income in the US, while the top 10% hog 44% of the income. Such disparity in wealth was never intended by the Creator of mankind. The statistic clearly indicates that we do not have to look far to find someone in financial need in our midst, and we have not even considered the world at large.

James wrote that “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble…” (James 1:27). Being concerned about those in need is at the heart and core of pure religion – real Christianity. This passage indicates that giving to the needy is not just concerned about physical needs, but also is mindful of emotional needs and spiritual needs. Fundamental Christian teaching indicates that true adherents will be mindful of the needs of those who are lonely, those who need visits, and those who need encouragement.

Isaiah was inspired to write that the attribute of brotherly love manifested in acts of giving and service is a major focus of fasting.

Isaiah 58:6-7

⁶ "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: …

⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

James showed that mere words are not enough; tangible actions are required. “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (James 2:15-16). John put it this way, “But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). The inference is that if you do not provide for those in need, you do not have the love of God in you.

Jesus thought it so important that He spoke about it at the end of His Olivet prophecy.

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy^* angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'

³⁷ "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' ⁴¹ "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'

⁴⁴ "Then they also will answer Him,^* saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

The Bible nowhere speaks of Valentine’s Day, but it does speak often of the love that counts - the love that is shown when we perform acts of taking care of the needs of others. As we approach the Passover and are examining ourselves, it is good to ask, “Am I saying, ‘Be warm and filled’ or am I actually giving to those who are hungry or who need clothing or housing? Am I helping fill the needs of those who are suffering emotionally or those who need to be uplifted spiritually?” We can pray for those needs, but who is God going to send to help them if we are unwilling to go? When Christ returns, let all of us be on His right hand and hear the words 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food… (Matthew 25:34-35).