Valentine's Day

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.’ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ Mark 10:32-45

The disciples, those closest to Jesus were as human and flawed as we are. They wanted an easy VIP   pass into heaven. They wanted God's love to surround them and lift them above the unwashed crowd. We too want love, family and community to come easy. We want all the valentines in the classroom box. Yet we know that love means serving, loving people at their worst times as well as their most glamorous and virtuous. Today, as we celebrate love, may remember what a good gift it is and how important it is for us to be willing to get on our knees, be humble and serve others. Love flows through a humble heart and changes to world as it is poured out.

Gracious Creator, source of all love

you teach us to embrace the stranger

serve the least among us with deep love

and never fail to surround those who are aching.

We want our love lives and faith to come easy

we don't want to work at healing or justice

our comfort and ease is our main concern

and we pass the needy by in our selfishness.

Lord, let us all live your love by serving

seeking not our comfort but a hand to others

looking to you who offered up your life

so that we could know love in our time. Amen.