Valentine Kisses!

There are several Bible verses in the blog today, with opportunities for you to consider how they relate to your life.  Since this is Valentine's Day, the day of giving cards, chocolates, jewelry, or other gifts, let's consider some kissing in the Bible!

Read Luke 7:37-38     A woman that was a sinner, with an alabaster box of ointment, was at the feet of Jesus, weeping.  She washed the Lord's feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  Surely a gesture of humility and love for the Master. But Simon, seeing all of this was outraged. Didn't Jesus know the poor reputation of this woman. Scripture calls her a harlot. Jesus responded by teaching a parable on forgiveness. Simon had not honored Jesus in the way the woman had honored Jesus. Her kiss on the feet of Jesus became a kiss of forgiveness, because Jesus spoke to her saying, "Your sins are forgiven."   Consider today the ways in which you honor Jesus, and know every decision, conversation, activity in which you honor him, you experience the "kiss" of forgiveness. 

Read 1Cor. 16:20; 2Cor. 13:12; 1Thes. 5:26, 1Pet. 5:14  These verses and a few others, encourage us to greet each other with a holy kiss. It was a cultural thing of that day to lightly kiss the cheek of friends and brethren when they met.  It is comparable to today's handshake or hug, a form of greeting those which share a relationship with us, especially those in the church.  Greeting someone in this way offers encouragement among fellow Christians. It is an expression of happiness to see each other and share in the fellowship of the Lord's People.  Using Bible terms, this is the "kiss" designating our oneness with another Christian in our love and devotion to the Lord.  Consider your relationships with those you see at worship or meet on the street. Greet them with the greeting that shows encouragement and oneness. 

 Psalm 85:10 "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."(KJV) How can this be? Truth is absolute; it is holiness without error or hypocrisy.  Mercy is the forgiveness of error and hypocrisy.  They kissed?  Yes, through Jesus death on the cross, error and even hypocrisy are forgiven.  When mercy "kissed" truth, your eternal life was sealed.  Consider the meaning of truth meeting mercy...and righteousness meeting peace. It's of eternal importance to you.

Happy Valentine's Day.....enjoy your kisses.