February 17, 2026

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Daily Lectionary: Job 13:1-12; John 6:1-21

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 13 is a Scripture you might hear quite often at weddings. As a man and woman stand in the presence of God and His people, they declare their love for one another. They make vows to one another, they exchange rings, and are pronounced husband and wife. The vows they make are until death parts them, which means the commitment that they are making to each other to be husband and wife is to love each other in sickness and health, for better or worse, richer or poorer, in the good days and the bad, no matter what life brings them. They are committing to love that never ends. Until it does end.

Because not every man and woman who makes those promises to one another keeps them. Not every man and woman who promises to love their spouse until death parts them does exactly that. If you’re a child of divorce, like me, or if you have seen marriages of people that are close to you end, like me, you might know this quite well.

So, why does this happen? Why do marriages end? Why can’t people keep their promises? Why can’t people love no matter the circumstances? In short, sin. Sin has caused all of us to be imperfect people. And imperfect people have imperfect marriages. Imperfect people don’t keep promises. Imperfect people love conditionally, rather than unconditionally. This means their love for their spouse is conditional on certain things (their spouse loves them in return, does certain things for them making them worthy/deserving to be loved, etc.). If those conditions are not met, the spouse thinks he/she does not have to love them.

Thank goodness this is not how God loves us! He loves us unconditionally. This means that His love for us is not conditional on anything we do. If it were, I know that God would not have very much love for me at all. I am unworthy of God’s love, and He still loves me. In fact, He loves me so much that He sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, for ME. To die on the cross for me, rise from the dead for me, for my sins, to bring me forgiveness, life, and salvation. And He has done the same for YOU. The unconditional, sacrificial love that God has for us is seen most clearly in Jesus Christ, who is the bridegroom of His bride, the Church. And His love for us never ends.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Father, You created Adam, crafted Eve, and made them one; Jesus, from their sin You saved us, as God's true incarnate Son; Holy Spirit, You forgive us; from our sins we are released. Bring us, Lord, at last to heaven, to the endless wedding feast. (LSB 860:5)

Rev. Glenn Worcester, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.