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Much Obliged

Feb. 14, 2025

“Much Obliged” is a phrase that isn’t used much anymore.

The etymology of the word is:

Middle English obligen, oblischen “to impose on as a legal or moral duty, bind by oath or contract,” borrowed from Anglo-French obliger, borrowed from Latin obligāre “to tie up, restrain by tying, assign, place under a legal or moral constraint, pledge,” from ob- “toward, facing” + ligāre “to fasten, bind”

While the exact wording doesn’t appear in Scripture, Paul expresses this concept several times in his epistles.

For the love of Christ constraineth us…II Corinthians 5:14

“Paul, a servant [slave] of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” he wrote in Romans 1:1.

In everything he did and wrote, Paul made clear that the theme of his life after meeting God on the road to Damascus was in essence:

“I am much obliged to Christ.”

His message, the message of the Gospel, is that we are much obliged to Christ as well.

Me-Centered Obligations

Valentines Day carries a similar message of being “much obliged” however often with a much different focus.

Many feel the heavy obligation to give a gift, make a post, reserve a dinner, or even hold a hand because of expectations or a desire for reciprocity.

That sense of obligation is often based on the actions of another person.

We love them because they first loved us.  

What happens if they don’t though?  Many relationships fall apart because of a failure to fulfill obligations, spoken or unspoken.

I no longer love them because they failed to love me.

Christ-Centered Obligations

The difference for Christians is found in I John 4: What is it that obliges us to Him?  

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

The love Christ freely gave us even in our “unlovableness” is communicated in Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

We are much obliged to follow Jesus and to love others by the unspeakable gift of His love which never fails.

Freely given to me, I freely give it to others.

The secret to the Christian life is to be able to say, “I am much obliged to love them because the love of Christ which constrains me.”

What someone else does or doesn’t do, is or isn’t, does not reduce our obligation. Our obligation is centered in Christ’s love.

When we are attacked, betrayed, lied about, forgotten, disobeyed, disappointed, discouraged, or just let down, we remain obliged. . .

Much obliged.