YOU ARE MY FRIEND
Jesus gave the best that He had and all that He had.
Is there a love
that produces immeasurable joy? Jesus speaks of the love which He and the
Father have for those who belong to them. We can never out-give God in love,
because He has loved us without measure. Our love for Him is a response to His
exceeding mercy and kindness towards us.
What kind of
friendship do we have with our God? Have
we ever asked that question of ourselves? One of the special marks of favor
shown in the Scriptures is to be called a friend of God. We hear in Isaiah 41
that Abraham is called the friend of God. God speaks with Abraham as a man
speaks with his friend. Jesus, the Lord and Master, in turn, calls the
disciples His friends rather than His servants.
What does this
special friendship mean? Friendship with God certainly entails a loving
relationship which goes beyond mere duty and obedience. Jesus' discourse on
friendship and love echoes the words in Proverbs 17: "A friend loves at
all times; and a brother and sister is born for adversity." The
distinctive feature of Jesus' relationship with the disciples and us is a
personal love for each of us; a love that is unconditional, wholly directed to
the good of others, and also sacrificial. Jesus gave the best that He had and
all that He had. Jesus gave His very life for us in order to secure for us
everlasting life with the Father.
At one of my past
deacon retreats, Deacon Bill Ditewig shared this list with us. It is a check list for daily ministry:
Contemplative Seeing
Affective Response
Practical Caring
Sustained Assistance
Being attentive and
engaging in the action this checklist suggests brings the joy and hope that
Paul told us about! Our love for our heavenly Father is a response to His
exceeding mercy and kindness towards us.
True love is
costly. Those who truly love give the best they can offer, and are willing to
sacrifice everything they have for the good of others. God willingly paid the
price for our redemption -- the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. That's the nature
of true friendship and love -- the willingness to give all for the beloved.
True friends will lay down their lives for each other. Jesus tells us in the
Gospel that He is our friend and loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally.
When we have a love that fills our hearts, transforms our mind and frees us to
love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last
for eternity.