Befriending Jesus

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a difficult time. *

In a little village named Bethany, Jesus had 3 friends: Lazarus, Mary, & Martha. They welcomed Him. They even welcomed the people to whom He was a Friend – His disciples and followers. They served Him and His friends meals.

The trouble He brought with Him of having people He had befriended was probably a test to anyone who wanted to be a friend to Him. If someone was going to be a friend to Him, their friendship had to be strong enough to bear His love for the others.

Twined together, responsibility and authority and service become leadership. They become parenthood. When Jesus discerned that His disciples were arguing about whom among them was the greatest (Luke 9:46), He did not rebuke them for wanting to be great – He instructed them regarding the path to greatness: be the servant of all.

We should have a great desire to be a friend to Jesus. It is costly, though. It means that the resources we want to spend on Him are spent on those He has become a Friend to. If I welcome Jesus, I will welcome the least and the greatest, and, having given to them, I will have given to Him (Matthew 25:31).

It is a valuable accomplishment when I step over the line of no longer being jealous that what I want to give to Him is being consumed by people who don’t deserve it. It is a wondrous freedom when I step past looking at the people He gives me the privilege of blessing, who, when I give to them, they see His hand offering the blessing to them.

When you are a good friend to Him, you empower His friendship to be real-ized in the earth. You will feed and comfort and shelter Him as a valuable friend when you do those things for the least of the people whom He has beFriended…

*  (Proverbs 17:17 – from Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 by Holman Bible Publishers.)