Proverbs 18:24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Jesus – Friend of sinners!
Friend = someone with whom you have a bond – glued together in mutual affection.
Really? I think we use “friend” rather too lightly. My personal experience of numerous Christians is that they have not understood that Jesus called us to be friends; to love one another. It seems for some that friendship cannot endure conflict or disagreement. For others, friendship can be, “When I feel like it”! And for others, “out of sight – out of mind”! Unreliable as friends!
There may be, as a last resort, a reason for friendship breakdown but, surely, we are expected to work things out, unless we were never friends in the first place!
Jesus, the Presence and Person of God among humanity was a friend of and to sinners. It seems that ambition, standards, reputation were not important to Him. Rather He would seek and save that which was lost. If such a lovely and gentle Man could do that shouldn’t we find it in our hearts to forgive, move on, and show true loyalty and friendship? Our Lord Jesus sticks closer even than a brother. May he help us to do the same.
