Friendship
by Faye Schmidt
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Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord’ (1 Samuel 20:42a).
Read 1 Samuel 20:24–42
The readings this week have introduced us to the jealousy of Saul, the loyalty of Jonathan and the mercy of David. Today, we recognise the friendship between David and Jonathan and how valuable a friendship can be.
In John 15:15, we read, ‘I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.’
Jesus called the disciples – and by extension, those believers who ‘abide’ in him (John 15:9,10) – his ‘friends’, as proven by communication. Jesus openly speaks with us through his word (John 15:7). That Christ instructs and informs us, beyond commands, as well as offering his life for our sake (John 15:13), are powerful proofs that he sees us as his ‘friends’.
This does not erase the idea that believers are ‘servants’ of Christ (Romans 1:1). Jesus is indicating that his intended relationship with believers involves communication and support, rather than simple dictatorship. This also supports the ‘vine and branches’ analogy Jesus used earlier in this passage (John 15:1–8). As God’s love and knowledge flow to Christ, Christ passes them down to us, just as a vine passes life along its branches. We, in turn, are meant to pass the word – and love – to other people (Matthew 28:19; John 13:34,35; John 14:15).
As the hymn states, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to him in prayer.’
O God my Father, who is often closest to me when I am farthest from you, and who is near at hand even when I feel that you have forgotten me, mercifully grant that I may grow more sure of your reality and power, and may I attain a clearer mind as to the meaning of my life on Earth. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Victoria–Tasmania District Church Board and the General Church Board, currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer. She is passionate about new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
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