When your best friend is a sausage roll

‘When Judgement Day comes, many will say to me, “Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!” Then I will say to them, “I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!”‘ (verses 22,23)

Read Matthew 7:22-27

When I was at school, the tuckshop sold sausage rolls as long as my arm, hot and spicy and yummo. On a winter’s day, a sausage roll with sauce belched all over it was just about heaven. Only trouble was, I never had enough money to buy one. Bursting with envy, l did a bad thing. There was this one kid who could afford as many sausage rolls as he wanted. But he was a bit smelly, and his nose snorted, and he didn’t have many friends. I offered him my friendship in exchange for a sausage roll. He didn’t really trust me, but he was lonely and desperate and agreed. I got my sausage roll and he got friendship . . . for a day. Only a day, though. The next day the deal would have to be struck again.

I’m ashamed of that. That’s not what friendship is all about. A genuine friend is someone you spend real time with, not someone you ignore and only call on when they have something you need. You give as well as take; share as well as receive; listen to as well as talk at. That’s the kind of friendship Jesus offers you. And it’s also the kind of friendship he asks of you. What kind of friend do you want to be?

Jesus, I’m sorry for the times I take you for granted, ignore you, use you up, treat you badly. Help me be the friend to you that you are to me. Amen.

From “Direction for each day” (LCA, Openbook Publishers, 2006)

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