Love and friends; great subjects to talk about. Everybody has an opinion; who does not know about love and friendship. Love and friendship are much confused and abused today. We have so mangled the word that we can both declare love and yet be diametrically opposed, in each our propositions. Man has learnt to love both puppy dogs, spiders and pornography. The rhetoric surrounding love is beyond superfluous, of every shade under the sky; our songs heartily resounding. The words may be the same, but the meaning and intent not quite. Of greater perplexity is our ability to define love and friendship with two or more variants depending on whether we are on the giving or receiving end. “It’s only a song” does also provide latitude and shelter. Jesus said “greater love has no man than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”. Jesus our Lord died for sinners, He called His friends. The pious establishment hated his being the friend of sinners. How controversial but definitive; His love and friendship. Is love’s distinction, to be decided by the willingness to lay down one’s life?
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (Joh 15:15)
But now He calls me His friend. He proved His love by laying down everything for me. From His condescension from being the only Begotten of God, to becoming a babe, raised in the house of a common carpenter; born to die the death, not of a common, but despicable criminal, cursed to a cross, bearing on Himself, and in my place, all of my sin. The Son chose to lay down His all, for me. Eye-witnesses had so laughed; “Himself He could not save, His friends?”And immediately after the fact, there was no celebration, no honor guard, no medal of honor, nothing to proclaim or glorify His doing so. I was not even born yet.
I once had a head-on with another friend, who said “he would rather die than…” With audacious flair, I pegged him by confronting, that if he will not stay alive for, do not pretend to even imagine, that he would be willing to die. In the passion of youth, dying always seems easier to declare. At the outset of life, it is so much easier to commit to dying! In a blaze of glory! Romeo and Juliet! Alexander! the brave die young! The Preacher records that it better being a live dog as opposed to a dead lion. When as a younger man, I would pridefully disagree; the lion is still king, if only for a day! What good, the greater number of days but as a dog? “A day in the sun is better than a lifetime of mediocrity!”; “a flash in a pan still beats plain dirt”. Of a truth, today, I am more a dog, the dog who has returned, so frequently from his own vomit. A poor excuse, but a live dog nonetheless, for now. Dying for whatever was easier declared when I was loose-lipped and young. The countless professions, and dedications? Of vows and promises, loud and however sincere. To live for Him? He died for me, me dying for Him? Most times, I have found, that I am not, even willing, to live for Him.
He says He is my Friend. But am I, His? If love is to be validated by one’s willingness to lay down one’s life? He has also asked me to die; to lay down my life, to carry my cross and follow Him. The seed must die. But can I? Am I? “For me to live is Christ, to die is… gain?” , “I am crucified in Christ ? and the life that I now live?” “whoever loses his life for My sake?” Been at the foot of the cross? Sure, I’ve been there; but on a cross? Calling Him friend, is not quite all to being His friend. My friendship with the Son looks more like a one-way street. It is more blessed to give than to receive?; but I am quite content to receive alone.
But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. (Rev 2:4)
First love? They say; we’d never forget our first love. True? When I first saw His love for me, everything was so simple! At the foot of the cross, for the first time; could anything else command me? Was He not, everything? But now ? How dim the passions glow? How slow the heart responds? How hard of hearing? How deep the need to plumb? How often I’d forget, even to remember? How afar off, we stand warming ourselves, with other flame? When did it all fade ? How did the glory of the Son dim by detraction? Have I not forgotten? And how far is forgetting from leaving? Have we left even without knowing? As to the how come, I would submit, that it has much to do with our eyes.
I once had a head-on with another friend, who said “he would rather die than…” With audacious flair, I pegged him by confronting, that if he will not stay alive for, do not pretend to even imagine, that he would be willing to die. In the passion of youth, dying always seems easier to declare. At the outset of life, it is so much easier to commit to dying! In a blaze of glory! Romeo and Juliet! Alexander! the brave die young! The Preacher records that it better being a live dog as opposed to a dead lion. When as a younger man, I would pridefully disagree; the lion is still king, if only for a day! What good, the greater number of days but as a dog? “A day in the sun is better than a lifetime of mediocrity!”; “a flash in a pan still beats plain dirt”. Of a truth, today, I am more a dog, the dog who has returned, so frequently from his own vomit. A poor excuse, but a live dog nonetheless, for now. Dying for whatever was easier declared when I was loose-lipped and young. The countless professions, and dedications? Of vows and promises, loud and however sincere. To live for Him? He died for me, me dying for Him? Most times, I have found, that I am not, even willing, to live for Him.
He says He is my Friend. But am I, His? If love is to be validated by one’s willingness to lay down one’s life? He has also asked me to die; to lay down my life, to carry my cross and follow Him. The seed must die. But can I? Am I? “For me to live is Christ, to die is… gain?” , “I am crucified in Christ ? and the life that I now live?” “whoever loses his life for My sake?” Been at the foot of the cross? Sure, I’ve been there; but on a cross? Calling Him friend, is not quite all to being His friend. My friendship with the Son looks more like a one-way street. It is more blessed to give than to receive?; but I am quite content to receive alone.
But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. (Rev 2:4)
First love? They say; we’d never forget our first love. True? When I first saw His love for me, everything was so simple! At the foot of the cross, for the first time; could anything else command me? Was He not, everything? But now ? How dim the passions glow? How slow the heart responds? How hard of hearing? How deep the need to plumb? How often I’d forget, even to remember? How afar off, we stand warming ourselves, with other flame? When did it all fade ? How did the glory of the Son dim by detraction? Have I not forgotten? And how far is forgetting from leaving? Have we left even without knowing? As to the how come, I would submit, that it has much to do with our eyes.
"Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD, "I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. (Jer 2:2)
There is comfort and assurance in Jer 2:2. Despite all our offenses, youthful and otherwise, He remains ever faithful. He remains our Friend. His love is from everlasting to everlasting. It is a good thing that neither love nor friendship is dependent on us. It is good that He remembers. Here, by His grace, we stand, but why cannot our love be evermore a shade closer to His? Why can we not, be more responsive to, and ever mindful of, His love? Is it truly impossible to be held sway by our first love? Is it necessary, that we forever need to be in a wilderness, tried and tested and humbled incessantly to encourage our cleaving to Him ?
And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. (Lev 26:12-13)
God bless.
/ckh
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