Jesus says:
You are my friends if you do what I command. 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.
John 15: 14f.
In the Old Testament, few people are called friends of God. Abraham and Moses belonged to this group. Otherwise there were many servants of God. Jesus now brings us to this position of His friend. We are not slaves, not servants, but friends of God! What an honor and esteem for us!
This is connected with Jesus’ love for us together. He gave himself out of love for us in death, so that the separation between God and man is repealed. He died for his friends, not for just anyone. He has taken the first step towards friendship with us. But a friendship has at least two sides, it is hard to be alone and one’s own friend. So He waits for our response: do we want to be friends with him?
Jesus wanted to do the will of our Heavenly Father, that was His desire and will. Just as we want to do His will and do what he asks us. This has nothing to do with law and legality, but with our heart attitude. I love him, that’s why I do what He wants.
He wants me to take part in everything. He wants to talk to me and listen to not only my prayer lists. He would tell me what he has on his mind. So I know what I have to pray; – He told me yes. These conversations with Jesus are very intimate, because there I need no interference – not from the phone, from the kids or the dog. I just go somewhere quiet, talk to him, pour out to him from my heart and hear Him. The prayer language is a great help; so I can express all that is still a bit vague in my heart. So I can pray, when I do not know to, I can find words for everything I cannot express clearly. Yes, my friend Jesus has thought of everything!
It’s nice when Jesus includes us into His secrets. So making friends with each other. Of course, one is testing whether the other is trustworthy. If you have trust in Jesus, He will entrust more and more. We can continue to grow in friendship with Jesus!
Thank you, Jesus, You are my friend! Yes, you are faithful to me and keep me always. Forgive me where I have you sometimes disappointed. I want to go straight on your ways and do what you have on your mind. You are namely a very, very good friend !!
Bible Reading Today: John 9: 1 – 17