I've been reading through the book of Matthew lately, and something jumped at me today.
Matt 26:49-50 "And forthwith [Judas] came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him."
Judas had just betrayed Jesus with the ultimate insulting betrayal--a kiss. And yet Jesus called him 'friend'. How could He have that kind of love? What kind of love could be betrayed in such a horrible way, and yet still call the betrayer 'friend'? For that matter, what kind of love could see everything, could know exactly what kind of man he was, what kind of man he would be, and yet still call him to be a disciple? Still call him 'friend'?
It blows my mind.
And then--Abraham was called a friend of God (James 2:23). Two completely different men. Completely different goals. Completely different paths of living. Abraham made plenty of mistakes of his own, plenty of bad decisions. And yet I don't see him being a traitor. But both these men were called 'friend'.
In Exodus 33:11 it says "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." And Moses was a er, and had a really hot temper.
In Matthew (11:19), Jesus was said to be a 'friend of publicans and sinners'.
And in John 15:14-15 He said "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
So what makes someone a friend of God? There doesn't really seem to be a pattern here. At least not at glance.
By looking at these Scriptures friends of God are apparently:
-obedient to His commands
-traitors
-foolish on occasion
-sinners
-angry people
-murderers
Seems to be a contradictory list.
But I think I found the answer to what makes someone a friend of God.
John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"
I guess that's it. He chose His own friends.
I'm thankful I was chosen. So very thankful.
Matt 26:49-50 "And forthwith [Judas] came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him."
Judas had just betrayed Jesus with the ultimate insulting betrayal--a kiss. And yet Jesus called him 'friend'. How could He have that kind of love? What kind of love could be betrayed in such a horrible way, and yet still call the betrayer 'friend'? For that matter, what kind of love could see everything, could know exactly what kind of man he was, what kind of man he would be, and yet still call him to be a disciple? Still call him 'friend'?
It blows my mind.
And then--Abraham was called a friend of God (James 2:23). Two completely different men. Completely different goals. Completely different paths of living. Abraham made plenty of mistakes of his own, plenty of bad decisions. And yet I don't see him being a traitor. But both these men were called 'friend'.
In Exodus 33:11 it says "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." And Moses was a er, and had a really hot temper.
In Matthew (11:19), Jesus was said to be a 'friend of publicans and sinners'.
And in John 15:14-15 He said "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
So what makes someone a friend of God? There doesn't really seem to be a pattern here. At least not at glance.
By looking at these Scriptures friends of God are apparently:
-obedient to His commands
-traitors
-foolish on occasion
-sinners
-angry people
-murderers
Seems to be a contradictory list.
But I think I found the answer to what makes someone a friend of God.
John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"
I guess that's it. He chose His own friends.
I'm thankful I was chosen. So very thankful.
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