“No one has greater love than to lay their lifetime before their friends” (John 15:13, emphasis and translation, mine).
Jesus, who will die for the sake of the whole world, is not advising us to strive to follow in his exact footsteps since he alone is the Savior. Based on John 15:13, I feared friendship required a life-or-death commitment when the best I could do was show up for someone.
Jesus isn’t talking about the height of friendship here! He’s talking about the depth and length of it. Friendship doesn’t require the confessional soul-bearing my middle school mind enjoyed. Friendship shows up for each other and takes turns. It listens and laughs and sits quietly. Sometimes, friendship is even dormant for a season. Friendship changes and grows and, yes, sometimes dies. Friendship is a treasure that Jesus, our Savior, wants us to experience. Let us love one another.
This message is excerpted from “No greater love than friendship” by Amy Waelchli in the July 2024 Café online magazine.
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