JESUS SPEAKING
“You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15: 14 – 15.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
After eating the Passover feast, the Lord said farewell to his closest companions. In a long discourse (filled with emotion and love) Jesus revealed God’s complete plan to his disciples. During his address, those who had called him Master were urged to consider him a ‘friend.’ The term ‘friend’ implies a deeper, more intimate relationship. In ancient times, masters and servants were never equals; they weren’t partners; and they certainly weren’t friends; their positions prevented them from engaging in close personal fellowship. In order to preserve authority and respect, the master had to maintain a safe distance (as “familiarity breeds disrespect.”) Yet the ‘King of Kings’ (Jesus) shattered the barriers that hindered true intimacy. He was no longer just their Lord and master, but also their brother and friend.
When I was 19, I worked as a guard and counselor at a minimum security juvenile facility. My role was that of a disciplinarian. Often, when a child misbehaved, we had to intervene and physically restrain them. We were therefore given a great deal of power and authority. Although we interacted with the children in positive ways, we had to maintain a professional distance. Too much intimacy would cause them to lose respect for us and our positions. If they came to believe that we were their equals, they would question and disobey our commands. Those who falsely see God as an equal lose respect for Him. Fear of God is good; those who fear Him are aware of his power and authority. In turn, God sent His Son, so that all could know Him as a ‘friend’ as well as a Father.
God must always be honored and respected; He is our master and we are His servants; in turn, there is a distance between God and man. In His divine wisdom, He chose to use His only Son to draw near to all people. Jesus Christ is God’s gift to mankind. He is God in a form we need not fear; we need only approach Him in love; we are free to speak to Him; to fellowship with Him; and to be in communion with Him. He is more than our teacher, our master, and our shepherd; he is also our brother, our closest companion, and our best friend. Would you like to know God? If you seek intimacy with the Lord, then embrace Jesus Christ and you will experience true peace; look to the Son of God and you will know the Father. Invite him in to your heart and he will teach you all things; and “you will know the truth; and the truth shall make you free.”
“Lord Heavenly Father we love You, and we thank You for Your son. We desire to draw near to him; therefore remove every obstacle and destroy every barrier. May he be our brother, our companion, and our friend; that through Him we might look to You for direction, comfort, and affection. We love You Father; we praise You, and we praise thank You; and we ask all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus Speaks 