Friendship

So many times we meet another Christian and we are blown away.  They are everything WE want to be - or so we think.  They may be cheerful all the time (or so we think); always polite (or so we think); fluent in the Word (or so we think); free of sinful behavior (or so we think); accepting of all (or so we think).  You get the drift.  And maybe there are a few Christians out there that come close to this.  Perhaps they have been on their journey a long time and perhaps God has done a great work in them.  But most of the time it's our own imagination that has created their greatness.  And so we try hard to be just like them.  We want to be their best friend in order to mimic everything about them.  Until something happens that brings them tumbling off that pedestal we put them up on.  And our own world crumbles a little or a lot on that day. But the point I want to make is that the opposite can be true, too.  While we are so busy racing with others to be around those who are admired by all, we often ignore and push aside those who need our friendship even more.  The less admired, the less "worthy" in our minds.  The ones who are hurting, lost, confused, shunned.

Instead of admiring the "perfect Christians" and trying so hard to be like them, let us admire and mimic the One who IS perfect.  The One who will NEVER let us down or topple off His throne.  And remember how he loved ALL his brothers and sisters the same.  Were they all different?  Absolutely.  And did one of them, in our opinion, deserve less love and friendship?  Most likely.  Yet, as Max Lucado illustrates below, Jesus was his friend to the end.  Now that is an example to follow. 

Jesus Betrayed by Judas

by Max Lucado

When betrayal comes, what do you do? Get out? Get angry? Get even? You have to deal with it some way. Let’s see how Jesus dealt with it.

Begin by noticing how Jesus saw Judas. “Jesus answered, ‘Friend, do what you came to do.’ ” (Matthew 26:50)

Of all the names I would have chosen for Judas it would not have been “friend.” What Judas did to Jesus was grossly unfair. There is no indication that Jesus ever mistreated Judas. There is no clue that Judas was ever left out or neglected. When, during the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples that his betrayer sat at the table, they didn’t turn to one another and whisper, “It’s Judas. Jesus told us he would do this.”

They didn’t whisper it because Jesus never said it. He had known it. He had known what Judas would do, but he treated the betrayer as if he were faithful.

It’s even more unfair when you consider the betrayal was Judas’s idea. The religious leaders didn’t seek him, Judas sought them. “What will you pay me for giving Jesus to you?” he asked. (Matthew 26:15) The betrayal would have been more palatable had Judas been propositioned by the leaders, but he wasn’t. He propositioned them.

And Judas’s method … again, why did it have to be a kiss? (Matthew 26: 48–49)

And why did he have to call him “Teacher”? (Matthew 26:49) That’s a title of respect. The incongruity of his words, deeds, and actions—I wouldn’t have called Judas “friend.”

But that is exactly what Jesus called him. Why? Jesus could see something we can’t...

Jesus knew Judas had been seduced by a powerful foe. He was aware of the wiles of Satan’s whispers (he had just heard them himself). He knew how hard it was for Judas to do what was right.

He didn’t justify what Judas did. He didn’t minimize the deed. Nor did he release Judas from his choice. But he did look eye to eye with his betrayer and try to understand.

As long as you hate your enemy, a jail door is closed and a prisoner is taken. But when you try to understand and release your foe from your hatred, then the prisoner is released and that prisoner is you.

Commitment

com·mit·ment  [kuh-mit-muh nt]    a pledge or promise; obligation

As Christians in the 21st century, we are faced with major commitment problems.  We are over-committed in many ways and under-committed in others.  We commit to running the kids around, working long hours, living the American dream and trying to outdo and outlive our peers.  We do not commit to serving our Lord, supporting our church and seeking the truth.  Our attempts are pathetic and scattered.  Maybe some of us are avid church goers.  Others may pray now and then.  And some may read devotions.  But is this what Jesus called us to do?  Weren't we called to SACRIFICE?  When was the last time you made a true sacrifice for Christ?  And yet this is how we are called to live DAILY.  

 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua 24:15

Our commitment should be only to God.  Any other commitment is to a false idol.  We should be commited to seeking His will, truth and words.  Evaluating our situation should be a regular practice.  If something or someone is taking us away from the Lord or causing us to not seek His will or the truth, then turn from that source. It doesn't need to be complicated - the questions are simple - Does this (thing or person) bring me closer to the Lord?  Does it (or he/she) perpetuate truth?  Does it (or he/she) cause me to sin?   We must not assume that we are able to withstand sin without corruption.

 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”    1 Corinthians 15:33

My Colors

Do we know what it means to be a living sacrifice? Read this statement by a young African pastor. Found among his papers in Zimbabwe after he was martyred        I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.      My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.      I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.      My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.      I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.      I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.      I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.      I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!