# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S17
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1910. 17

What, then, does Jesus expect of his friends?
"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," John 15:14.
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I
have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends," John 15:12, 13. "Hereby perceive we
the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought also
to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good,
and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not
love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
truth," 1 John 3:16–18.

Jonathan, the son of Saul, furnished a fine example of friendship. When he learned that God had rejected his father and
had chosen David to be king of Israel, his
friendship did not cool, nor did it turn into envy and jealousy,
but he went on serving his friend with the old fidelity.

John the Baptist was a true friend of Jesus. When the people
turned from the Baptist to Christ, John said that this was
right. The bridegroom must have the bride. And as the
bridegroom's friend he rejoiced greatly over his success, even though he
had to decrease because of it, John 3:26–30.

God keep us in his grace from the Savior having cause to
complain of us: "Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread,
hath lifted up his heel against me," Ps. 41:10! God keep us from
Christ ever having to put to us the question that he put to Judas in
Gethsemane: "Friend, wherefore art thou come? Betrayest
thou the Son of man with a kiss?" Matt. 26:50; Luke
22:48.

What does Christ give his friends? People
often point with pride to their acquaintance with eminent
men. One feels still more honored when one stands in the friendship
of a distinguished man. What honor Christ shows
us by himself calling us his friends! How insignificant
is the honor of the friendship even of the greatest man beside the
honor of being called a friend of Christ, the Son of God, the Savior
of the world!

The friendship of a king ennobles the one who enjoys it. So Christ
raised humble fishermen and despised publicans to be disciples, evangelists, apostles, martyrs, princes of heaven. So
Christ calls us his friends and thereby prepares us, from the service of sin,
for his holy service, and lifts our fleshly mind into the
mind of Christ.

Into a friend's house we go in and out freely, even
uninvited, indeed at an inconvenient time. We ask him for favors;
we pour out our hearts to him, complain to him of our sorrow. So we have
free access at all times to Jesus. We are his friends.