"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity."
John 15:12-15
“This is My commandment, that you
love [agapao] one another
as I have loved [agapao] you.
Greater love [agape] has no one than this, than to lay down
one's life for his friends [philos].
You are My friends [philos] if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant dos 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.”
Love,
agapao, Strongs #G25, is another word for beloved. It means
to be fond of, to love dearly, to be well pleased and be contented
with.[1] It is the same word as used in Matthew 19:19, “You shall
love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.”
We are to love with a fondness that
looks out for others, treats them as the beloved and is both pleased
and content with them – even in their faults and shortcomings.
Jesus goes on to say that there is no
greater love than to lay down one's life for his friends. Love in
this case is agape, Strongs #G26, which is a benevolent
overflowing love not contingent on the person or their actions.
One's friends, philos,
Strongs #G5384 is a form of love that is associated
with binding two together in companionship. It is love of the soul.
It can be a marriage partner, companion or associate.[2]
Anther
place it is used is in Matthew 19:11, “The Son of Man came
eating and drinking [with others], and they say, Behold, a glutton
and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors
and
[especially wicked] sinners! Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated
by what she does (her deeds) and by her children.”
John
the Baptist was considered a friend of Jesus (John 3:29). According
to his definition, a friend is one who stand's next to, listens
to/hears, is loyal to, seeks their best even at the expense of self,
and rejoices with them in their successes. Another example of
friendship is Johnathan and David. Johnathan saw that David was
being called to be the king and gladly gave all he could to sufgpport
David in his calling, including risking his own life.
The
Nelson Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines a friend as, “a
person whom one loves and trusts; close companion or comrade (Gen.
38:12). Perhaps the most famous friendship in the Bible was that of
David and Jonathan (1 Sam. 18:1-4). Abraham was called God’s friend
(2 Chr. 20:7), and God spoke to Moses "face to face, as a man
speaks to his friend" (Ex. 33:11). Jesus said we are His friends
if we obey Him (John 15:14).” [3]
According to another Bible
commentary, a friend is one who shares all things in common and
treats others as equals. They were referring to where Paul urged
financially well-off Christians of Corinth to treat Christians in
Jerusalem as friends:
Paul
says in 2 Cor. 8:13-15 (AMP), “For it is not [intended] that
other people be eased and relieved [of their responsibility]
and you be burdened and suffer [unfairly], But to have
equality [share and share alike], your surplus over necessity at the
present time going to meet their want and to equalize the
difference created by it, so that [at some other time] their surplus
in turn may be given to supply your want. Thus there may be equality,
As it is written, He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who
gathered little did not lack.”
This commentary goes on to
note that in John 15:15 Jesus was offering to be their friend by
offering to share with them what belonged to Him. [4]
What is interesting about
this verse in John 15:13, “ Greater love [agape] has no one
than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends [philos]”
is
that Jesus clearly speaks in other places that we are not to be
selective in our love of others. We are not to love [agape] only
those who love us in return.
Jesus
says in Matthew 5:44-46, “But
I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He
causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous. "For if you love those who
love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do
the same?…”
We
are instead to love our neighbor [anyone in need at our gate – Luke
10:36-37]
as ourselves (Luke 10:27).
Part
of it is that Jesus was speaking of Himself as He was soon laying
down His life. One commentary notes, “The
Lord Jesus is the example. He laid down His life for His friends. Of
course, they were enemies when He died for them, but when they are
saved, they become His friends.” [5]
Paul
said in Romans 5:7-9, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man;
though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God
through Him.…”
While
we were still in enmity towards God (Rom 8:7), He reached out towards
us and treated us as His friends. Anyone who chooses to believe and
say 'yes' to Him become His friends where He offers to share with
them all of what belongs to Him.
In
the same way that Jesus extended His hand to be our friend, listen to
us, share what He has with us, support us, and trust us – could it
be that He invites us to this same work? To extend our hand of
friendship to all who would receive our hand indiscriminately of who
they are, what they are doing, or how they have treated us?
Mother
Teresa, in "The Joy of Loving" notes that through the work with the poor, “the rich and the
poor have come to know each other, to love each other and to share
the joy of living by putting their love, their understanding love,
into living action.”
Sometimes
by treating someone as what they believe they have the potential to
be rather than where they are at, we can call them into more. In the
song of Solomon, the beloved notes that she is “dark but lovely”
(Song 1:5).
I
remember one time that I was alone at a hermitage with God many years
ago. As I read the Song of Solomon, I heard God speak this to me
that I was lovely to Him like a bride that was His treasure. I had
a low self esteem and couldn't see it. I had a shame based
identity and couldn't possibly see myself as 'lovely' to Him. Yet
through the Song of Solomon, He spoke to me as this person He saw me
to be. He called me into wholeness and healing as He called me His
beloved.
I
think about the woman with the issue of blood. She would have been
considered unclean (Lev. 15:25-27) and anything that she touched
would be unclean. She would have been considered like a leper to
the Jewish people.
In
a shimmer of hope in her heart, she reached out for Jesus and grabbed
the hem of his garment. She would have known that she could have
been in big trouble for reaching out to to a Jewish leader when she
was so unclean. Yet, something in her heart gave her hope that this
was different. Jesus spoke up as the power went out of Him, “Who
touched Me?”
She
had to be in immense amazement and fear at the same time as she spoke
up and, in the presence of everyone, admitted to touching Him and
being healed. In His love, I imagine her pulling her up by the hand
to bring her face to face with him, looking her in the eyes as a
woman of having great value, and speaking with mercy and acceptance,
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace" (Luke
8:48).
In
another translation it says, “your faith has made you whole.”
As we are loving relationship with Christ, He is leading us along a
path into greater wholeness as we are being set free and formed more
and more in the image of Christ.
One
author, Mulholland, writes, “...the New Testament reveals in Jesus
the consummation of the old covenant, the fulfillment of the promise
through the prophets that the law of God is not an arbitrarily
imposed external structure but the deep reality of human wholeness in
loving relationship with God.” [6]
In
the same way, as we are in loving relationship with Christ and extend
our hand of friendship to others just as Christ extended His to us,
we speak wholeness into their lives. We call them into who they
really are- not someone bowed down in shame- but beautiful, loved,
and deeply cherished.
In
Col. 4:5 Paul writes, “Be
wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity.”
Mulholland writes about this, “Paul is indicating in a profound way that for those who have set their feet upon the journey into wholeness in Christ, an essential part of that journey is becoming the agent of God's wholeness into the broken life of the world.” [7]
Mulholland writes about this, “Paul is indicating in a profound way that for those who have set their feet upon the journey into wholeness in Christ, an essential part of that journey is becoming the agent of God's wholeness into the broken life of the world.” [7]
It
is sometimes because of the brokenness and shame in one's life that
people may sit back out of reach of Christ. They say “unclean”
in their hearts and rather than taking the risk to reach out and
touch the hem of His garment. They hide in shame and bury themselves
in things that don't fill the places of emptiness.
Francis
Frangipane writes, “Many people do not accept Christ simply because
they are too aware of their inner uncleanness. Yet once we accept
Christ, the indwelling of Christ not only washes us, but His presence
makes us holy.” [8]
This
was the case in Parable of the Banquet in Luke 14– the servants
invited all to come that the masters house would be full. He said
to His servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel
them to come in, so that my house will be full.”
Lord,
We long to be one who speaks life and wholeness to others just as You
have spoken life and wholeness into our lives. In doing so, may they
be compelled into your kingdom. Give us arms that reach and are
quick to make friends, and words that speak life and wholeness into
others.
4.
The Chronological Study Bible.Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2008.
6-7.
Mulholland, M. Robert Jr. Shaped by the Word: The Power of
Scripture in Spiritual Formation. Upper Room Books, Nashville TN.
2000.
8.
Frangipane, Francis. When The Unclean Becomes Clean. Email dated
12/24/13.
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