"a friend indeed"
"Instead, I call you friends, since I have made known to you all that I heard from My Father." —John 15:15
Are you Jesus' friend? You are His friend if you do as He commands you (Jn 15:14). His command is to love one another as He has loved us (Jn 15:12). If you do this, you will realize that Jesus laid down His life for you (Jn 15:13), and you will lay down your life for others (1 Jn 3:16). Then you will understand what Jesus the Master is about (Jn 15:15). God's work will not puzzle but enlighten you.
Only Jesus' loving, obedient friends experience this. This crucified love bears much fruit. It opens even the hardest hearts to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Are you Jesus' friend? Will you die even for your enemies? Is your love covering a multitude of sins? (1 Pt 4:8) Are you bearing fruit by leading people to Jesus? Jesus reveals specific prerequisites for and effects of being His friend.
"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself" (Sir 6:14-17). Jesus' friends become like Jesus.
Prayer: Risen Jesus, make me like You, both crucified and glorified.
Promise: "When it was read there was great delight at the encouragement it gave." —Acts 15:31
Praise: Jesus is Margaret's Best Friend with Whom she confides all her joys and sorrows.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Love on audio AV 58-1 or video V-58.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 16, 2006
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