“That’s What I Thought”

Lines have been drawn. Walls have been built. Headlines have been created. Fights have been picked. Posts have been written. Friends have been unfriended.
 
Hostility is the dial tone of the day.
 
But conflict isn’t new. Neither is prejudice or injustice or hatred. And Jesus, the Savior who we follow, endured all of it. And not from some fringe group, but from the religious elite. From the politically threatened. From the governing weak. From His closest followers. From us. From me.
 
Yet. But.
 
Friends.
 
Jesus. Is not only familiar with us. He not only notices us. Incredibly, He knows my name… Yet. But…
 
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15, ESV)
 
Friends.
 
This is not the unmerited title I give to Him, it’s the relationship He defines for me. For us. Friends. A relationship He paid for. A relationship He bled for.
 
Yet. But. We give ourselves permission to hate. We imbibe the toxic cocktail of our culture… while our friend, The Friend; Jesus the Righteous looks on in grief.

• He calls us friend… and we lash out in self-defense.
• He calls us friend… and we ignore the pain of brothers and sisters who don’t think or look or behave like we do.
• He calls us friend… and we opt to pour fuel on the fire of bitterness.
• He calls us friend… and we don’t have time to listen to somebody else tell their story.
• He calls us friend… and we hunker down with an editorial perspective that suits our view.
• He calls us friend… and He instructs us to “Follow me.”
• He calls us friend…

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14, ESV)

He. Jesus. Is our friend. And He. Jesus. With His own broken flesh. Has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.

So why are we still wearing a toolbelt to rebuild it? Why do we give ourselves permission to consider each other in a way that Jesus didn’t?

He calls us His friend. Let that sink in. And guess what… that brother or sister that looks different than you… you got it. His friend as well. That brother or sister who you think is wrong… His friend.

So I’m just asking… shouldn’t friends of Jesus be friends of each other?

That’s what I thought.

Our merciful Father, sent His righteous and holy son. And He, Jesus, is our friend.

Friends… let that sink in. Let that change you. Change me.