Oct. 1, 2023 – Friendship Sunday Text: Luke 11:5-13
Dear Friends in Christ,
During World War I a soldier wanted to go into “No Man’s Land” where one of his buddies lay seriously wounded. “You can go,” said his captain, “but it’s not worth it. Your friend is probably dead, and you may throw your life away.”
But the man went. He managed to get to his friend, hoist him on his shoulder and get him to the trenches. They tumbled in together. The captain looked at the would-be-rescuer, and said, “I told you it wouldn’t be worth it. Your friend is dead, and you are mortally wounded.” “It was worth it, sir,” he said. “How could it be ‘worth it’? Your friend is dead.”
“Yes sir,” the young man answered, “but it was worth it, because when I got to him he was alive and he said, ‘Jim, I knew you’d come.’”
Wouldn’t it be nice if all friendships were that way? Jesus came into our world to rescue us from our sin. He provided what we needed most: a right relationship with God the Father through the forgiveness of sins. He reminds is in the Bible in John, chapter 6, “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
This is Friendship Sunday, and we are once again privileged to hear the Word of God.
“JESUS – OUR FRIEND INDEED”
I looked back to a sermon I preached in the 1990’s on this text. It was mentioned in there how loneliness was a problem. We still have that situation today and probably even worse. During the time of Covid, many people got isolated. There were some very sad stories especially at it related to people’s death and having no one there for them. Man and woman still have a need for friends and friendship. Too many times, we go looking in the wrong places and there are consequences to our bad choices.
There is good news today. Jesus is here for you, even in your bad choices. Our text and the words of Jesus, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;’ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” (vs. 5-8)
Fascinating, isn’t it? He wouldn’t get up because they were friends, but because of the man’s persistence he got up and gave him what he needed. We read this wrong if we think that if we pray hard and long enough God will give us what we want.
In the story a friend goes to a friend. When we go to God we go to our perfect Father in heaven. In the text, the friend goes at midnight, an inconvenient time. With God there is no inconvenient time. The need of bread is small. Our needs before God are greater. The friend offers a selfish excuse for refusing the request. Our Father in heaven, who is perfect and kind, offers us the most wonderful promises.
Sometimes we think God doesn’t hear us or listen to us. That He is far away. We think because of our hurt and sorrow that are almost unbearable at times that God doesn’t care. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. If we knock the door will be opened.
We can be afraid to be persistent because our life of rebellion is too great or our sin too heavy. That should never be a discouragement, because the Lord asks us to come. He encourages us to knock, to search His Word in the Bible. For any sinner, nothing is too great to bring before God.
Don’t let change frighten you. It’s like the two caterpillars who were crawling across the grass when a butterfly flew over them. They looked up, and one nudged the other and said, “You couldn’t get me up in one of those things for a million dollars.”
If you say “I can never change” then you don’t know Jesus. In Christ, God opens closed doors, bring resurrection, reveals possibilities, reclaims the lost, liberates the cursed, and changes the unchangeable.
This friend Jesus offers more than a change of attitude. He offers a transformation of life. Jesus works His transforming power in the lives of all who hear the Good News of salvation. Jesus – Our Friend Indeed.
Our earthly friendships sometimes let us down. Jesus is always here. Jesus suffered for you, Jesus died for you, and Jesus rose again from the grave for you. He exchanged our self-centeredness for His selflessness.
Jesus is a Friend For life. Jesus the Savior is our friend . . . indeed!
Amen.