Wonderful starter list, Kate! It would be a worthy study to name all the characteristics that make Jesus the best Friend anyone could have, and include the scriptures that verifies each trait as you've done here. Would be a great way to encourage the spirit and strengthen a person's relationship with him!
As humans, we spend an inordinate amount of time with friends, finding friends, making friends, cultivating friendships, etc. Imagine if all of us spent even a fraction of that time cultivating our friendship with Jesus.
So reassuring! Human friendships are sweet, but nothing matches up to being a friend of God. There will always be something a human friend simply cannot provide all of the time, but we can always run to Jesus.
st thomas aquians says friendship is about sharing goods. i dont really see your list as comprehensive of what I desire in a friend. maybe its more of a feminine list?
goods as in the sense that a friendship rooted in playing golf is higher than watching television. a friendship rooted in love of a country is higher than playing golf. So the higher the good, the higher and stronger the friendship, so obviously a friendship sharing a love of God is the highest thing, but practically, a friendship that is ordered toward the increase in justice, virtue, and sanctity, and fullfilling my vocation. thats the most important thing and of course Jesus is Our Mediator! He is our Means and End. So he does this in a way no one can, but he´s moving us from point A to point B. Good friends do this as well. This is really what seems to be missing and what I find to be most important. i think the word loyalty has a little deeper meaning than dependability, but thats relatively superficial.
On the contrary, It is written (John 15:15): "I will not now call you servants . . . but My friends." Now this was said to them by reason of nothing else than charity. Therefore charity is friendship.
I answer that, According to the Philosopher (Ethic. viii, 2,3) not every love has the character of friendship, but that love which is together with benevolence, when, to wit, we love someone so as to wish good to him. If, however, we do not wish good to what we love, but wish its good for ourselves, (thus we are said to love wine, or a horse, or the like), it is love not of friendship, but of a kind of concupiscence. For it would be absurd to speak of having friendship for wine or for a horse. Yet neither does well-wishing suffice for friendship, for a certain mutual love is requisite, since friendship is between friend and friend: and this well-wishing is founded on some kind of communication. Accordingly, since there is a communication between man and God, inasmuch as He communicates His happiness to us, some kind of friendship must needs be based on this same communication, of which it is written (1 Corinthians 1:9): "God is faithful: by Whom you are called unto the fellowship of His Son." The love which is based on this communication, is charity: wherefore it is evident that charity is the friendship of man for God."
ok i wasnt aware of having expressed anything specifically catholic, aristotle developed this view of friendship. So im curious to know what specifically you as a protestant feel compelled to reject. Can u share?
Someone who knows all about you and still sticks by your side.
So glad He never gives up on us! Thanks so much for reading and being a part of the discussion Anna!
Beautiful! There is nothing like a true friend.
All friends will fail us but He never will.
A true friend will be upfront and honest with you even if it might not be to your liking.
this is true!
One who is upfront and honest with you even when it may not be to your liking.
Wonderful starter list, Kate! It would be a worthy study to name all the characteristics that make Jesus the best Friend anyone could have, and include the scriptures that verifies each trait as you've done here. Would be a great way to encourage the spirit and strengthen a person's relationship with him!
Great idea Nancy, thanks for the suggestion! You are right, you can't include much in a 1-minute devotional! :)
😁
As humans, we spend an inordinate amount of time with friends, finding friends, making friends, cultivating friendships, etc. Imagine if all of us spent even a fraction of that time cultivating our friendship with Jesus.
good thought.
So reassuring! Human friendships are sweet, but nothing matches up to being a friend of God. There will always be something a human friend simply cannot provide all of the time, but we can always run to Jesus.
well said! Thank you!
st thomas aquians says friendship is about sharing goods. i dont really see your list as comprehensive of what I desire in a friend. maybe its more of a feminine list?
I have never heard of friendship being about sharing goods. I'm curious, what do you desire in a friend, what would be on your list?
goods as in the sense that a friendship rooted in playing golf is higher than watching television. a friendship rooted in love of a country is higher than playing golf. So the higher the good, the higher and stronger the friendship, so obviously a friendship sharing a love of God is the highest thing, but practically, a friendship that is ordered toward the increase in justice, virtue, and sanctity, and fullfilling my vocation. thats the most important thing and of course Jesus is Our Mediator! He is our Means and End. So he does this in a way no one can, but he´s moving us from point A to point B. Good friends do this as well. This is really what seems to be missing and what I find to be most important. i think the word loyalty has a little deeper meaning than dependability, but thats relatively superficial.
The relevant part of the summa is here. https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3023.htm
On the contrary, It is written (John 15:15): "I will not now call you servants . . . but My friends." Now this was said to them by reason of nothing else than charity. Therefore charity is friendship.
I answer that, According to the Philosopher (Ethic. viii, 2,3) not every love has the character of friendship, but that love which is together with benevolence, when, to wit, we love someone so as to wish good to him. If, however, we do not wish good to what we love, but wish its good for ourselves, (thus we are said to love wine, or a horse, or the like), it is love not of friendship, but of a kind of concupiscence. For it would be absurd to speak of having friendship for wine or for a horse. Yet neither does well-wishing suffice for friendship, for a certain mutual love is requisite, since friendship is between friend and friend: and this well-wishing is founded on some kind of communication. Accordingly, since there is a communication between man and God, inasmuch as He communicates His happiness to us, some kind of friendship must needs be based on this same communication, of which it is written (1 Corinthians 1:9): "God is faithful: by Whom you are called unto the fellowship of His Son." The love which is based on this communication, is charity: wherefore it is evident that charity is the friendship of man for God."
thanks for explaining. I may not agree with you but I do appreciate you reading and contributing to the discussion.
did i suggest something controversial?
nothing controversial, I am not Catholic so my beliefs would not align with everything you said.
ok i wasnt aware of having expressed anything specifically catholic, aristotle developed this view of friendship. So im curious to know what specifically you as a protestant feel compelled to reject. Can u share?
Thanks for your comments, I did go and check out your substack! :)