Friendship

Just a few thoughts I've had recently regarding friendship. 

Looking at the friendship of David and Jonathan, a friendship that shouldn't have even happened. Jonathan was in line to be the next king, yet David was already anointed king. And yet "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt." (1Samuel 18.1-5) What strikes me with these verses is that it is Jonathan reaching out to David. Jonathan, the next in ling to be king, is reaching out to David, his rival. Jonathan makes the covenant, because he loved David as his own soul, Later in chapter 20, Jonathan proves his friendship by protecting David from Saul and aides in getting him away safely. Verse 41 we see them as they good-bye to each other, "and they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, 'the Lord shall be between me and you and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'"

Fast forward to 2 Samuel 9 when David asks in verse 1, "is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" Because of the convent that David made with Jonathan, David goes out of his way to Mephibsheth, the son of Jonathan. "Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, 'All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibsheth you master's grandson shall always eat at my table." (2 Samuel 9.10)

To me this is such a beautiful picture of the gift of friendship. two people that by the worlds standard shouldn't have been friends. Surely there as a clause in the covenant. (It was made before they were at war with each other). There was non of that here! Because God was at the center of the their relationship, (was the foundation of the relationship), Jonathan had the freedom to love David and put his desire to be king aside to truly love the Lord's anointed, even to the point of death. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." (John 15.13-14)

I guess the question I want to ask after all this is; who can you befriend/pray for that by our social settings/cultures, we shouldn't befriend?

Strangely enough, I also have some personal experiences that go along with this a little. They really don't have anything to do with Jonathan and David, but rather the saying good-bye and moving country's and making new friends where you literally have no history together. You have to try harder. Fight for those friendships. If I had just moved states or city's, I'd just have had to start at ground zero with a friendship, but because I moved country's I'm actually stating at negative zero! So, I guess a little like Jonathan and David, I have to fight for friendships here. Fight the desire to just call it a day and go where I'm "known". Be intentional. And in the end (theoretically) my friendship's here will be deeper and stronger. (Not deeper than my friendships at home, I'm not saying that just deeper in a different way.) 

Praise God for His grace! Just like David and Jonathan, when God's at the the center of the relationship, anything is possible! 

So, hang on to your hat, and go be intentional!