John 11:11-15 -- After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Thank You Lord for family including those whom You have made family through Your Son. Thank You Lord for Christmas time.
As we jumped back into the Word to follow Jesus, we find Jesus getting ready to head to Bethany. The disciples had already expressed their concern about Jesus' safety and if we're being honest, they were probably a bit worried about themselves too. We'll see later the village of Bethany was only two miles outside Jerusalem. That's nothing but a short 40-60 min walk between Jesus and those who wanted to arrest and kill Him.
Jesus says something that jumped out to me. "Our friend Lazarus…". We don't see in scripture any recorded interactions between the disciples and Lazarus yet here we have in God's Word, "Our Friend Lazarus". This really has made me stop, pray, and reflect on this. We're very quick in the Christian circles and church to call each other family, brother, or sister, but friend?
Friend is another one of those words we've so watered down that it doesn't carry much weight or value any longer. Just like with our modern use of the word "LOVE", we've made "FRIEND" mean anyone connected via social media. Friend is more like acquaintance now. I mean I can "friend" and "unfriend" you on social media all day. It's the click of a button.
This led me to take a look under the hood and see the definitions of "friend". We're going to start way back in the Greek, then to Websters 1828, then modern Merriam-Webster, and finally see what a Web Search has to say, because let's be honest, not many people will look beyond page one of results.
1. Friend in the Greek is philos. Thayers Greek Lexicon says philos means: dear, friend, fond. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament says philos is an adjective of "Loved, Dear, Friendly" being used as a noun.
2. Friend in Websters old 1828 dictionary means: One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity; opposed to foe or enemy. A friend loveth at all times. Proverbs 17:17.
3. Friend in today's Merriam-Webster Dictionary starts to get shorter: one attached to another by affection or esteem.
Now we move to the Web Search definition that comes back as your answer to "Define Friend". Let's be real, this is the one people are going to run with 98% of the time.
4. Friend according to surface level Web Search means: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.
So, we have gone from the ancient Greek taking "Loved, Dear, Friendly" and using it to define what a friend is, down to our modern surface level Web Search answer most will take and it not only waters it completely down to "a person whom one knows" but also throws in "typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.".
This breaks my heart to see something so beautifully and clearly defined in Jesus' day to now become some generalized, watered-down thing, which may or may not include sexual or family relations, I mean whose to know, because we can't overly define something as it may offend, right? My heart breaks for this world.
Jesus didn't view Lazarus as a person whom He knew with a bond of mutual affection. Jesus LOVED, AGAPAO, Lazarus! He loved Him with a selfless, deep, and constant love. He loved him, he held him dear, he was his friend, and we see Jesus say to the disciples, "Our Friend Lazarus", so a friend of Jesus is a friend of His disciples.
Christian, you need to really slow down and think through this because psalm 18:21 says the power of life and death is in the tongue. What we say carries those things in it. So, before you go throwing around the word friend, brother, sister, or family, really ponder upon the impact these things have. Also know this, God sees your heart, so if these words are said from a deceitful, false place, He knows it. Psalm 139 says before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
Just something deep to think about this Wednesday morning, just a few days before Christmas, when you'll be interacting with many people whom you'll call friends or family.
Side Note: The art I was led to draw today is from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Frodo carries the one ring till he can't any longer. It's at that point, in the book, Sam who has walked, fought, and wept, every step of the way by Frodo's side says: "Come Mr. Frodo! I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he'll go."
Today's culture tries to twist Tolkien here and say the relationship with Frodo and Sam was gay or queer. However, we see Jesus today call Lazarus "friend" and use a word for it that means "Loved, Dear, Friendly". It's precisely the type of friendship, brotherhood, based on love, holding another dear, willing to give every ounce of self to the other, that this world cannot understand and wants to pervert; because it speaks of our mighty God and of our Savior's type of love and how our relationship is to be with Him.
Don't take my word on any of it, Be the Berean! Jump into the Word and see for yourself what God says!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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