Selfless Friendship
I think all would agree that friendships are one of the key foundations to a happy life on earth. God created us to live in community together. Since the beginning of time, we have lived in community with God. From Adam and Eve in God’s presence to all the other various people God has come alongside to steward this world with. But relationships are hard. They require work. They require intentional care. They require selflessness.
I have been reflecting on our past weekend. The First Church Youth kids came together with the Outreach Youth and SLCC SEEK Youth for a combined teen retreat weekend at Rock Lake Christian Assembly. We talked different “Character Influencers” from the bible and how they taught us something about our relationships with one another. I spoke on one of the bibles greatest sidekicks, the greatest #2 man, the often looked over but never forgotten, Jonathan.
Jonathan has an inspiring story. We see the sins of the father deeply affect that of the son. King Saul had fallen out of favor with God. The blessing as God’s anointed was being passed to David[1]. What would this mean for the heir to the throne, Jonathan? Certainly, you would think the result would be a deep disdain for David. But on the contrary, Jonathan is selfless, not selfish. He chooses to honor his friend and support him in every way.
Look at honor that is bestowed upon David by Jonathan, who is now passed over as heir because of God’s choosing of David:
1 When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself. 2 Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.
3 Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself. 4 Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
1 Samuel 18:1-4 CSB[2]
Keep in mind that Jonathan is an already established military leader[3]. He won victories that would see the Philistines driven back. It was no small gesture to hand over his military uniform and personal weapons. He was marking David as the choice military leader. The anointed future King of Israel. In such a way he demonstrates the selfless life that Jesus lived for us. He directed the direction of praises and honors to that of God’s will, which is living for others.
We challenged the students this past weekend to think through this scenario; You are the coach’s kid. You have gone to all the extra practices, all the extra events, every tape view, every parent/coach meeting, everywhere coach goes – you go. Then the day comes for the team captains to get picked…and you are passed over. Furthermore, the first-year teammate is picked to lead the team because of his/her abilities and work ethic. What do you do? How do you process this apparent betrayal? You could be bitter, selfish, and jealous, harboring ill feelings that fester into cancer amongst your teammates. Or you could be a part of equipping that person to be the best leader for the team!
At the end of the day, we play for the same team, with some chosen to take care of a lot and some a little. Why not carry one another’s burdens along the way as the book of Galatians reminds us so often to do[4].
It is about living selfless, not selfish!
[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+16%3A1-13&version=CSB
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+18%3A1-4&version=CSB
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+13-14&version=CSB
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+6%3A2&version=CSB