INTRODUCTION
We all, I hope, have good friends. The word “friends” is found 115 times in the English Standard Version. The greatest concentration of the word is found in Job (15 times) and Proverbs (14 times). Job, basically, tells us how not to be a friend. Proverbs tells us how to be a friend.
Consider the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by his friends. The account is found in: Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 9:2-8; Luke 5:18-26. I’ll use an acrostic to describe how to be a good friend…
F-FAITHFUL
Mark 2:5 – “And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Webster’s: “maintaining allegiance; constant; loyal”
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” – Psa. 37:3. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” – Pro. 18:24.
R-RELIABLE
Mark 2:4 – “Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.”
Luke’s account says they were “trying [imperfect tense] to bring Him in and to set him down in front of Him” (5:18).
Webster’s: “dependable; trustworthy”
“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” – Psa. 41:9; fulfilled in Judas Iscariot, per John 13:18.
I-IDEALIST
Luke 5:22-24 – “But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins have been forgiven you,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – He said to the paralytic – “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.”
Webster’s: “a person whose behavior or thought is based on ideals” The best ideals are Christ’s ideals. So a good friend is someone who puts Jesus’ teaching and example first.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” – Pro. 27:6.
“And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” – Mark 5:19.
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Luke 5:20 – “Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
In Matthew’s account (9:2), the first words out of Jesus’ mouth are: “Take courage.”
Webster’s: “to give courage, hope, or confidence to; embolden; hearten
“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends” – Pro. 17:9.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” – Pro. 17:17.
“He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty” – Job 6:14.
N-NOBLE
Matthew 9:6 – “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”
Webster’s: “having or showing high moral qualities or ideals, or greatness of character”
The greatest concentration of the word “friend” in the New Testament is in John 15:13-15.
D-DELIGHTFUL
Mark 2:12 – “And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Webster’s: “giving delight; very pleasing; charming”
“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel” – Pro. 27:9.
It is delightful to be interdependent and to bear one another’s burdens.
Let’s work at being faithful, reliable, idealistic, encouraging, noble, and delightful.
–Paul Holland
