Friend: (dictionary definition) A person whom one knows well and is fond of. An ally, supporter and sympathizer.
Acquaintance: A person whom one knows slightly.
Proverbs 18:24: A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 17:17: A friend loves at all times.
The word 'friend', like 'love', many times is misused or very loosely applied in a relationship. The term 'friend' is often used when actually we are referring to someone who is an acquaintance. A person may have many acquaintances but few real friends.
Aside from my wife, who is my best friend, and my children and other family who already meet the following, to me a friend is someone I can call at 2 or 3 in the morning; tell him I'm in need and he will come to my aid without even asking for details. He would be someone who, if I got in trouble, would not desert me and would be among the first to be at my side. I would do the same for him. We might get angry with each other but we don't let the anger linger. We have a deep respect for each other, overlook the defects in each other and build each other up. We pray together and for each other. A friends keeps me accountable.
These are not all the requirements of real friendship, and you may have different definitions of what constitutes true friendship , but when I apply these scenarios to those I know it quickly becomes apparent who is a friend sand who is an aquaintance.
Aristotle maintained that there are 3 categories, or tiers, of friends: 1. Business partners 2. People you enjoy being with socially 3. People with whom you pursue virtue or arete. The Christian form of arete is a self-sufficient life of contemplation and wisdom.
During one of our recent wars, (as I remember the story) two army buddies, Jim and Larry, came under enemy fire and ran toward a friendly bunker. Jim made it but didn't realize that Larry had been wounded and had fallen until he heard Larry call for help. Jim immediately started to his aid but the sergeant in charge grabbed Jim and commanded him to remain in the bunker; the enemy fire was so heavy and accurate that Jim would certainly be wounded or killed once he left the safety of the bunker. Jim wrested himself from the sergeant's grip and crawled to his friend. Larry managed a weak smile, grasped his friend's hand and said, "Jim; I knew you would come."
John 15:9, Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love"
John 15:13,14: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."
John 15:15: "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from the Father I have made known to you."
With these words Jesus drew the disciples into a more intimate relationship with Him. At that point in their spiritual understanding they probably did not realize the importance of what he had said. He would die for them. He loved them with the most complete and deepest possible love: the love of God Himself. He had disclosed His Father's revelation to them of Jesus' identity and His mission: knowledge no one else had. That information could only be shared with friends; not with servants or acquaintances.
Now, by the grace of God, we are more than friends with Jesus. We are children of God and joint heirs with Jesus.
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File this under Strange Wills and Last Requests:
Heinrich Heine left all his wordly goods to his wife but with this provision: She must re-marry.
He said he wanted at least one man to be sorry Heinrich died.
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