NOW THAT'S A FRIEND

 AUGUST 15, 2022

Matthew 11:19

The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

Luke 7:34

The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’

John 3:17

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Matthew 11:28

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.



Jesus is the ultimate friend that this world has ever known.  Jesus was called “a friend of sinners” (Matthew 11:19). The gospel of John tells us that “God did not send His Son in to the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).

When people came to Jesus with all their burdens and sins, He didn’t shake a judgmental finger at them; rather He put them at ease.

Jesus was so tender with His disciples that his very presence offered rest to weary souls (Matt. 11:28). Because of this, broken, neglected, and wounded people flocked to Jesus while He walked here on this earth, and as we saw last week in our devotions, Jesus still offers rest to weary souls today.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29).

If Jesus is our example, the one we look to for guidance about living, then we have to pay attention to what it means to be a friend like Jesus.

Here are some things we notice, the first is to be a friend like Jesus means to embrace people in their brokenness, it means someone who doesn’t condemn or judge individuals, but instead looks upon others with the eyes of love and even sets sinners at ease with the grace of God.

It is said, that true friendships are marked by honesty, transparency, vulnerability, acceptance, empathy, and desire for the good of others. These types of friendships offer space where we can be truly known and yet deeply loved, simultaneously. I read recently that “The beauty of the Church and the beauty of God-glorifying relationships shines brightest against the backdrop of our own brokenness.” That’s where the grace of God meets us most profoundly, in our need.

I believe the most beautiful aspect of the Gospel message is that Jesus doesn’t condemn us in our chaos, disorder, and confusion; He welcomes us in our mess. Jesus embraces sinners, sufferers, and anyone whose lives are in complete disarray, anyone who will come to Him with their failures, weaknesses, sins, and needs. So, “the garden of friendships” begins to prosper as people can safely open up about their own brokenness in the light of the One who is able to shoulder and carry all our problems and worries, Jesus Himself.

Let us pray now that the Lord, the friend of sinners, would draw near to us in our own brokenness, and that He would enable us to be a comfort for our friends in their brokenness, so that they feel His love when they are with us. I would add let us pray that this also would be the OUTSTANDING reality experienced in our faith communities too.