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There are few things in life better than a good friend. The Word says that a friends kisses can be trusted while an enemies' cannot not. Then in the next chapter, it says that we should strive to be a good friend. I know this is common sense, and it is something that we have heard since childhood, but most of the Proverbs is a lot like that. It is stuff that we already know, but need to be reminded of. The way to have good friends is to be one. The way to know the love and community of deep friendship is to be a good friend. It is like so much of life, when we take the attention off ourselves and place it upon others and upon God, then we see how life should be lived. But, so often we focus only on ourselves. In doing that, we make ourselves miserable. But, in focusing upon others, we live a happier, more content life.
New Testament Lesson
What right do we have to think too highly of ourselves, when we see what Jesus Christ did for our sake. He humbled himself to death to save you and me. Humility is a virtue, but we have misconstrued what it means. It is not about beating yourself up, or thinking that you are worthless. It is “self forgetfulness.” It is about forgetting about ourselves and focusing on God and others. In many ways, it is like being a friend. It is about focusing on someone other than ourselves.
That is something our culture does not encourage. We are told it is all about us. When we read the Word of God, we see that it is not about us. It is about God and other people. Jesus is the very son of God, yet he humbled himself for our God. Can we do that? Can we humble ourselves for the good of others? The John the Baptist says in the Gospel when Jesus comes that “He must become greater, and I must become lesser.” Can we say that same thing today? In doing that, we will find that life is about God and in God, we will find life. Life is not in out stuff, our jobs, or anything else. Life is in Jesus Christ.
Gospel Lesson
In the Gospels, two folks sinned against Jesus on his last day. Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him. Both of them did something that was terrible wrong, and both of them expressed regret. The difference being that Peter did more than express regret; he repented and was restored. Judas did not. We will sin. We will make mistakes.
Now, I’m not saying we need to go and look forward. Don’t go looking for sin, and don’t begin making excuses for your sin. But, when you do make a mistake, what will you do? Will you choose the path of Judas or Peter? We will all make mistakes, how will we handle it? Will we repent or will we stay in our sin. CS Lewis once said that shame is not in the falling down; the shame is in the not getting back up. When you sin, will you repent, ask forgiveness, and keep walking? Or will you stay mired in your sin? Those are our choices.
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