John
Chrysostom (347–407), archbishop of Constantinople, said this about friendship:
“Such is friendship, that through it we love places and seasons; for as . . .
flowers drop their sweet leaves on the ground around them, so friends impart
favor even to the places where they dwell.”
Jonathan
and David illustrate the sweetness of a true friendship. The Bible records an
intimate and immediate bond between them (1 Sam. 18:1). They kept their
friendship alive by demonstrating their loyalty to each other (18:3; 20:16, 42;
23:18), as well as nurturing it by expressions of concern. Jonathan gave gifts
to David (18:4) and watched out for him through many difficulties (19:1-2;
20:12-13).
In
1 Samuel 23:16, we see the highest moment of their friendship. When David
was a fugitive on the run from Jonathan’s father, “Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose
and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.” Friends help
you find strength in God during the low points of life.
In a world where most relationships are about what we can get, let us be the type of friends who focus on what we can give. Jesus, our perfect Friend, demonstrated for us that “greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
