Scripture
Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself. Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
~ 1 Samuel 18:3-4 (CSB)
Quote
There is nothing on earth more to be valued than friendship.
~Thomas Aquinas
When a scribe asks Jesus which commandment was greatest; Jesus answered with these words… “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” — Matthew 22:37-40 (CSB) The story of Jonathan and David illustrates this love for one’s neighbor. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself. Jonathan knew in his heart that David was the rightful king. By removing is royal tunic, that of a prince, and by giving David his sword, bow and belt–He was acknowledging David as king and making himself David’s subject. What a beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ the rightful King. Saul ridiculed Jonathan for his submission to David but Jonathan’s attitude is as noble as any in scripture. It is no sin to realize and accept our limitations. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging the superior gifts of others. There is no shame in playing second fiddle. Every great man {David} needs friends to give him love and support. Would we have a Paul without a Barnabas? Would we have the history of Paul’s Missionary journeys without a Luke? No man is an island. We all need someone to believe in us, someone to tell us the truth when we are wrong. Saul thought Jonathan was weak because he lacked ambition and was not aggressive in his pursuit of the crown but Jonathan was not the one who was weak. Saul’s jealous ambition destroyed his life and legacy.
There is something liberating about submission to Christ God’s anointed KING. I find great freedom in yielding my allegiance to Jesus. I feel no pressure to be great because I serve the greatest. Why would I want to be king, when I am a friend of the king. Let me give you an example: I am not a rich man. No one comes to me to borrow money because they know I don’t have it to lend. I don’t go to bed at night worried about losing my fortune, I don’t have one to lose. I tell folks from the pulpit that I don’t need money as long as I have friends who have money. They are not going to throw money my way indiscriminately but if I were in desperate need, they would help. I have no doubt about that because they are my friends. I don’t want their money because I don’t want the responsibility that goes with managing that kind of wealth. Do you really want to run a kingdom? It is difficult enough to pastor a church, I sure couldn’t handle a kingdom. For those like Jonathan and myself, the greater joy is in serving the rightful King. I have absolutely no problem with our Heavenly Father anointing His Son, The LORD Jesus Christ, as our KING. In truth, He is the KING of all those who think they are king. This makes HIM the KING of kings, right! As Luther would say, “You better believe it.”
- Let me give you some friendly advice: avoid Huntsville if you can. The traffic is horrendous. We left the Parkway Place Mall about 5:00 and it was congested and that is putting it mildly.
- We have a busy weekend and day. Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading the Blog.