Friendship ....OR Something Like It...

Philosophy Dictionary: Friendship

A topic of moral philosophy much discussed by Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, but less so in the modern era, until the re-emergence of contextualist and feminist approaches to ethics. In friendship an ‘openness’ of each to the other is found that can be seen as an enlargement of the self. Aristotle writes that ‘the excellent person is related to his friend in the same way as he is related to himself, since a friend is another self; and therefore, just as his own being is choiceworthy for him, the friend's being is choice-worthy for him in the same or a similar way.’ Friendship therefore opens the door to an escape from egoism or belief that the rational course of action is always to pursue one's own self-interest, although escaping through the door would require finding what is covered by Aristotle's ‘same or similar way’. It is notable that friendship requires sentiments to which Kant denies moral importance. It is a purely personal matter, requiring virtue, yet which runs counter to the universalistic requirement of impartial treatment of all, for a friend is someone who is treated differently from others. One problem is to reconcile these apparently conflicting requirements.

HMMMMMM..........

Jesus gave us the definition of a true friend in John 15:13-15. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends . You are my friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants; for the servant does not what his master is doing: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you". Jesus is the pure example of a true friend for He laid down His life for His "friends." What is more, "who so ever will" may become His friend by trusting in Him as their personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him.

Jesus also gave a parable concerning friendship in(Luke 11:5-10). And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him,Friend, lend me three loaves,for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you,ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

In other words not even friendship could move this person to open the door in the middle of the night but the persistence of the knocker persuaded the friend to open to him. The lesson here is that some times human friendships have their limitations and that persistence reaps benefits.

There is an example of true friendship between David and Saul's son Jonathan, who in spite of his father Saul's pursuit of David and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend. You will find that story in 1 Samuel 18-20. Some other passages are 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:4-7; 20:11-17, 41-42.

Proverbs is another good source of wisdom regarding friends. Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 27:6; 27:17.

The principle found in Amos 3:3. "Can two walk together, unless they agree to meet?". Friends are of like mind. The truth that comes from all of this is that friendship is that relationship that is entered into by individuals and it is only as good or as close as those individuals choose to make it. Someone has said that if you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand, you are blessed. A friend is one whom you can be yourself with and never fear that they will judge you. A friend is someone that you can confide in with complete trust. A friend is someone you respect and that respects you, not based upon worthiness but based upon a likeness of mind.

Finally, to the real definition of a true friend. Romans 5:7-8. "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die , but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

John 15:13."Greater love has no one than this,that someone lay down his life for his friends."

I've learned in recent years that it's not how many or even if you have any friends.

What's the intention? Will it reflect the way Christ interacted with His friends? Are we "friendship material"??

Praise God for giving us a true friend, brother, and SAVIOR!!