No longer servants, but friends

“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” —Proverbs 17:17

The story of David and Jonathan, found in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, is one of the great stories of friendship. The story begins with the nation of Israel experiencing the challenges of unstable leadership. The character flaws of King Saul — unchecked anger, fear, and jealousy toward God’s anointed and heir apparent, David — are becoming evident to the people of Israel. King Saul recognizes that David’s success on the battlefield resulted in enthusiastic acclamation from the people and posed a serious challenge to his own kingship; and so, he devised several schemes to arrest and kill David. One of these schemes involved Saul’s oldest son, Jonathan, his heir and in line to be the next king; Jonathan, a great military leader, was a courageous warrior and had been victorious on many battlefields.

When Saul asked Jonathan to help him capture David to kill him, Jonathan had to make a very difficult decision: “Shall I support my father in this plan to kill David, which could someday place me on the throne?” Or “shall I support my friend, David, and remember the agreement we had made together?” Jonathan had previously made a solemn pact with David, because “he loved him as he loved himself” (1 Samuel 18:3). Forsaking his filial duty and affection for his father Saul, king and sovereign of Israel, Jonathan decided to intercede on David’s behalf and help him escape Saul’s scheme unharmed. Jonathan’s actions on behalf of David jeopardized his very own life. In a fit of anger, King Saul exclaimed to Jonathan: “you son of a perverse, rebellious woman!”; and then, in a fit of violence, he hurled his spear at him (1 Samuel 20:30-34). Nonetheless, through all these machinations of the king, the friendship of Jonathan and David remained steadfast.

Their respect, loyalty, and love for each other is later captured by David’s eulogy for Jonathan:

How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan!

Oh, how much I loved you!

And your love for me was deep,

Deeper than the love of women! (2 Samuel 1:26)

What a picture of faithful, loyal, and committed friendship on the part of David and Jonathan! Their friendship perfectly illustrates the maxim in the book of Proverbs: “a friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need” (Proverbs 17:17).

The story of the friendship of Jonathan and David, particularly Jonathan’s willingness to risk his own life, foretells of the friendship theme in the Farewell Discourse of the Gospel of John, where Jesus says to his disciples, “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends . . . I do not call you servants any longer . . . but I have called you friends” (John 15:13, 15)

Jesus is among friends, telling them there is no greater way to prove one’s love for a friend than to die for that friend. In a few short hours, Jesus’ love for his followers, his beloved friends, will be demonstrated by his death on the cross. May each one of us be inspired by the friendship, love, and grace of our Savior and sing the great hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

(Lyrics by John M. Scriven 1855)

—Leo Ranzolin, ThD, is dean of the School of Religion.