Jesus Calls Me Friend

Jesus... even in light of wounds inflicted by a crucifixion He didn’t deserve... says these precious words in Zechariah 13:6, “And if someone asks, ‘Then what about these wounds on your chest*?’ he will say, ‘I was wounded at my friends house.’” *some versions say “hands”.

Christ was wounded physically and bears the scars of His transgressors, but He also is wounded and grieved personally by us... the partakes of His mercy miracles!

And we wound Him when our passion turns cold, when we slack in our duty of service to Him, when we act indifferent to His radical call of obedience, when we maintain ingratitude and insist upon selfish behavior, when there’s little attention paid to the Word, when we are neglectful in our responsibility of love and benevolence, when we hold grudges, cling to bitterness, and when our engagement with the hurting world around us is lacking gentleness, tolerance, and forbearance as the Gospel requires.

And even as we give Him reason to dismiss us, to turn us away, to deny us blessings... He calls us friend.

Our true friends are revealed to us in the darkness. When we are down. When we are at our unloveliness. My commentary says, “The nightingale is lovely not because his song is sweeter, but because he sings at night.” Ahh... and so it is with our Savior! The friendship of Jesus is this way... He is at His best when we are at our weakest.

And so He bears the scars and remembers... remembers not the enmity suffered, but of the friendship secured.

I’m so grateful to be called His friend!!