A Tender Friend

Friendship is important to life. Sometimes it is hard to come by.

Throughout his administration, Abraham Lincoln was a president under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make mistakes, he resolved never to compromise his integrity.

So strong was this resolve that he once said,

“I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.”

We are not sure if he was referring to Himself or the Spirit of Christ.

Thankfully, the Christian faith is not about having yourself as your only friend. Built within the pages of the Bible, is the blessing that Jesus died to reconcile you to God. From that foundation, God is your friend, which is a beautiful thing. In fact, Jesus came to this earth so long ago to reconcile us to His father.

But what kind of people became Jesus’ friends? The answer is “sinners.” A verse that speaks to this is Matthew 9:13 which states:

Matthew 9:13 ESV

13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

What a verse this is! It ought to touch each of us where we sit. You and I are in that equation. None of us our righteous (in the eyes of the Lord). Every one of us is a sinner, in reality.

But in the time of Jesus, there were those that certainly assumed that they were righteous- those known as the scribes and the Pharisees.

And there were those that knew full well that they were sinners, those we read about as tax collectors.

Today, I want us to look at two figures that fit that latter category, the man Zaccheus and the fellow named Levi. And let us also see that there is immense hope found in the gospel.

As Jesus becomes your life, a friendship with Him materializes.

What is interesting about these two men is that they both had the same occupation. Levi was a man who operated a tax booth along one of the entry points to Jerusalem. Zaccheus was a chief tax collector, which meant that he managed several in the trade.

Both encountered Jesus. Both were transformed. And both became a testament to the abundant grace of God for future Christians.

Today, I want to explore Jesus’ willingness to be a friend to the friendless because this is central to the gospel. As Dr. Dane Ortlund states:

“If we allow the world around us in our present cultural moment to dictate to us the significance of friendship, we not only lose out on a reality vital to human flourishing at the horizontal level; we lose out, even worse, on enjoying the friendship of Christ at a vertical level.” (Ortlund, 114)

Today, there are many people that struggle with friendships. Whether male or female, there are those that believe friendship must come with some sort of price. And so many opt out. They opt out because they don’t know how to be a friend; and they find it hard to keep a friend.

But Jesus befriended those that were less than ideal. He reached out to the misfits and the outcasts in first century Middle Eastern society. We read in Matthew 11:19:

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

What does it mean to be a friend to tax collectors? This coupling of “tax collectors and sinners” is found elsewhere in the gospels, and it generally means people of questionable reputation. A tax collector was

“A person tasked with collecting taxes for a government. Often these people were either corrupt or perceived to be corrupt in that they would collect more than was necessary and pocket the extra themselves. In Greco-Roman times tax collectors among the Jews were considered to be Roman sympathizers.” (Lexham Bible Dictionary)

In Rabbinic literature, to be a tax collector was synonymous with being a robber. They were despised and hated.

And yet Jesus turned no one away that was willing to come to him and listen. Luke 15:1: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.”

I want to spend some time elaborating on these two friends of Jesus.

First, there was Zaccheus. We are told he was a chief tax collector and rich. He obviously has heard of Jesus before. Our Scripture tells us that he sought Jesus out, as the Lord was passing through the area around Jericho. He wanted to see Jesus so much, that he climbed a tree to gain a better view, obviously displaying great curiosity at the very least.

Jesus sees him and stops at the base of the tree, calling to him. The Lord essentially invites himself to dinner.

Now we would think this is pretty presumptuous, but it is actually an act of great love on Jesus’ part. He is willing to break bread with someone who is notorious for his dishonesty and hated by many. Hospitality was a societal obligation. So it was Jesus that was taking the step of love by telling Zacchaeus they would share a meal. And Zacchaeus recieved him joyfully!

Sometime later, Zacchaeus feels compelled to say to Jesus in verse eight:

“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus is offering the standard payback of restoration. It is a sign that he is truly repentant. Notice that because of Jesus, Zacchaeus’ life was changed. It wasn’t the case that he kept right on being dishonest. He was transformed.

If that were not enough, we have Jesus’ assessment of Zacchaeus’ actions. Knowing the heart, Jesus says: “Today salvation has come to this house. For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”

That is what was needed in Zacchaeus’ life. He needed Jesus to seek him out. Because he would never seek the Lord out on his own, more than climbing a tree. But that is how Jesus is. He seeks us out before we seek Him out.

Having Jesus as a friend means your life will never be the same.

Next, we read of Levi in Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew 9:9–13 ESV

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

We are not told the back story to Jesus approaching Matthew. But it is safe to say that Levi had heard Jesus preach before. He knew that this itinerant speaker preached a kingdom ethic that Levi felt disqualified him. And so Jesus has to approach Matthew or else Matthew would never approach Jesus.

The Scripture does not tell us what is going on in Matthew’s heart, but when someone is unsettled about their behavior, it does not take much for them to move off the stated position and make a change. Jesus comes up to the tax booth and looks Matthew in the eye and says: “Follow Me.”

Ortlund states: “Not only does a true friend pursue you; he allows you to pursue him, and he opens himself up to you without holding anything back.” (Ortlund, 117)

And Matthew responded to Jesus’ invitation and pursued a new life with the Lord. Jesus was willing to go to those who were sick. Today, some of the largest gains in the church are made among those who have nothing else other than God.

Some of the areas of greatest growth in Christianity are among people that are otherwise poor and needy. There is a saying that God is not all that you need until He is all that you have.

And that is an aspect of the gospel that should not be lost. Ortlund states: “Here is the promise of the gospel and the message of the whole Bible: In Jesus Christ, we are given a friend who will always enjoy rather than refuse our presence.” (Ortlund, 115).

Jesus’ friendship is much like a triage nurse. This week I had to visit the ER. I was greeted by many concerned staff at Grandview Hospital. I was treated as important. They took my situation more seriously than I did.

This is how Jesus treats your spiritual condition. Matthew 9:12 “But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Christ treats your spiritual wellness more importantly than you do.

Definition of a friend

A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following:

“One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable.” “One who understands our silence.” “A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.” “A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.” The winning definition read: “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Dane Ortlund offers a better one than these: “Companion specifically connotes the idea of someone who goes with you on a journey.” (Ortlund, 117). And that is what Jesus does. He goes with you throughout life as you put your trust in Him. Don’t go through life without Him! Amen.