Focusing on 'Joyful Relationships'

On Four Sundays in June and July, my sermons during worship at Friendship Lutheran Church will deal with the topic of relationships.

This coming Sunday's message is about what it takes to have and be a friend. Two Biblical texts will be especially important, both from the New Testament:

• "My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:1-2)
• "Jesus said to his disciples, 'Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, "I repent,"’ you must forgive.” (Luke 17:1-4)

A few basic principles on friendships, particularly Christian friendships, can be adduced from these short passages:

1. The love of a friend is loyal.
2. The love of a friend is tough. It doesn't shy away from confrontation.
3. The love of a friend forgives.

Speaking for myself, the life style entailed in these simple principles is impossible to maintain...without the help of God! As Paul puts it elsewhere in the New Testament, I need "Christ in me."

I suppose that the sinful Mark too enjoys the feeling of superiority that comes when I see someone else stumble, particularly in an area in which I myself have stumbled and subsequently recovered. In these moments of self-righteousness, it's important for me to remember that while, by the grace of God, I'm a saint, I'm also a sinner, constantly beset by the same temptations that afflict the rest of the human race. This should make me feel, not smug and self-righteous, but compassionate. Forgive me, Lord, for forgetting that I'm a sinner saved by Your grace and teach me what it is to be a true friend!