| The Glory of the Common Life |
Chapter 4 |
Page 5 |
There is much mystery in the friendship of Christ. Perhaps no question is asked more frequently than, “Why does Christ send us suffering or pain?” In one of the Gospels there is an illustration of the dealing of Christ’s friendship, which may help us to see love in the pain and sorrow. It is in the story of the Bethany family. The brother fell sick. Jesus was absent. A messenger was sent to tell him, “He whom thou lovest is sick.” We would say he would start at once and travel in haste to get to his friend as soon as possible. But the record reads strangely indeed – “When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was.” That is, because he loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he waited two whole days after hearing of his friend’s illness, before he started to go to him. It was not accidental that he did not get to Bethany in time. It was not neglect in his love. It was not want of interest in his friends. The delay was part of his friendship. Nothing went wrong, therefore, with his love, when he did not come for four days, and Lazarus died. Nothing went wrong in your home when your prayer was not answered at once and your friend died. It was all love.
We know much about friendship in this world – far more than we think we know. Our friends mean more to us by far than we dream they do. Here is a bit of verse which gives us a glimpse of what many a friend means to those he loves.
“The world is no so difficult today
As in those far off days before I knew
I might look forward, all the long years through,
Unto the thought of thee–let come what may.
“The loneliness from grief has gone away
Since now its coming brings thee to my side;
And Pain its sternest secrets seems to hide;
And doubt to vanish, if thou wilt but stay.
“And as the traveler in a desert land,
Longing for shelter from the heat above,
At length finds refuge ‘neath some great rock’s shade;
So when life’s stress I may not well withstand,
I seek the memory of thy strengthening love,–
And in the thought of thee am unafraid.”
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