I tried and I hope that it was done successfully to raise my children to stop calling everyone that they meet, attended school with or work with as their friend. There is such an enormous difference from one being a friend or acquaintance. We need to understand that we have far more acquaintances in our lives than we do friends. An acquaintance has a slight or superficial knowledge of, rather than having intimate knowledge of. To be acquainted is to have informed personal knowledge. JESUS CHRIST became that for us, HE became acquainted rather than being an acquaintance. Let’s look at the difference with scripture.
JESUS CHRIST who is our true friend not only is acquainted with all our ways HE is also familiar and knowledgeable with all our ways. That which we are, our happiness, sorrow, anxieties, griefs, pains, fatigue, whatever we are HE knows them intimately. When my kids were still in school I would do just as my parents did with me, most times that I came up to the school it was without their knowledge because I needed, and I wanted to see for myself who my children were without their knowledge of my being around. No one could and no one can tell me who my children are regarding their character, their essence because I saw for myself who my children were out of my presence. Sometimes, at home during those warm seasons while my kids were outside with the neighborhood kids, again, without their knowledge I would be near the open door or window, close enough to hear them but far enough away for them or the other kids to not see me. Parents, this is the time we discover just who our kids really are, this is one of the ways we become acquainted with who our children are when they don’t realize that we are near as well as when we are near, and we see them in action as well as communicate with them. I can recall when I was still employed one of my co-workers saying aloud to me, “Shawn aren’t you and I friends”? I turned to her and said pleasantly and with a smile “no”. She was shocked that I answered in that manner. I had to make it plain, we never see one another outside of the job site, we never spend any quality time together and share our lives with one another, you don’t know my family and I don’t know yours, you don’t know who I am outside of this place of employment as a person and vice-versa. Those that heard me put their heads down because I guess that it gave them something to think about or they just did not expect me to have thoughts such as that. I don’t know. I have the same friends that I had as a child a crowd of four. I used to have five, but one went to sleep/died. These dear people have always understood me and stuck by me no matter what. If or when I went/go through the fire they don’t stand at the other end calling me through, they take my hand and walk through the fire with me. And I hope that I have a track record of doing the same for them.
Just as in the past JESUS CHRIST was forsaken by people, today is no different and in the future, it will not change. Don’t you realize that this is painful? We all have experienced rejection. Don’t you know that JESUS CHRIST suffered just for you and you alone? This is the way we all must acknowledge HIS suffering. Sure, HE suffered for all mankind/people but see HIS suffering just for you, we must make JESUS personal to us alone. JESUS is familiar with all our emotionalism and because of our lack of understanding, because we see GOD so far away from us rather than being nearer to us than our own breath. We turn our face away from HIM because we ignore HIM not knowing that we don’t think of HIS being worthy to us, not knowing that we don’t think of HIM being anything to us, and not knowing that we think of HIM as being nothing to us.
CHRIST JESUS is the Great High Priest to those who know HIM and to those HE know. CHRIST JESUS sympathizes with our weaknesses. As the song say, “Who wouldn’t serve a GOD like this”? We are not alone when we realize that CHRIST JESUS is more than a passing fancy but rather the GOD who is acquainted with every humanistic quality that we have apart from sin because there was/is no sin in HIM.
Psalm 139:3; Isaiah 53:3; Heb. 4:14
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