What is a Friend?
Two pairs of worn sandles crunch against the dry gravel road in Greece. Pythias and Damon, two friends, are traveling together to Syracuse. Being accused of plotting against the unjust despot of Syracuse, Dionysius I, Pythias is condemned to death. He requests that the king allow him to return to his family to say farewell. Wisely, Dionysius does not let Pythias go, reasoning and discerning that he might never come back. After receiving the king’s answer, Pythias asks if he can go if his friend, Damon, takes his place to assure that he will return. Dionysius agrees, wanting only to kill someone. When the day of the execution arrives and Pythias has not yet returned, Dionysius thinks to himself, “I knew he would not come back.” Just as Damon is about to die in his friend’s place, Pythias returns. He quickly explains that because the pirates who had captured the ship he was on had thrown him overboard, he had had to swim all the way back. Dionysius is so impressed by the faithfulness and love of the two friends that he sets them free, giving them both positions as counsel to his court. Such faithfulness defines a true friend.
What is a friend? Showing he was a friend to Pythias, Damon placed his life on the line for him. He knew he might die, but he made that significant sacrifice for his friend, Pythias. He was faithful. He trusted. He sacrificed. In return, Pythias clearly showed that he was faithful and trustworthy by returning as he had promised. Directly, John 15:13 states, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” These friends lived this verse. They demonstrated what a friend really is.
How can I lay down my life? No opportunity has come up where I can die in the place of my friend. To lay my life down, I don’t necessarily have to die; I can make a sacrifice for them. Sacrificing my time, my plans, and my schedule are all ways in which I can “lay down my life” for my friends. When looking for a story in the Bible that shows this sacrifice, the story of Ruth and Naomi serves as an excellent example. Ruth gave up and sacrificed her lifestyle, her home, and her gods to go with Naomi and care for her. Willingly, I should sacrifice for my friends.