The Hope of Glory

by E. C. Dargan - 1919

The Story Of Two Friends And A Friend

LONG ago, in one of the world’s most important ages and in one of the most notable lands that have figured in human story, on the banks of a historic river a great crowd of people was gathered. The center of interest and attractive force that brings this great multitude together is a man. He was a prophet after the order

of Elijah. He was the new Elijah. Rough, coarsely clad, uncourtly, but strong in action and tremendous in speech, he compelled attention and drew the eager attendance of vast and deeply interested hearers. He was no flatterer. He lashed the crowd for their sins, sparing none. Kings, soldiers, officials, scholars, traders, laborers, peasants, loiterers - all received due attention in his fiery utterances.

One day, in the midst of the crowd, the great popular preacher discerned the approaching figure of a young kinsman of his own, whom, if he had known at all, he knew only as a boy and youth of humble place and common occupation. Now, however, a divine intimation, unmistakable and powerful, leads him to recognize in this peasant young man the unique personality of all time; the promised Redeemer of mankind. So moved and instructed he acclaims him as ”The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.’’

This strange, impressive salutation falls upon the listening ears of two young men who already had accepted the popular preacher as the true prophet of God; the new Elijah, promised of old. Naturally, therefore, his unhesitating recognition at once drew their most intense interest to the young man so wondrously acclaimed. This was the beginning of a friendship so fine and fruitful that its issues became and abide the cherished spiritual heritage of mankind forevermore. Modestly told by one of them, without even naming himself, the story of a great spiritual life and influence here begins. The other of the two likewise was attracted and won to faith and friendship. He had a brother beloved - a brother bold, intelligent, active; his own superior in qualities. Full of his newfound joy, he goes to find that brother that he too may share the rising hopes of his friend and himself. Quickly he returns to the presence of the new Teacher with purpose to introduce his brother. But with that marvelous insight characteristic of the great Teacher, he needs no introduction, but discerns at once the character and quality of the man brought by a brother’s love to find the best friend. Greeted with a subtle spiritual recognition, this new arrival is accepted and placed. He is a rock. Surprised and wondering, he too finds what the others had discovered. Here then that day by the riverside these three find each other - two friends and the Friend. Henceforth their lives are twined in a common love and service. They had almost certainly known each other for years. They followed the same business as fishermen upon the lake whereon their home towns were situated. It is often so that friends and associates in some unexpected and sudden occasion find each other afresh, and fuse into a spiritual friendship acquaintance and esteem which had grown out of previous association. Friendship between two may be raised, purified, assured by the forming of a higher friendship with a third.

The story of this triple friendship need not be told in full. Some of its more striking events, familiar as they are, may well engage our thought afresh, and keep before our minds the beauty and value of friendship among good men. The two friends and their new Friend met at a wedding. It is a festive social occasion where fittingly the three young men find place and pleasure. A wonderful thing occurs. The new Friend, applied to by his mother, when for some reason the wine fell short, supplied the lack by miraculous power, turning the supply of water into the customary light wine, used upon such an occasion. All who witnessed this act of creative power must have been smitten with wonder and admiration. Surely these two friends found here their faith confirmed, and their spiritual perception and acceptance of their new Friend justified. Leaving out the others, we can imagine how the two friends talked over together the wondrous thing they had seen, and the words of which no record remains, but which must have been spoken in the conversations among them.

How many days and weeks may have elapsed before the next scene in the lives of these three occurs we do not know, but the two friends had gone back to their business as fishermen upon the lake. How they had discussed in all its bearing the growth of that acquaintance and friendship! They were waiting for the quickening of friendship into service and to fuller friendship. Nor did they wait long. One day while they are busy with their nets the Friend comes along the well-known shore and summons them, one after another, to leave their business and their toil and be his friends and associates in his ministry of good to the world. Quickly and decisively they accept this great call, and follow from now until the end of life the mighty Friend. Others too are called into the circle, but these two especially stand out as the closest friends of their Teacher. With one other, they form a group of special intimates, who are privileged to witness some of the more important and significant events in the life of their Teacher. Once they stand as solemn witnesses when the dead girl is raised to life and restored to her father; at another time they wonderingly behold, on a mountain top, the transfiguration appearance of their Master, in company with the Lawgiver and the Prophet of the ancient time; and, once more, these witness, at a little distance, the greatest agony and personal sorrow of their wondrous Friend. Great experiences passed through together welded friendship into an unbreakable bond, so these two intimates stand out above the rest in the special privilege and influence of such scenes.

In their association and activity one of these friends represents leadership and the other love. Not that these were theirs exclusively, but that by the special quality of each this kind of distinction is justified. One is always mentioned first in the group of associates and stands out in the narrative as spokesman for the rest. Leadership is necessary in any group of active workers. And so, to one of these two friends that place naturally falls. Doubtless many a time in the life and work of these men there came occasions when that leadership must have asserted itself. Certainly there are two great occasions when this strong friend spoke out his soul, and in so doing stood for what his colleagues felt and owned. Once when the Teacher desired to know what was the opinion of men concerning himself, and what was their more intimate conviction concerning him, the leader of the group unhesitatingly asserts their firm acceptance of his highest claims to their faith and loyalty. And on another occasion, when some failed to meet the test of his teachings and were going back, again this noble leader for himself and the rest declares their unswerving purpose to come with him to the end, because in him alone were found the words of eternal life. To the heart of the great Teacher these expressions of loyalty were the tokens of a friendship at once human and divine, springing out of personal loyalty, but reaching to the heights of spiritual fellowship and devotion. How truly and intensely the other friend entered into these declarations we may take for granted, for love and loyalty are one.

No human friendship is without its flaws. These were not faultless men, and their friendship lacked some elements of perfection. The friend who stood for leadership sometimes presumed upon his position. Once, unbidden and rude, he broke into the retirement for prayer of his beloved Teacher. How strange it is that even friendship sometimes fails in the delicate perceptions that mean so much for sensitive spiritual natures. The hour of prayer disturbed by a thoughtless friend, who thought he had a right to intrude! So often are we reminded that ”evil is wrought by want of thought as well as by want of heart.” Still worse, the leader was betrayed into presumption when he undertook to tell his Lord what he ought to do and not to do. Sometimes a friend to a great man forgets his proper place, and intrudes with suggestions or advice, wrong in themselves and presumptuous when set forth as duty to one who knows his duty without being told by an inferior. Such criticisms are a blot on friendship, and the greatest Friend of all was not immune from friendship’s mistaken zeal. But the patient Master knew how to understand and forgive such faults even for friendship’s sake. Nay, he knew how to be charitable and merciful to even greater lapses than these.

The other friend, the one who stands for love, also made his mistakes. This was he who was especially the object of the great Friend’s love, and perhaps the most congenial spirit in all the circle of friendship. And yet he, of all others, displayed on three occasions the temper and spirit most opposite to love. It was he who, narrow and intolerant and jealous, forbade those outside the circle to help the Master’s work. It was he who, because of a slight put upon his beloved Master, would have called down fire from heaven to destroy the offending community. It was he who, along with his brother, made selfish demands for himself, and sought at the hands of his Lord a place of distinction and authority among his brethren. So friendship sometimes fails in its recognition of the spirit of the truest friend. Want of congeniality is a pain where friendship is closest. So we cannot wonder at the Master’s stern rehuke, even of his closest friend.

We look with reverent eyes upon the last gathering, in a social way, of the group of friends in which the central Person and these two intimates were the leading figures. Love leaned its head on friendship’s bosom, giving, in an hour of deep grief and trial, that human touch of tenderness so needed then. Leadership, alas, mistakenly, now asserted its profession of undying loyalty and devotion, so soon to be shamed. In that trying and solemn interview, these two men, and their characteristic traits stood out among the rest.

Friendship failed when these two, and one other, witnessed at a little distance the bitter agony of the greatest soul of human story. How strange it seems that friends should have slept while the Friend bore his weightiest load of personal grief and loneliness. Of so pathetic a failure in human friendship we can only say it was part of the price that had to be paid for human sin.

Events move on. The Master is betrayed and led to his trial. The leader rashly draws the sword, and is rebuked. Then, under reaction, becomes fearful, and follows afar off. Leadership falters - love stands. The other friend goes in, and, by some influence, obtains for his comrade entrance into the hall where their great Friend is to be tried. Love is there, but silent and unmentioned. Leadership is there, and breaks down. The severest test of loyalty comes and is not met. What shall we say of a friend who denies his friendship in the time of utmost need? There is no excuse. It was just a failure. But divine friendship will not lose a human friend. In silent grief a look suffices. Friendship has failed, but is not lost. Out in the dark night a broken heart goes to realize its own utter failure, its faults and shameful conduct. In that hour of lonely darkness, remorse and grief, friendship, though shaken, finds itself again. And on the ruins of its weakness, will build a firmer structure.

Leadership falters, fails, but love stands. The utmost penalty of sin is paid on the cross. Love stands by to watch with breaking heart the final scene of divine suffering for human fault. Love receives a son’s bequest, and tenderly shelters bereft motherhood in its crowning sorrow. O faithful love! We cannot portray the events of those wondrous three days. We know not where the friends were, nor the details of their doing, but somehow the flying, eager feet of womanhood bring startling news of an empty grave and a risen Lord. Leadership and love are together again. Quickly they fly to the spot where their Lord has lain. Love outruns leadership, but timidly waits at the door of the tomb. Leadership catches up, and asserts itself by entrance. Love follows. And these two friends together see the vacant spot where the body of their great Friend had reposed awhile. What did they say to each other then? What communion of friendship in that place of all others on earth did these two hearts renew and cement? Again the veil of our ignorance falls on these scenes, until one morning, while the two friends had gone back to their daily toil on the historic lake, out on the water, the eye of love discerns a well-known form amid the mist upon the shore. Love discovers. Leadership at once asserts itself, and first arrives upon the scene. ’Tis not the empty grave now, but the living Lord. In the interview that follows love is taken for granted, but leadership needs a lesson, and that lesson must be the turning of leadership into love. Thrice the searching query, ”Lovest thou me,” brings back the subdued and shamed but yet confident and triumphant assertion, ”Thou knowest that I love thee.” Fallen friendship, rebuked and chastened, comes to itself in the assertion of its love, and never fails again.

The details of those marvelous days are not recorded for us. We know the friends must have had constant communication with each ’other, with their colleagues, and with the great Friend himself. Their final instructions were received. The whole band witnessed the wondrous and glorious ascension of their Lord, and turned back wondering and yet rejoicing from the mountain top to take thought of duty and the future. No more the personal bodily presence of the great Friend was to be theirs. But the memory of those days and months of intimate friendship were their priceless possession. Along with the others, these two, who stood for love and leadership, went forth to their allotted task, to win the world to him who loved them with a friendship unutterable, and wished the world to share it. Together they stood when leadership proclaimed the risen and saving Christ to Jerusalem’s multitude. Together they went to the Beautiful Gate of the temple one day, love and leadership, to meet poverty’s distressing need, and without silver or gold, to bestow that which meant everything, even healing and help and health. This is the last view we have of the friends mentioned together, and very little more do we know of either.

One still maintained his leadership, and among his fellow Christians exercised what influence was rightly his in maintaining and spreading his Master’s cause. Now led to bring the message of peace to a Gentile home, now lifting back to life a departed saint, now leading in counsel among his brethrenhe silently passes from view. History ceases - tradition begins. Only guesswork and inferences remain, and these we need not follow. Whatever comes out of the mostly untrustworthy stories which remain goes to show the activity and leadership in many different places of this mighty man of God, at whose word thousands were brought to know his Master and Friend. His tributes in writing to that friendship remain. If tradition be true, he influenced largely one of those who told the tale of the Christ, and in his remaining letters, among other splendid things, we find a word of thanks to God, who renewed us unto a living hope, unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

The same obscurity rests upon the later career of the other friend who stood for love. We find him on a lonely isle, banished for his testimony to his Lord. Messages to some of the churches are caught and written down. Flaming visions of conflict and of victory for the kingdom of his King are given him to see and describe. And to his rapt and glowing soul, the last glorious vision of the heavenly Jerusalem is shown, as she, in her gem-bedecked and glorious beauty, is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Love’s look sees love’s triumph.

Traditions are busy with this friend also. They tell us how he lived to a great age, and spent his loving life in helpful deeds to others; how he rescued a wandering lad from sin; how the sterner side of his nature flashed out against false teachers; and how, at last, triumphant love led the faltering footsteps of age and decay into the assembly of saints, where he could no longer speak at length, but, compressing his whole life into one final exhortation, he would say, ”Little children, love one another.” It was fitting that his should be the crowning gospel to tell of the love of God that gave his only begotten to save a sinful world. It was fitting that his should be the pen to write that finished definition, ’’ God is love.”

Two friends and a Friend: Peter and John and Jesus. We know and love them well, but yet not well enough. One teaches us how friendship, tried by temptation, may fall and find itself again, and last forever. The other teaches us how love, in spite of faults of temper and of mind, may triumph. Both together teach us how love and leadership unite to win the world to the Friend of friends, ”The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” This was their first belief. This was their creed in life; and the realization of this has been their joy in heaven, and is their united message to us. Under the friendship of the great Friend our human friendships, to him and to each other, find at once their basis and their crown.

The Christian ideal of true friendship finds illustration and encouragement in the story. Friends of the common Friend are the more closely drawn to each other because of that tie. The Christian of advanced years and long experience looks back to the friendships of his life with mellowing tenderness and devout gratitude. How many kind hearts have blessed his life with their love! And he looks forward to the renewal and perpetuation of these friendships in the life beyond. No small part of his ”hope of glory” is that in a life where no separations can dim its light, no misunderstandings can mar its peace, no faults can wound its joy, friendship with redeemed and perfected souls shall be his forevermore.

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