August 14

Christ’s Special Friends

After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. — Matt 17:1 BSB

These three disciples—Peter, James, and John—were part of the inner circle of our Lord’s friends. There must have been something in them that particularly endeared them to Him. We know that Peter was a leader among the apostles and a bold confessor of faith. John was “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” James was the first of the apostles to die as a martyr. It’s encouraging to see that Peter, despite all his faults, his many mistakes, and even his shameful denial of Christ, was still one of the Lord’s closest friends. This gives us hope that, with all our flaws, we too may be dear to Christ.

It doesn’t seem as surprising that John was part of this inner circle. His gentle and loving nature seemed to match the Master’s own character. But it’s possible that John wasn’t always so loving. Perhaps his sweetness was the result of spending time with Jesus. There’s an old Persian fable about a piece of clay that became fragrant by lying beside a rose—the perfume of the rose passed into the clay. In the same way, John lay close to his Master’s heart, and the spirit of love and gentleness passed into his life, transforming him. John’s story teaches us that constant, loving communion with Christ will change us into His likeness.

This special choosing of three disciples for greater privileges shows us that while Jesus loves all His followers, some are taken into closer confidence than others. Even in this life, there are degrees of nearness to Him. Shouldn’t we strive to be among those who, by our devotion and service, draw closer to the Lord? Let’s remember that those who serve the most are often closest to Him.