| The friendship of God |
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Our
Lord, the Word of God, first drew men to God as servants, but later he
freed those made subject to him. He himself testified to this: I do
not call you servants any longer, for a servant does not know what his
master is doing. Instead I call you friends, since I have made known to
you everything that I have learned from my Father. Friendship with God brings the gift of immortality to those who accept it.
In the beginning God created Adam, not because he
needed man, but because he wanted to have someone on whom to bestow his
blessings. Not only before Adam but also before all creation, the Word
was glorifying the Father in whom he dwelt, and was himself being
glorified by the Father. The Word himself said: Father, glorify me with that glory I had with you before the world was.
Nor did the Lord need our service. He commanded us to
follow him, but his was the gift of salvation. To follow the Saviour is
to share in salvation; to follow the light is to enjoy the light. Those
who are in the light do not illuminate the light but are themselves
illuminated and enlightened by the light. They add nothing to the light;
rather, they are beneficiaries, for they are enlightened by the light.
The same is true of service to God: it adds nothing to
God, nor does God need the service of man. Rather, he gives life and
immortality and eternal glory to those who follow and serve him. He
confers a benefit on his servants in return for their service and on his
followers in return for their loyalty, but he receives no benefit from
them. He is rich, perfect and in need of nothing.
The reason why God requires service from man is this:
because he is good and merciful he desires to confer benefits on those
who persevere in his service. In proportion to God’s need of nothing is
man’s need for communion with God.
This is the glory of man: to persevere and remain in the service of God. For this reason the Lord told his disciples: You did not choose me but I chose you.
He meant that his disciples did not glorify him by following him, but
in following the Son of God they were glorified by him. As he said: I wish that where I am they also may be, that they may see my glory
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