Jesus and his confidential friends.-Why is it, as we grow older, we find the closing third of the Gospel of John the most precious part of the Bible? Is it not because we get closest to the heart of the Master there? In those chapters 13 to 17, we find Jesus talking with his comrades in most confidential terms, just opening his heart to them and sharing with them his hopes and fears. As he tries to explain what their friendship ought to mean, he uses the beautiful symbol of the vine and its branches:

Abide in me and I will stay by you. Just as the branch is unable to bear fruit by itself, unless it stays united to the vine, so neither can you, unless you stay united with me.

I am the vine, you are my branches. He that remains faithful to me and I to him, the same bears much fruit; but separate from me you can do nothing. If you stay united with me and my words remain in you, ask what you wish, and it shall be done for you. In this God is glorified, by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being truly my disciples.

Just as the Father loved me have I loved you. Continue in my love. I have told you these things that my joy might remain in you, and that your happiness might be perfect. This is my command, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. There is no greater proof of love than this, to give up your life for your friends. If you obey my commands, you are my friends.-John 15: 4-.

Was there ever a more beautiful friendship than this comradeship between the young man Jesus and his loyal young disciples? It was a closer bond than that between brothers. It changed the whole course of life for those young men, and it meant everything too to Jesus. Just

see how eagerly he hoped for their happiness after he should leave them! And how anxiously he urged them to stay by each other and be loyal to their mutual friendship! His highest hope was that through their life-service his own influence, cut short so suddenly in early manhood, might bless the world. Thus through his faithful friends, he would still serve the world. Without the branches, even the vine could not bear fruit. Without true friends to continue his mission, even Jesus would have been help-.. less to reach and save the world.

How to make the most of friendship.-The key word is "trust." Only in mutual trust and confidence can friendship be perfected. Emerson once said: "A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud." We need trustworthy friends to help deepen our characters by sharing with each other our frank confidences, our best thoughts about life. A chum is one who knows all about you, but loves and trusts you just the same. And what a mighty incentive his faith in you is! It spurs you on to do your best, so that he will not be disappointed. This challenges your effort far more than the insincere flattery of a foolish friend that encourages your conceit and kills your ambition.

We do not make the most of our friendships unless we are sincerely humble, teachable and open-minded, not boastful or envious of each other, never suspicious or conceited; but sympathetic always, appreciative, charitable and forgiving, and patient with each other's changing moods. A keen test of friendship is to rejoice in our friend's good fortune. If you find yourself jealously begrudging his unexpected happiness, you are not quite loyal to your friend. Be a good sport and conquer this mean feeling at once, or you can never truly play Jonathan to your friend's brave David.

Protecting friendship by religious ideals. Do you not think that a friendship between people who are genuinely Christian is most apt to last? A selfish friendship is likely to die as soon as either friend decides it does not pay. But when both friends are trying to make the friendship mutually helpful, how different it is! Such a friendship is likely to last a lifetime. It gives us a fine new appreciation of what comradeship really means when we find a friend who is Christian through and through. This sort of friend puts a new reality into life for us. We find a new value in religion, after seeing him living it. It isn't any longer the hazy thing we thought it was. It's an everyday, dead-in-earnest happy-hearted friendship with Jesus Christ, on a sensible, manly basis. When we add such a fellow to our mystic circle of friendship, it helps us to bring the Christ ideals more perfectly into our comradeships. We try to be more loyal to our friends, more helpful to them, less envious of their success, and thus get closer to the Master's own idea of what friendship should be. This will safeguard our friendships in a wonderful way. It will truly consecrate them. Until some day we shall make the simple discovery that a Christian friendship is just living religion and making it real.

POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

I. In what way is a chum like a second self? Why do you think Burns wished to see himself as others saw him? How does a chum serve as a mirror? What responsibility, then, do you have for your chum's bringing up? Why should good friends give advice frankly? 2. Explain Kingsley's fine answer to Mrs. Browning, "I had a friend." How many friends have you who have really combined to make you what you are? In what ways is true friendship like a bit of heaven? What is

it makes intimate friendship such a sacred thing? Why could you never possibly sell a friend?

3. What part of the Gospels brings you closest to the heart of Jesus? What did he say to his disciples about their wonderful friendship? What had he done for those young men? What did they do later for him, because of their deathless friendship?

4. How many friends have you "with whom you may think aloud"? Explain why perfect trust is needed to perfect friendship. What is the result when a friend flatters you? What sort of friendship stirs up your ambition most?

5. You have some friends who are Christians and some who are not. Compare these different friendships. Which mean the most to you? Why are truly Christian friendships apt to be more lasting? Think of the most manly Christian friend you ever had. How did he influence your life?

FOR FURTHER STUDY AND HONOR WORK

6. Study your five closest friendships and see if you are making the most of them and playing fair by your friends. Test out the suggestions made in this lesson, and then try to grade these five friendships on a percentage basis. Are your friendships ninety per cent efficient?

7. For further suggestions along the lines of this lesson, read Fiske's Community Forces for Religious Education (Middle Adolescence), Chapter VI, "The Moral Reactions in Intimate Friendships."

8. Study more carefully the words of Jesus to his disciples about their friendship, in the whole fifteenth chapter of John. Work out in your own mind just what he meant by his symbol of the vine and the branches. Then discover what your holiest possible friendship, with Jesus Christ, ought to mean for your life.

CHAPTER XXXII

OUR GOAL: A MORE ABUNDANT LIFE

In this our closing chapter the student should take something of a bird's-eye view of our discussions and review the high points of the ideals of Jesus that stand out as unique above the low standards of the world's ordinary living.

Review: The uniqueness of Jesus' ideals.-Has he won you to his vision of the coming Friendly World? Are you heart and soul with him in the struggle for a world of brotherly workmen? Do you agree with his estimate of human life, the infinite preciousness of a single soul, or are property and dividends really worth more than men and children? Is his ideal of heart-righteousness the true standard of goodness, or is it just a matter of outward performance? Did he win you to his simple ideal of religion, as sincere living and the practice of friendship, or are the Pharisees, ancient and modern, all right in their stress on tradition and ritual? Do you still reserve the right to be haughty and resentful, or is Jesus fair in requiring endless patience in forgiveness?

Have you made the Golden Rule the law of your life, or are you still practicing the Tinsel Rule, treating others as well as you think they deserve? Is Jesus right in demanding good will in industry, business, and politics, or are those stubborn men right who claim the Golden Rule has no business in these great arenas of life? How do you like Jesus' ideals of social justice anyway? Do you honestly believe that "He profits most who serves best"? Do you covet the power of money for selfish uses, or for