Weekly Proverb 08

Friends love always, Brothers are for bad days 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

George VI’s 1942 Christmas radio broadcast referred to a former US President telling 'of a boy who was carrying an even smaller child up a hill. Asked whether the burden was not too much, the boy answered ‘It’s not a burden, it’s my brother!’'
A 1969 hit by the Hollies is based on the story.

So on we go, his welfare is my concern.
No burden is he to bear; we’ll get there,
But I know he would not encumber me.
He ain’t heavy – he’s my brother.
If I’m laden at all, I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart isn’t filled with the gladness of love for one another.

Like 12:26, 14:20, 16:28, 17:9, 18:24, 27:6, 9, 10 this proverb is on friendship. A man born blind when asked what he thought the sun was like replied ‘Like friendship’. True friends are there not only in good times but also in bad. Brothers are especially good for adversity. Great biblical examples - Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan - have adversity in the background. Joseph showed undying love to his brothers despite all they did to him.
The Bible presents Jesus as a friend of tax collectors and sinners (Mt 11:19) who calls believers friends not servants (Jn 15:13-15), and is not ashamed to call them brothers (He 2:11-13, etc). Whoever does the Father's will is his brother and sister and mother (Mt 12:50). Gill notes how the Jews saw the verse as referring to Messiah. They saw it as showing 'that the Messiah, being God, would by his incarnation become a brother to men'.
Christ’s friendship is a favourite theme in evangelical hymns. Albert Midlane’s children's hymn begins

There’s a Friend for little children
Above the bright blue sky,
A Friend who never changes,
Whose love will never die;
Our earthly friends may fail us,
And change with changing years,
This Friend is always worthy
Of that dear Name he bears.

Think too of ‘Oh, the best friend to have is Jesus’ (Peter Bilhorn); ‘Friend of sinners, Lord of glory’ (C Newman Hall); ‘Friendship with Jesus’ (J C Ludgate); ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus’ (Joseph Scriven). James G Small (‘I’ve found a Friend, O such a friend!’) speaks of him as

So kind and true and tender,
So wise a Counsellor and Guide,
So mighty a Defender!

And Newton wrote

Poor, weak and worthless though I am
I have a rich almighty Friend;
Jesus, the Saviour, is his name;
He freely loves, and without end.