April 18

The king said, ... Where is he? ... Then king David sent, and fetched him. — 2 Sam 9:4-5

This showed David’s disinterestedness. This poor lame man could not be of any use to him. It was the pure friendship of David’s heart for Jonathan that hungered to show kindness to some one who had belonged to Jonathan.

Friendship is true just in proportion as it is disinterested. If we care for a person and do things for him only for what we expect or hope to get in return, let us not desecrate the sacred name of friendship by applying it to our regard. We must love our friends for their sake, not for our own.

There is really very much disinterested love in this world. We see it in many homes where an invalid wife, child, brother or sister, is loved and cared for by the whole household with almost divine tenderness.

The misfortune that mars the beauty and makes the loved one a burden, not a help, only makes the love the stronger, truer, gentler. All friendship must have the same disinterestedness.