What does it mean that a friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17)?

Answer

While the book of Proverbs focuses on wisdom, many of the individual proverbs emphasize the significance of loyal love. To cultivate strong relationships with God, family, and friends, we must prioritize love and faithfulness. In Proverbs 17:17, Solomon asserts that a faithful friend is as precious as a family member who will support us through a crisis: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

Unconditional love is the foundation of enduring, healthy relationships. Proverbs 3:3–4 urges, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Whether a friendship arises from convenience, shared interests, a business connection, or simply by chance, love and loyalty are the qualities that will establish a strong and fulfilling bond.

A friend who loves “at all times” is a friend who loves even during times of hardship and trial. A complementary verse to Proverbs 17:17 is Proverbs 18:24: “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (NLT). Fair-weather friends may come and go, but in times of trouble, we discern who our true friends are. A genuine friend will demonstrate unselfish, sacrificial love by remaining by our side despite adversity.

Jesus Christ epitomizes a friend who loves at all times. Perhaps more than any other Gospel writer, the apostle John emphasizes the extent of Christ’s unconditional love when He “loved His own to the end” «Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. », (John 13:1), that is, to the utmost limits of love.Love. Jesus always loves us—He has since the beginning of time and will throughout eternity (Ephesians 3:17-19; Romans 8:35, 38-39). While He ministered on earth, Christ loved through sacrificial service (Mark 10:45; Luke 22:27; Philippians 2:6-7), washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17), healing the sick «And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. », (Matthew 4:24), casting out demons «And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. », (Mark 1:34), raising the dead (Luke 7:14-15), and setting people free from sin (Luke 4:18-19). He also loved with the ultimate sacrifice of laying down His life on the cross for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

Because our Savior is a friend who loves at all times, we must love as He does (John 13:14-15; Ephesians 5:25-27). Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I.

Command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:12-15).

Jesus calls His followers always to love one another. The early church writers took Christ’s message to heart, understanding that the entire Old Testament law could be summed up with these words: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:21; 2 John 1:5). James dubbed this command the “royal law” «If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: », (James 2:8). The apostle Paul explained it like this: “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law” (Romans 13:10; NLT; see also 1 Thessalonians 4:9). The writer of Hebrews urged, “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters” «Let brotherly love continue. », (Hebrews 13:1, NLT). And Peter counseled, “Have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart” «Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: », (1 Peter 1:22).

Solomon wisely observed, “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends” «He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; But he that repeateth a matterSeparate very friends. », (Proverbs 17:9, NLT). If we desire to be a friend who loves at all times, we must heed Scripture’s counsel and “always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of [our] love” «with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; », (Ephesians 4:2, NLT). We should be ready to forgive the transgressions of others, particularly when they sin against us (Proverbs 10:12;Luke 6:37;1 Peter 4:8).