You Need A Samwise

“5”

Part 1 – You Need A Samwise

I. Introduction

Samwise Gamgee, a hobbit, is first introduced in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Samwise is Frodo Baggins’ gardener. Tolkien called Sam the "chief hero".

As "punishment" for eavesdropping on Gandalf’s conversation with Frodo regarding the dangers of the One Ring, Samwise was — at his own request — made Frodo’s first companion on his journey to Rivendell.

Through thick and thin, Sam refused to give up his responsibilities to Frodo; he insisted on being allowed to accompany him. He carried most of the luggage, cooked, kept watch at night whenever he could, and rationed the food so Frodo had enough for the journey.

That is where we picked up the video. Frodo is on the last legs of his physically and emotionally draining journey. He is exhausted. He is weary. He is spent. It is at that moment that Samwise steps in and shows us why every one of us needs a Samwise in our lives. We all need someone who will carry us when we can’t carry on on our own. Samwise is the perfect example of one of the 5 relationships we can’t live without. We can’t live life without a friend.

TV and movies have tried to convince us of this fact. Laurel had Hardy. Batman had Robin. And even the Lone Ranger wasn’t really alone. He had Tonto. Shows like Cheers spoke to the deep seated need that we all have to find a place where there is a group of people who knows our name.

The show “Friends” taught us in 30 minute snippets what psychologists have concluded which is that your ability to completely trust at least one person is the test of whether or not you are a psychologically healthy human being. Hollywood for all of its lack of ability to actually live out the lesson of friendship has shown us in these shows that even though relationships can be difficult at times and there are ups and downs, life is better when lived with friends.

Studies show that if you have no one in your life that you really feel understands you, you are:

• Two to three times more likely to die an early death

• Four times more likely to suffer from emotional burnout

• Five times more likely to suffer clinical depression

• Ten times more likely to be hospitalized for an emotional or mental disorder.

Simply put, having a friend is crucial to your health.

I want to tell you that there are two ways to live life. One is with friends and one is without friends. With friends is so much better.

Cicero was so convinced of this that he once said, “If when I die I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of true friends I have, I would be the wealthiest person on the planet.”

Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, understood the need for friends. That is why in Proverbs 18:24 he says this, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” (TNIV) or another version which says, “Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.” (ESV) The Message Bible says it like this, “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

Some of you have a bunch of people in your life that are just playing at friendship. They are not a Samwise that is willing to carry you!

Listen to the depth of friendship that Solomon calls us to in Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 & 12 (New International Version)

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

(With friends at our side we are more productive)

10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. (He carries you)

But pity the man who falls

and has no one to help him up!

(A friend is able to carry us!)

12 Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

(A friend makes us stronger!)

We need friends. The incredibly talented, acclaimed, rich, famous baseball player, Ty Cobb realized this too late. Near the end of his life in 1961 listen to longing when he said, “If I had the chance to live my life over, I’d do things a little different . . . I’d have more friends.”

He came to the end of his life with no friends and he realized that life isn’t complete without a soul partner. That is Aristotle’s definition of friendship, “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”

II. David/Jonathan

One of the worst things that can happen in life is for you to come to the place where David found himself when (after Jonathan’s death) he said, “I have no man who cares for my soul.”