As the Reverend Dr. Susan Karen Hedahl observes about John 15, "Biblical commentators have pointed out some interesting issues of which to be aware of in verses 12 and 13. Here, Jesus is speaking of love between and among friends. What about the enemies? The strangers? Would one go to one’s death for love of these as well?"

She continues: "While these words of the chapter are taken from Jesus’ conversations with friends and disciples, the preacher may consider widening the impact of Jesus’ commandment to avoid some of the limiting in-house views of this passage." One significant change in relationality, stemming from the arguments in verses 12 and 13, is Jesus’ clarification of how he regards his disciples. They are not strangers, nor merely disciples, and certainly not just servants: they are friends.

And she expands: "One significant change in relationality, stemming from the arguments in verses 12 and 13, is Jesus’ clarification of how he regards his disciples. They are not strangers, nor merely disciples, and certainly not just servants: they are friends.

Jesus notes the reason he calls them “friends” is he has shared the riches of all he has with them, in terms of his relationship with God. “I have made known to you everything…” (John 15:15).

The Rev. Dr. Hedahl concludes that to recognize Jesus as the Risen One "is to be invited into friendship with God."

And then, she pauses in reverence: "Friends of God. To know the Risen Christ is to know the heart of God."

The Rev. Dr. Susan Hedahl, 1946-2013, was Professor Emerita of Homiletics at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Following three pastorates in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) area, she earned a Masters of Liturgical Studies at St. John's School of Theology, Collegeville, MN in 1982. She then went on to complete a Ph.D. at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, where she graduated in 1988.

From 1992 to 2012, the Reverend Dr. Susan K. Hedahl was a professor of preaching at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She was the first ordained female Lutheran holding a Ph.D. to teach at the seminary.

Over her career, she authored nine books and numerous articles. In 2009 she was installed in the Herman G. Stuempfle Chair of Proclamation of the Word.
Susan was committed to matters related to the Middle East, in particular Palestine, and travelled there periodically. Her interests included study of Arabic. She studied classical guitar in later years with Dr. James R. Hontz at Gettysburg College.

Sources:

workingpreacher.org, May 17, 2009; and in remembrance of The Rev. Dr. Susan Karen Hedahl, GettysburgTimes.com, 2013.