faithNOTES
June: Friday the 13th
The predictable Father's Day message begins with, or at least includes within it, a phrase like this: "We teach the children what their Heavenly Father is like by being good earthly fathers to them." And suddenly the guilt trip has begun!
Jesus said we should begin our worship with that name. Paul declared that we could address Him with the ultimate expression of intimacy by prefacing our cries with "Abba"…sort of a "Daddy, Daddy" kind of expression. So we pray, "Our Father who is in heaven…" And when we are in desperate straits we add, "Abba, Father!"
I was quite surprised in perusing the Bible on this subject to discover that the portraits of fatherhood in the first four books of Scripture are basically biographical train wrecks! In most cases the sinful weaknesses of earthly fathers are frequently exposed in their children. It's almost like God is setting mankind up to finally cry out, "Is there no father who can be relied upon, imitated, and trusted?" We are a total of five books into the Bible when the tension and the longing have reached a point near despair and Moses finally pens, "Is not He your FATHER who has bought/rescued you? He has made you and established you."—Deuteronomy 32:6
Finally the portrait of the perfect "father" comes into focus. Read Deuteronomy 32 and marvel at the fatherly heart God displayed:
• He found them
• He put His arms around them
• He cared for them
• He guarded them
• He protected them
• He carried them
• He guided them
• He fed them
• He honored them
• He spoiled them
And still, it is not until the ministry of Jesus that we are invited, even instructed, to address Him with the personal intimacy of children. Because God's ONLY Son came to rescue what was lost, that Son made it possible for us to know HIS Father as OUR Father. Only in Jesus do we find the love and grace that enables dads to be good role models of fatherhood. It is the dad who is able to pray, "OUR/MY Father Who is in heaven…" who begins to teach his children what their Heavenly Father is like by seeking to be a good earthly father to them. Now guilt-free loving and leading can begin!
"We teach the children what their Heavenly Father is like by being good earthly fathers to them." Rescuing grace alone makes a man a good father!
Happy Fathers Day, Church!
Pastor Tom