Sunday, June 21st, 2009 - Father's Day

What is an “ideal” father?

• A male parent who can be depended upon/who is around...
• A male parent who sets a good example...who is fair and just…
• A male parent who has attributes about them like the image of a “good” father as spelled out in the Bible, particularly Micah 6:8, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Biblical images of fathers; first, the Old Testament:

• Adam, the first father, of the Book of Genesis; doesn’t really stand out—his sons didn’t get along all that well. Cain killed Abel (first-time fathers have a lot to learn, I guess...
• Noah had an evil son, HAM. (Genesis 9)
• Abraham was instructed by God to kill his son, Isaac. (Genesis 22
• Isaac’s sons squabbled between themselves over their father—Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 25)
  

In the New Testament, there weren’t that many extraordinary fathers…

• The father of John the Baptist was rendered mute when he refused to believe that his wife, Elizabeth could bear a child in her old age (Luke, chapter 1)...
• Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus vanishes from the Gospels once Jesus reaches the age of 12. Apparently, he let Mary discipline Jesus at that age; Luke 2:48-49 says, “when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, 'Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.' 49 And he said unto them, 'How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?' ”

In the New Testament, the “best” father described is the father of the Prodigal Son...and this is understood to be God…(Luke, chapter 15)

• Jesus describes a good father in Matthew 7:7-11, when he says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
  
  Do we “look” like our fathers? It’s a high complement for a father to hear that his children look or act like him—at least when its their good attributes...
  
  Do we ACT like our Father? Jesus said, “I and my father are one,” and in that context he was referring to his Divinity, but he was also referring to his relationship with God. As CHRISTians, we need to ACT like Jesus. We need to be as much like Jesus as we can possibly be.