Learning to call God Father: Our Father; who is in heaven.
Do you know the wonderful thing about scripture is that you can read, re-read and read again the SAME passage and each time get something different from it!
Many times nothing at all but sometimes there is that flash of inspiration when the words of scripture literally jump out of the page at you, speak to you and opens up its meaning for you!
And sometimes a completely new meaning!
This is surely the work of the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.
We are never too old to learn the divine oracles of God as revealed in Holy Scripture; my problem is that I don’t read scripture often enough.
There is one passage in Revelation that fell into this category:
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev. 7:17)
I live in a cul de sac where children are free to play without the danger of constant traffic – they ride their bikes, or skate on their roller blades – zig zagging up and down the road.
Making the usual din and screams that normal children make when playing.
But sometimes the scream is different, the scream of pain followed by tears and crying.
A parent working in the garden immediately rushes to their aid.
To console, to comfort, to relieve their pain – to wipe away their tears from their eyes.
That is what God our loving Father is like – He watches over us and is there ready and waiting to come to our aid: to console, to comfort, to relieve our pain – to wipe away our tears from our eyes.
Jesus related to God personally, but more than that He related to God as a son relates to his father.
Here, we need to pause and acknowledge that our understanding of sonship may be rather different from His.
Relationships between men and women, adults and young people, wives and husbands, parents and their children, function differently today in the western world.
Further, we cannot simply assume that the nature of family and community life is comparable.
As a result, a note of caution must be sounded when attempting to build bridges from our own experience to reach into that of a first-century Galilean Jew.
For instance, does Jesus pray 'Our Father' because He belonged to a male- orientated culture?
A culture which projected the predominant gender on to its images of God?
Or is there something particular about the way a child relates to a father which corresponds to the nature of God?
Something that would be lost had Jesus prayed 'Our Mother' or 'Our Parent' or even 'Our Father and Mother'?
So what are these features that define Jesus' relationship with God – as Father?
First, like any Jew, Jesus was a child of the covenant, born into the community of faith.
He did not choose God, any more than we choose our natural parents; rather God chose Him - chose to give Him life and chose Him for His own.
The givenness of this unique relationship provides the bedrock for Jesus' ministry, enabling Him to respond to that gift not in order to earn it but rather to fulfil its promise as the Son of God.
Do you remember that heavenly voice at Jesus' baptism: "You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11)
This captures so vividly the assurance of sonship and how God's love empowers Jesus to embody and so to communicate that fatherly goodness and divine generosity to others.
Jesus lives and Jesus shares His Father’s love with those He meets both physically and spiritually – He shares that love with us.
Secondly, sonship implies privilege and responsibility.
Parables such as the wicked tenants (Mark 12:1-12) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) not only reflect the expectation that sons must be about their father's business, acting as ambassadors.
But also highlight the differences between being a son and being a servant or even a being slave.
All this helps us to appreciate why Jesus could minister with such conviction and effectiveness.
Jesus believed Himself to be under God's authority and committed to championing God's causes.
Thirdly, sonship is about belonging to God's people.
From what we can gather, Jesus did not consider Himself to be God's only son, rather He encouraged His followers to pray, 'Our Father'.
And in praying our Father we join in with Jesus as one of God's obedient sons or daughters, beloved of His heavenly Father.
Jesus who faithfully lived out of the promises of God and calling us and His fellow Jews, His brothers and sisters, to do likewise.
His message was simple, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news , (Mark 1:15).
Jesus has broken down the barriers of our SIN that separate us from God our Father, Jesus through His death on the cross has made God approachable and accessible.
Jesus has opened up for us a new relationship with Almighty God that we can call Him Our Father.
One of the most fascinating periods of History is that of the Roman Empire.
Epic films like Gladiator, Ben Hur, Cleopatra etc. have captured the imagination of many throughout their screening.
And one of the most impressive and colourful scenes is that of the triumphant entry of the victorious legions into Rome after some campaign in the provinces.
Imagine the glory and the splendour of the shining golden helmets and the gorgeous robes of deep red and purple.
In such a train would be the Emperor’s captured trophies and prisoners.
Before the Emperors chariot vessel virgins from the temple would deck the route with sweet smelling petals.
Tall legionaries would line the streets with cheering crowds so that they would be kept in their places.
On a small platform in the distance would be the emperor’s family, his wife and children.
All waiting, their hearts burning with pride.
The youngest son, a little boy was so emotional that when his father came near, he just couldn’t wait – he jumped off the platform and started to burrow through the crowd.
He got to the line of legionaries and there he was stopped.
One of the soldiers bent down and picked him up in his arms and said, ‘You can’t do that boy, don’t you know who’s in that chariot?
That’s the emperor! You can’t run out to HIS chariot!’
And the little boy laughed and answered, ‘He may be your emperor but he’s my daddy, my father!’
This is exactly the way in which the Christian feels towards God, the way we feel towards God.
He may be Almighty God but He’s also our Heavenly Father and that’s why St Paul encouraged us to call God – Abba Father, Abba Daddy
For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but to receive the ‘Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8:14-17a)
What a wonderful gift we have from God our Father to be able to call Him, Father Daddy – thank God for Jesus who won this gift for us on the cross for our salvation!!
Next time we will look at the Holiness of God, as it is also important NOT to take this wonderful relationship for granted.
