Of Jesus as a young boy, an adolescent, we don’t find much in Scripture. The first recounted event is him in the temple, “discussing deep questions” with the religious teachers. His frantic parents find him and in a fluster ask where he has been, what could have possibly possessed him to stay behind in Jerusalem. In the hands of Jesus, even this is turned into an opportunity to point to the Father: “You should have known that I would be in my Father’s house.”
Just as the Father sent the Son to us – a precious gift, the Son gives us the Father. Jesus showed us what the Father was like. Everything he did pointed out God’s character and faithfulness. And he purposefully lived among us so that he could restore us to right relationship with the Father.
We all have fathers. Some of them we don’t know very well. This could be because they left this earth before we could really know them, or they failed under pressure and abandoned their role as father. Often we have mixed images of our fathers: memories of love and selfless action on our behalf, and also memories of their failures. Their are some common “themes”, images of fathers: the doting father, who spoils his children. The disciplinarian, harsh and uncompassionate to failure and the learning process. Or how about the aloof father, who cannot be bothered with “childish” things, always too busy or disinterested. And who hasn’t heard of the father with high expectations that can never be met with pleasure or satisfaction?
Each of these is a breakdown of the way a father should be, the way our heavenly Father truly is. But unfortunately, without correction, our view of God can become twisted because of our experience with our own fathers, and today, the images of fathers we find in the media and on TV. So what kind of image does Jesus present of the Father?
Jesus presents God the Father as someone who knows how to give good gifts – to meet the needs of his children. But God is not Santa Claus. He gives with the expectation that we will use what he gives according to his purposes (think “the parable of the talents”). And God doesn’t promise easy street for his children. His gift-giving provides for real needs and lasting satisfaction, not just momentary pleasure and self-involved distraction (Matthew 6). And his gifts help develop the relationship. They are not meant to keep the kids at bay, keep them occupied.
The Father is not harsh. He loved us enough to send the Son! He does discipline his children, but because of the work of the Son we experience his great patience, forgiveness and mercy. He is not naive, either, thinking his children little angels when they deceive, plot and work all manner of wickedness out of selfish will. The discipline we experience in our lives is aimed at rooting out sin so that we can be in vibrant relationship with him and other believers. It is not vindictive or done out of evil motive. But it is piercing.
God is not aloof or unapproachable. Jesus talked to the Father as “Abba”. And while this is not quite the “Daddy” that has been popularized, it does point out an intimate and honored relationship, one of trust and respect. Jesus presents a life of close commitment and connection with God, not just a servile relationship (Matthew 22:37-40Matthew 22:37-40
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
37 . Jesus answered:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
38 This is the first and most important commandment.
39 . The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”
40 All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets h the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament. are based on these two commandments.
WP-Bible plugin). And this is a stepping stone to producing this same kind of love and connection in all our relationships. The Father loves connection and harmony, good relations and peace. God wants us to come to him and talk, not as a means of boasting about our position before God, but as a means of becoming like him and sharing that relationship with those who are outsiders.
The Father loves his children, and finds great pleasure in them. He does have high standards and expectations (Matthew 25), but he is can and is pleased by us! God promises great reward for simple things. Meeting the needs of widows, orphans, the thirsty and the hungry – the Father sees and is pleased. But we cannot remove the fact that there is an element of obedience required. God is not pleased by a warm fuzzy feeling of connection with him, however strongly stated. They may refer to me as “Lord,” but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7)
Hopefully this has sparked your thinking about God as our father. How do you picture God as Father – which images or analogies stand out to you? In what good/bad ways has your physical father affected your view of God the Father? If you have any thoughts, leave a comment here. God may want to use your thoughts to help someone see how truly awesome our God is – loving us, protecting us, and going after us even as sometimes play the part of runaway.
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