JESUS REDEFINES THE MEANING OF GOD ​​ 

Luke 2:41-52  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 6/20/21​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH SHERLOCK HOLMES,

HIS FAITHFUL COMPANION DR. WATSON,

AND HOLMES'S KEEN POWER OF OBSERVATION

THAT SOLVED COUNTLESS CRIMES.

YET FEW OF US KNOW THAT HOLMES​​ 

THOUGHT DEDUCTION AND OBSERVATION​​ 

WERE EVEN​​ MORE​​ NECESSARY TO​​ RELIGION

THAN TO DETECTIVE WORK.

TUCKED AWAY IN THE STORY​​ 

THE ADVENTURE OF THE NAVAL TREATY,

HOLMES IS FOUND STUDYING A​​ ROSE.

WATSON NARRATES: "HE WALKED PAST THE COUCH

TO AN​​ OPEN WINDOW​​ 

AND HELD UP THE DROOPING STALK OF A MOSS ROSE,

LOOKING DOWN AT THE DAINTY BLEND OF CRIMSON AND GREEN.

IT WAS A NEW PHASE OF HIS CHARACTER TO ME,

FOR I HAD NEVER BEFORE SEEN HIM SHOW AN INTEREST

IN NATURAL OBJECTS.

"'THERE IS​​ NOTHING​​ IN WHICH​​ DEDUCTION​​ IS SO NECESSARY

AS IN​​ RELIGION,' SAID HE, LEANING WITH HIS BACK

AGAINST THE SHUTTERS…

'OUR HIGHEST ASSURANCE OF THE​​ GOODNESS​​ OF​​ PROVIDENCE

SEEMS TO ME TO REST IN THE​​ FLOWERS.

ALL​​ OTHER​​ THINGS, OUR​​ POWERS, OUR​​ DESIRES, OUR​​ FOOD,

ARE REALLY​​ NECESSARY​​ FOR OUR EXISTENCE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.

BUT THIS​​ ROSE​​ IS AN​​ EXTRA.

ITS​​ SMELL​​ AND ITS​​ COLOR​​ ARE AN​​ EMBELLISHMENT​​ OF LIFE,

NOT A​​ CONDITION​​ OF IT.

IT IS ONLY​​ GOODNESS​​ WHICH GIVES​​ EXTRAS,

AND SO I SAY AGAIN THAT WE HAVE MUCH TO​​ HOPE

FROM THE​​ FLOWERS.'" ​​ (End Quote)

THIS CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE​​ GOODNESS​​ OF PROVIDENCE,

THE GOODNESS OF​​ GOD,

WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED​​ 

A SURPRISING​​ EXTRA​​ IN JESUS’ DAY.

ALTHOUGH GOODNESS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE

OF GOD’S MANY ATTRIBUTES,

THIS CHARACTERISTIC WAS SEEN AS​​ ONLY​​ ONE​​ AMONG​​ MANY,

AND DEFINITELY​​ NOT​​ THE FIRST OR SECOND,

OR EVEN THE FIFTH OR SIXTH, TRAIT THAT CAME TO MIND.

THE QUALITIES OF GOD BEING​​ ALL-POWERFUL,​​ DISTANT,​​ JEALOUS,​​ 

AND​​ ANGRY​​ ARE MENTIONED WAY MORE​​ 

IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES,

THAN THE QUALITIES​​ OF GOD BEING​​ GOOD,​​ COMPASSIONATE,​​ 

FORGIVING, AND​​ LOVING​​ ARE.

THERE IS GENERAL AGREEMENT AMONG SCRIPTURE SCHOLARS​​ 

THAT JESUS’ MOST REVOLUTIONARY TEACHING

IS HIS TEACHING ABOUT THE​​ KINGDOM​​ OF​​ GOD​​ –

AND THE MOST RADICAL ASPECT OF THIS REVOLUTIONARY TEACHING

OF JESUS IS THAT IN​​ GOD’S​​ KINGDOM, GOD REIGNS,

NOT AS ALL-POWERFUL, DISTANT, JEALOUS, AND ANGRY​​ KING,

BUT AS GOOD, COMPASSIONATE, FORGIVING, LOVING​​ FATHER.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING GIVES US A GLIMPSE

INTO THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS FATHER

THAT​​ JESUS​​ ALREADY​​ ENJOYED AS A NEAR-TEENAGER,

AND WE CAN SUPPOSE, AS A CHILD AS WELL.

OUR READING HIGHLIGHTS TWO QUESTIONS:

“WHY WERE YOU SEARCHING FOR ME?”, AND

“DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT I MUST BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE?”

JESUS’ FIRST QUESTION, “WHY​​ WERE YOU​​ SEARCHING FOR ME?”

HAS CRACKED ME UP EVER SINCE HAVING THREE CHILDREN

GO THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, AND NOW HAVING FIVE GRANDSONS,

ONE OF WHOM IS ALREADY A TEENAGER.

TO ME, THE NORMALNESS OF JESUS​​ 

ASKING A PROVOCATIVE QUESTION LIKE THIS

IS A STRONG AFFIRMATION​​ OF JESUS’ FULL HUMANITY –

HE’S EXACTKLY WHERE HE SHOULD BE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE

OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY –

QUESTIONING​​ HIS PARENTS’​​ AUTHORITY.

FOR ME, LUKE’S FURTHER OBSERVATION THAT

“JESUS INCREASED IN WISDOM AND IN YEARS,

AND IN DIVINE AND HUMAN​​ FAVOR,”

IS AS DARING AN AFFIRMATION OF JESUS FULL HUMANITY –

WITH ITS DISTINCT STAGES OF GROWTH AND MATURATION –

AS WE FIND IN SCRIPTURE.

I FIND IT ODDLY COMFORTING THAT JESUS HIMSELF

WAS A SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TWELVE-YEAR-OLD.

IF I WONDER AT TIMES​​ 

IF​​ JESUS REALLY DOES UNDERSTAND

EVERYTHING I’M GOING THROUGH,

I REMEMBER THIS STORY AND AM REMINDED

THAT JESUS HIMSELF HAD TO GO THROUGH THE STAGES

OF GROWING UP, JUST LIKE I DID, JUST AS WE ALL DO.

JESUS’ SECOND QUESTION,

“DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT I MUST BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE?”

IS THE REAL SHOCKER, HOWEVER.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT,

GOD IS CALLED “FATHER” ONLY A FEW TIMES.

BUT IN THE GOSPELS, “FATHER,” OR​​ ABBA​​ IN ARAMAIC,

BECOMES JESUS’ FAVORITE WAY TO ADDRESS GOD.

THE PHRASE, “MY FATHER’S HOUSE,”

IS SPOKEN THREE TIMES IN THE BIBLE,

AND ONLY BY JESUS.

FIRST, HE​​ INVENTS​​ THAT PHRASE HERE, AS A BOY.

THE SECOND IS IN A SCOLDING HE GIVES YEARS LATER, AS AN ADULT:

“TO THOSE WHO SOLD DOVES [IN THE TEMPLE] HE SAID,

‘GET THESE OUT OF HERE!

STOP TURNING MY FATHER’S HOUSE INTO A MARKET!” ​​ (John 2:16)

AND THIRD, HE USES THIS PHRASE TO ENCOURAGE HIS FRIENDS.

THEY ARE UPSET WHEN HE TELLS THEM

THAT HE WILL DIE AND LEAVE THEM, AND JESUS AFFIRMS:

“IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY DWELLING PLACES;

IF THAT WERE NOT SO, WOULD I​​ HAVE TOLD YOU

THAT I AM GOING THERE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU?’ ​​ (John 14:2)

THE FACT THAT JESUS ACTUALLY INVENTED THE PHRASE

“MY FATHER’S HOUSE” WITH REGARD TO GOD

REVEALS THE INCREDIBLY CLOSE FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIP

THAT JESUS ENJOYED WITH GOD.

AND​​ ACCORDING TO JESUS,

A CLOSE FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS FATHER

IS SOMETHING THAT HE WANTS​​ US​​ TO ENJOY AS WELL.

BUT FOR THIS TO​​ HAPPEN, THE REALITY OF GOD AS FATHER

NEEDS TO​​ SHIFT​​ FROM THE PATRIARCHIAL UNDERSTANDING

OF GOD AS​​ ALL-POWERFUL,​​ DISTANT,​​ JEALOUS, AND​​ ANGRY​​ FATHER,

TO JESUS’ OWN EXPERIENCE OF GOD

AS​​ GOOD,​​ COMPASSIONATE,​​ FORGIVING, AND​​ LOVING​​ FATHER.

JESUS’ ENTIRE MINISTRY CAN BE SEEN IN TERMS OF​​ 

HIS DETERMINATION TO​​ REDEFINE​​ THE MEANING OF

GOD AS FATHER IN THIS MORE

COMPASSIONATE AND LOVING DIRECTION.

I REMEMBER AS A CHILD BEING TAUGHT ABOUT

GOD THE FATHER IN SUNDAY SCHOOL.

WHILE A​​ NOD​​ WAS GIVEN TO GOD’S LOVE,

THE​​ REAL​​ EMPHASIS WAS ON GOD’S​​ POWER,

GOD’S​​ DEMAND​​ TO BE​​ OBEYED,

AND THE​​ THREAT​​ OF GOD’S​​ PUNISHMENT​​ 

IF OBEDIENCE WERE NOT​​ FORTHCOMING.

(I’M NOT TRYING TO SUGGEST THAT OBEYING GOD IS SOMETHING NEGATIVE – ONLY THAT OBEDIENCE IS MUCH MORE “DOABLE”

WHEN IT FLOWS FROM A LOVING RATHER THAN A FEAR-FILLED

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.)

THE STRESS ON POWER, OBEDIENCE, AND PUNISHMENT

MADE GOD DISTANT, ANGRY, AND FORBIDDING TO ME,

AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO AFFIRM GOD’S GOODNESS,

COMPASSION, AND LOVE UNTIL MANY YEARS HAD PASSED.

THE NOTIONS THAT GOD WAS WILLING TO​​ LEND​​ ME​​ STRENGTH,

THAT GOD WANTED TO​​ SHARE​​ AND​​ BEAR​​ MY​​ BURDENS,

AND THAT I WAS​​ SPECIAL​​ TO GOD

WERE COMPLETELY FOREIGN TO ME.

A FATHER WATCHED THROUGH THE KITCHEN WINDOW

AS HIS SMALL SON ATTEMPTED TO LIFT A LARGE STONE

OUT OF HIS SANDBOX.

THE BOY COULDN’T GET ENOUGH LEVERAGE

TO LIFT THE ROCK OVER THE SIDE.

FINALLY HE GAVE UP AND SAT​​ ON THE EDGE OF THE SANDBOX

WITH HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS.

“WHAT’S WRONG, SON? ​​ CAN’T YOU LIFT THAT ROCK OUT?”

THE DAD ASKED.

“DADDY, I CAN’T DO IT,” THE BOY SAID.

“HAVE YOU USED​​ ALL​​ THE STRENGTH THAT’S AVAILABLE TO YOU?”

THE FATHER ASKED.

“YES, DAD,’ THE BOY REPLIED.

“NO, YOU HAVEN’T,” THE FATHER SAID.

“YOU HAVEN’T ASKED ME TO HELP YOU.”

WHEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

IS BASED ON FEAR, OBEDIENCE, AND PUNISHMENT,

ASKING GOD FOR​​ HELP​​ IS JUST ABOUT​​ IMPOSSIBLE.

WHY​​ DID JESUS GIVE US THE​​ PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON,

WHICH MANY CONSIDER THE HIGH POINT OF ALL HIS TEACHINGS?

--PRECISELY TO​​ MOVE​​ US​​ FROM​​ A GOD OF FEAR AND PUNISHMENT

TO​​ A GOD OF COMPASSION AND LOVE.

THIS IS WHY ST. JOHN, ECHOING JESUS, TELLS US THAT

“GOD IS LOVE” (1 JOHN​​ 4:8), AND THAT

“PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR,

BECAUSE FEAR HAS TO DO WITH PUNISHMENT” (1 John 4:18).

JESUS WOULD SAY THAT IF WE’RE​​ AFRAID​​ TO ASK GOD FOR HELP

IT’S BECAUSE WE HAVE A​​ DEFECTIVE​​ UNDERSTANDING​​ 

OF WHO GOD IS AND WHAT GOD WANTS FROM US –

JESUS​​ WOULD SAY THAT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AS FATHER

NEEDS TO BE​​ REDEFINED​​ BEFORE WE CAN EXPERIENCE GOD

IN A NEW WAY.

HIS WHOLE MINISTRY IS AN ATTEMPT TO​​ MOVE​​ US

FROM​​ FEARING​​ GOD TO​​ LOVING​​ GOD.

PERHAPS BECAUSE MY OWN FATHER​​ 

WAS SO DEMANDING, HARSH, AND IMPATIENT,

WHEN I CAME ACROSS THIS DESCRIPTION OF HER FATHER

IN CORRIE TEN BOOM’ PROFOUND BOOK​​ THE HIDING PLACE,

I WAS FLOORED.

IT HAD NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT A FATHER

MIGHT ACTUALLY​​ WANT​​ TO BEAR A BURDEN​​ FOR​​ HIS CHILD.

CORRIE, ABOUT AGE TEN, WAS READING

AS SHE AND HER FATHER TRAVELED BY TRAIN​​ 

FROM AMSTERDAM TO HAARLEM.

“WHAT DOES ‘SEX SIN’ MEAN?” SHE ASKED.

SHE DESCRIBED WHAT HAPPENED NEXT:

“HE TURNED TO LOOK AT ME, AS HE ALWAYS DID

WHEN ANSWERING A QUESTION,

BUT, TO MY SURPRISE, HE SAID NOTHING.

AT​​ LAST HE STOOD UP,

LIFTED HIS TRAVELING CASE FROM THE RACK OVER OUR HEADS,

AND SET IT ON THE FLOOR.

“WILL YOU CARRY IT OFF THE TRAIN, CORRIE?” HE ASKED.

I STOOD UP AND TUGGED AT IT.

IT WAS CRAMMED WITH WATCHES AND SPARE PARTS

HE HAD PURCHASED THAT MORNING.

“IT’S TOO HEAVY,” I SAID.

“YES,” HE SAID.

“AND IT WOULD BE A PRETTY POOR FATHER

WHO WOULD ASK HIS LITTLE GIRL TO CARRY SUCH A LOAD.

IT’S THE SAME WAY, CARRIE, WITH KNOWLEDGE.

SOME KNOWLEDGE IS TOO HEAVY FOR CHILDREN.

WHEN YOU ARE OLDER AND STRONGER, YOU CAN BEAR IT.

FOR NOW YOU MUST TRUST ME TO CARRY IT FOR YOU.”

CORRIE CONCLUDES:

“AND I WAS SATISFIED.

MORE​​ THAN SATISFIED – WONDERFULLY AT​​ PEACE.

THERE​​ WERE​​ ANSWERS TO THIS AND ALL MY HARD QUESTIONS;

FOR​​ NOW, I WAS CONTENT TO​​ LEAVE​​ THEM

IN MY​​ FATHER’S​​ KEEPING.” ​​ (End quote)

UNLIKE SOME OF US, CORRIE TEN BOOM WAS DEEPLY BLESSED

BY HAVING A FATHER WHO DEFINED HIS STRENGTH

IN TERMS OF HELPING​​ OTHERS​​ TO CARRY​​ THEIR​​ BURDENS

INSTEAD OF DEFINING HIS STRENGTH IN TERMS OF HIS ABILITY

TO CREATE​​ EXTRA​​ BURDENS FOR OTHERS.

CORRIE HAD A FATHER WHO WAS COURAGEOUS, CARING,

AND COMPASSIONATE.

CORRIE HAD A FATHER WHO MADE IT RELATIVELY​​ EASY​​ FOR HER

TO SEE HER​​ HEAVENLY​​ FATHER AS COURAGEOUS, CARING,

AND COMPASSIONATE AS WELL.

THIS​​ IS THE KIND OF HEAVENLY FATHER

WHOM JESUS WANTS TO INTRODUCE US TO.

JESUS WOULD SAY THAT EVEN IF OUR​​ EARTHLY​​ FATHER

IS THE​​ OPPOSITE​​ OF ALL THESE THINGS,

NEVERTHELESS EACH OF US HAS A​​ HEAVENLY​​ FATHER

WHO IS ABSOLUTELY CARING AND LOVING,

A HEAVENLY FATHER WHOM WE CAN​​ TRUST​​ 

WITH OUR​​ PAST, OUR PRESENT, AND OUR FUTURE.

ANOTHER DIMENSION ABOUT GOD​​ 

THAT I WAS UNABLE TO COMPREHEND AS A CHILD

WAS THAT GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE​​ UNIVERSE,

WOULD CARE ABOUT​​ ME​​ AS AN​​ INDIVIDUAL,

AS THE ONE-OF-A-KIND BEING THAT I AM.

I HAD TROUBLE SEEING GOD AS​​ PERSONAL

BECAUSE I WAS TAUGHT THAT GOD WAS ALL-POWERFUL,

DEMANDED NOTHING LESS THAN TOTAL OBEDIENCE,

AND THREATENED SOME PRETTY AWFUL PUNISHMENTS​​ 

IF ONE DISOBEYED.

I HAD TROUBLE SEEING GOD AS​​ PERSONAL​​ 

BECAUSE POWER, OBEDIENCE, AND PUNISHMENT

ARE ALL​​ IMPERSONAL.

BUT ONCE I BEGAN TO RELATE TO GOD AS CARING AND LOVING,

AS​​ ABBA​​ INSTEAD OF “GOD-ALMIGHTY,”

THE SEEMINGLY INFINITE​​ DISTANCE​​ BETWEEN GOD AND ME

DISSOLVED LIKE FOG IN SUNLIGHT.

IN COMING TO SEE​​ GOD​​ AS PERSONAL,

THE DOOR WAS OPENED FOR ME TO SEE GOD

AS RELATIONG TO​​ ME​​ IN A PERSONAL WAY AS WELL.

THE FOLLOWING FROM JOHN FISCHER IN HIS BOOK

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC, CAPTURES THIS DYNAMIC WELL.

FISCHER WRITES:

“I HAVE A BAD HABIT.

WHEN MY CHILDREN TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING THEY’VE LEARNED

FOR THE FIRST TIME,

I OFTEN ACT AS IF I [ALREADY] KNEW THAT.

EVEN WORSE, SOMETIMES I TELL THEM

HOW THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME YEARS AGO.

WHEN MY WIFE HEARS SOMETHING ‘NEW’ FROM THE KIDS,

HER MOUTH DROPS OPEN AND HER EYES WIDEN.

IT’S AS IF SHE HAS​​ NEVER​​ HEARD​​ THIS KIND OF THING​​ BEFORE.

THE KIDS’ FACES BRIGHTEN, AND THEY FEEL

AS IF THEY HAD ACTUALLY ENLIGHTENED THEIR MOTHER.

I USED TO THINK MY WIFE WAS JUST​​ ACTING

AND SOONER OR LATER THE KIDS WOULD FIND OUT

AND FEEL LIED TO.

THAN I REALIZED IT ISN’T AN ACT AT​​ ALL.

THOUGH​​ SHE​​ MAY ALREADY HAVE EXPERIENCED

WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL HER,

SHE’S NEVER EXPERIENCED IT THROUGH​​ THEM.

THEIR​​ PERSONAL ‘REVELATONS’ ARE ENTIRELY​​ NEW.

FISCHER CONCLUDES:

“IT’S THE SAME WITH​​ GOD.

AS ALL-KNOWING AND SOVEREIGN AS HE IS,

I’M SURE HE’S STILL EAGER TO HEAR OUR PRAYER

BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER HEARD IT

QUITE THE WAY​​ WE​​ SAY IT.

WE ARE ALL​​ UNIQUE.

WE HAVE OUR OWN​​ SIGNATURE​​ ATTACHED

TO ALL WE DO AND SAY.

OUR LIVES, OUR EXPERIENCES, AND OUR FAITH

EXPRESSED TO HIM ARE NEVER OLD.” ​​ (End quote)

SO WHERE ARE​​ YOU​​ ON THE SPECTRUM

OF DEFINING GOD AS FATHER IN THE​​ NEGATIVE​​ WAY

OF POWER, OBEDIENCE, AND PUNISHMENT

AS OPPOSED TO​​ REFEFINING​​ GOD AS FATHER

IN THE​​ POSITIVE​​ WAY OF CARE, COMPASSION, AND LOVE?

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET​​ YOU​​ TO MOVE

FROM​​ GOD’S “HOUSE” AS TEMPLE OF CHURCH

TO​​ GOD’S “HOUSE” AS​​ YOUR​​ PERSONAL DWELLING PLACE?

AMEN.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• Where are you personally (especially with regard to your feelings) on the continuum between understanding God as powerful, distant, jealous and angry vs understanding God as good, compassionate, forgiving, and loving?

• What is the biggest obstacle or challenge that you’re facing concerning growing into a more positive relationship with God?