JESUS GIVES US A RADICAL NEW VISION OF GOD AS FATHER
Luke 2:41-52
Rev. Paul Wrightman 9/15/24
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 LARGELY 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 OR CHURCH
TO GOD’S “HOUSE” AS YOUR PERSONAL DWELLING PLACE?
AMEN.