JESUS REDEFINES THE MEANING OF “FATHER”
Matthew 6:7-9; Luke 11:11-13
Rev. Paul Wrightman 11/6/22
TODAY WE RETURN TO THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
SINCE WE’RE AT THE PLACE
WHERE JESUS GIVES US THE LORD’S PRAYER,
AND THE FIRST (AND MOST IMPORTANT) WORD
OF THIS PRAYER IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK WAS “FATHER,”
I THOUGHT IT APPROPRIATE BEFORE BEGINNING
TO LOOK AT THE LORD’S PRAYER IN DETAIL,
THAT WE FIRST SEE HOW JESUS REDEFINES
THE VERY MEANING OF THE WORD “FATHER.”
DURING THE TERRIBLE DAYS OF THE BLITZ,
WHEN THE NAZIS RELENTLESSLY BOMBED LONDON
DURING WORLD WAR II,
A FATHER, TIGHTLY HOLDING THE HAND OF HIS SMALL SON,
RAN FROM A BUILDING THAT HAD BEEN STRUCK BY A BOMB.
IN THE FRONT YARD, WAS A LARGE HOLE
THAT HAD BEEN MADE BY A LARGE SHELL.
WANTING TO FIND SHELTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,
THE FATHER JUMPED INTO THE HOLE
AND HELD UP HIS ARMS FOR HIS SON TO FOLLOW.
TERRIFIED, YET HEARING HIS FATHER'S VOICE
TELLING HIM TO JUMP, THE BOY SHOUTED, "I CAN'T SEE YOU!”
THE FATHER, LOOKING UP AGAINST THE SKY
TINTED RED BY THE BURNING BUILDINGS,
CALLED TO THE SILHOUETTE OF HIS SON,
"BUT I CAN SEE YOU. JUMP!"
THE BOY JUMPED, BECAUSE HE TRUSTED HIS FATHER.
# # #
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH ENABLES US TO FACE LIFE OR MEET DEATH,
NOT BECAUSE WE CAN SEE,
BUT WITH THE CERTAINTY THAT WE ARE SEEN;
NOT THAT WE KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT THAT WE ARE KNOWN.
THIS ILLUSTRATION ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS IN OUR LIVES
IN WHICH BEING SEEN IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT
THAN BEING ABLE TO SEE
NICELY ECHOES TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING FROM LUKE.
IN THAT READING JESUS IS USING ONE OF HIS FAVORITE
DEBATING TECHNIQUES: ARGUING FROM
THE LESSER TO THE GREATER.
IF SUCH AND SUCH IS TRUE, THEN SO AND SO
WILL BE EVEN MORE TRUE.
IF WE HUMAN FATHERS, WHO ARE IMPERFECT,
WANT TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN ONLY GOOD THINGS,
HOW MUCH MORE WILL OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WHO IS PERFECT,
WANT TO GIVE US ONLY WHAT IS GOOD.
RETURNING TO OUR ILLUSTRATION:
IF THE ABILITY TO SEE IS USELESS IN CERTAIN LIMIT SITUATIONS
IN OUR LIVES,
THEN THE REALITY OF BEING SEEN --
ESPECIALLY THE REALITY OF BEING SEEN BY GOD --
BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
TALKING ABOUT BEING SEEN BY GOD
LEADS US TO THE QUESTION OF HOW GOD SEES;
OR BETTER, WHAT GOD SEES WHEN GOD IS SEEING.
BEFORE JESUS CAME,
GOD WAS UNDERSTOOD AS SEEING THROUGH ONE OR MORE
PARTICULAR LENSES WHICH "COLORED" EVERYTHING
THAT GOD SAW.
THE LENS OF POWER, FOR EXAMPLE,
STRESSED GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY,
AND SOVEREIGNTY WAS UNDERSTOOD
AS GOD'S ALWAYS GETTING GOD'S WAY,
EVEN IF THAT WAY NECESSITATED VIOLENCE.
THIS WAY OF APPROACHING GOD
LED TO THE IDOLATRY OF POWER.
THE LENS OF HOLINESS STRESSED GOD'S ABSOLUTE PURITY.
WHEN THIS LENS WAS ON, IT LED TO SEEING SUCH A VAST DISTANCE
BETWEEN PEOPLE AND GOD THAT GOD COULD NOT BE APPROACHED
BY ANYONE WHO WAS LESS-THAN-PERFECT.
THIS WAY OF APPROACHING GOD
LED TO THE CREATION OF A VAST SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM
THAT TOLD PEOPLE TO BELIEVE
THAT THE BLOOD OF AN INNOCENT ANIMAL
COULD MAKE ONE CLEAN AGAIN.
THE LENS OF LAW STRESSED GOD'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT,
AND GOD'S REJECTION OF THOSE WHO DID NOT KEEP THE LAW
IN ITS ENTIRETY.
THIS WAY OF APPROACHING GOD
LED TO AN IDOLATROUS LEGALISM.
THE LENS OF WISDOM STRESSED GOD'S INFINITE KNOWLEDGE,
AND LED TO THE ATTITUDE THAT THE MORE ONE KNEW ABOUT GOD,
THE CLOSER ONE WAS TO GOD.
THIS WAY OF APPROACHING GOD
LED MANY TO SUBSTITUTE "HEAD" KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD
IN PLACE OF ACTUALLY HAVING A PERSONAL, HEART RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD.
IF JESUS TRULY IS THE HUMAN FACE OF GOD --
AS THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HAS MAINTAINED
THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY --
THIS MEANS THAT BY LOOKING AT HOW JESUS LIVED
AND BECOMING CONVERSANT WITH HOW JESUS THOUGHT
IS THE MOST DIRECT POSSIBLE ROUTE
TO LEARNING HOW GOD "THINKS," SO TO SPEAK,
AND THE MOST DIRECT POSSIBLE ROUTE
TO LEARNING HOW GOD WOULD LIKE US TO LIVE.
AND WHAT WE SEE BY LOOKING AT JESUS' LIFE AND TEACHINGS
IS THAT JESUS HIMSELF APPROACHED GOD QUITE DIFFERENTLY
THAN HIS OWN RELIGIOUS TRADITION DID AT THAT TIME.
FOR THAT MATTER, JESUS APPROACHED GOD
IN A RADICALLY DIFFERENT WAY THAN
ANY OTHER MAJOR RELIGIOUS FIGURE HAD.
INSTEAD OF SEEING HIS HEAVENLY FATHER
THROUGH THE LENSES OF POWER, PURITY, LAW, OR WISDOM,
JESUS APPROACHED GOD THROUGH THE LENS OF LOVE,
AND NOT JUST ANY KIND OF LOVE,
BUT SPECIFICALLY THE KIND OF LOVE WHICH IS SELF-SACRIFICING.
ANOTHER WAY OF PUTTING THIS WOULD BE TO SAY
THAT INSTEAD OF SEEING GOD THROUGH THE LENSES
OF POWER, PURITY, LAW, OR WISDOM,
JESUS SAW EACH OF THESE FOUR CRUCIAL REALITIES
THROUGH THE OVERRIDING LENS OF LOVE.
THUS, JESUS SEES GOD'S POWER
NOT IN TERMS OF GOD ALWAYS GETTING GOD'S WAY,
BUT AS THE POWER OF LOVE TO HEAL AND TO MAKE WHOLE.
SIMILARLY, THE LENS OF LOVE SUBVERTS THE INEVITABILITY
OF PURITY AND LAW AND WISDOM
BECOMING ENDS-IN-THEMSELVES,
AND THUS IDOLS,
AND MAKES THEM ALL SERVANTS OF LOVE.
THUS, THE PURPOSE OF PURITY, LAW, AND WISDOM
IS TO MAKE ONE MORE LOVING TOWARD GOD AND NEIGHBOR.
ANY EXPRESSION OF POWER, PURITY, LAW, AND WISDOM
THAT DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE
TO DEEPER LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR IS TO BE DISCARDED,
WHICH IS PRECISELY WHAT JESUS DOES.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT JESUS' PROMOTION OF SACRIFICIAL LOVE
AS THE OVERRIDING REALITY THROUGH WHICH EVERYTHING ELSE
IN LIFE IS TO BE SEEN,
SENT THE PATRIARCHIAL UNDERSTANDING
OF BOTH GOD AND "FATHER" INTO A TAILSPIN.
THE ANCIENT UNDERSTANDING OF "FATHER"
WAS THAT HUMAN FATHERS, LIKE GOD THE FATHER,
WERE PRIMARILY TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF POWER,
AND POWER WAS DEFINED PRECISELY
AS THE ABILITY TO GET ONE'S OWN WAY BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE,
INCLUDING THE USE OF VIOLENCE.
JESUS' REDEFINITION OF GOD AS LOVING FATHER,
SELF-SACRIFICALLY LOVING FATHER,
WAS INTENDED TO SUBVERT THE PATRIARCHIAL UNDERSTANDING
OF GOD THE FATHER AND OF HUMAN FATHERS
WHO BASE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR OWN FATHERHOOD
ON THIS PATRIARCHIAL MODEL.
THUS IN JESUS WE SEE A RADICAL SHIFT
FROM UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY --
BOTH DIVINE AUTHORITY AND HUMAN AUTHORITY --
IN TERMS OF RAW, OFTEN VIOLENT POWER,
TO AUTHORITY UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF SACRIFICIAL LOVE.
FOR JESUS, GOD'S AUTHORITY IS NOT BASED ON GOD'S POWER,
BUT ON GOD'S LOVE, A LOVE WHICH IS OFTEN CALLED UPON
TO SACRIFICE ITSELF IN VARIOUS WAYS
FOR THE GOOD OF THE OTHER.
# # #
WORLD WAR II PRODUCED MANY HEROES.
ONE WAS BUTCH O'HARE.
HE WAS A FIGHTER PILOT
ASSIGNED TO AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
ONE DAY WHILE ON A MISSION,
HE LOOKED AT HIS FUEL GAUGE, AND REALIZED THAT
SOMEONE HAD FORGOTTEN TO TOP OFF HIS FUEL TANK.
UNABLE TO COMPLETE HIS MISSION,
HE TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK TO THE CARRIER.
AS HE HEADED BACK, HE SAW A SQUADRON OF JAPANESE
ZERO FIGHTERS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THE AMERICAN FLEET.
ALL THE AMERICAN FIGHTERS WERE OUT ON A SORTIE,
LEAVING THE FLEET VIRTUALLY DEFENSELESS.
O'HARE DOVE INTO THE FORMATION OF JAPANESE PLANES
IN A DESPERATE MORE TO DIVERT THEM AWAY FROM THE FLEET.
AFTER AN INCREDIBLE AIR BATTLE, THE JAPENESE PLANES
BROKE OFF THEIR ASSAULT ON THE FLEET.
BUTCH O'HARE'S TATTERED FIGHTER LIMPED BACK TO THE CARRIER.
HE WAS RECOGNIZED AS A HERO AND GIVEN
THE NATION'S HIGHEST MILITARY HONORS.
O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN CHICAGO IS NAMED AFTER HIM.
SOME YEARS EARLIER,
THERE WAS A MAN IN CHICAGO CALLED EASY EDDIE.
IN THOSE DAYS, AL CAPONE VIRTUALLY OWNED THE CITY.
CAPONE'S MOB WAS INVOLVED IN BOOTLEGGING, BOOZE,
MURDER, AND PROSTITUTION.
EASY EDDIE WAS AL CAPONE'S LAWYER
AND KEPT BIG AL OUT OF JAIL.
IN RETURN, BIG EDDIE EARNED BIG MONEY
AND LIVED LIKE A KING ON AN ESTATE SO LARGE
IT FILLED AN ENTIRE CITY BLOCK.
BUT EASY EDDIE HAD ONE SOFT SPOT --
A SON WHOM HE LOVED DEARLY.
EDDIE SAW THAT HIS SON HAD THE BEST OF EVERYTHING:
CLOTHES, CARS, AND A GOOD EDUCATION.
DESPITE EDDIE'S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MOB,
HE TRIED TO TEACH HIS SON RIGHT FROM WRONG.
EDDIE WANTED HIS SON TO BE A BETTER MAN THAN HE WAS.
BUT THERE WERE TWO THINGS EDDIE COULD NOT GIVE HIS SON --
A GOOD NAME AND A GOOD EXAMPLE.
DECIDING THAT GIVING HIS SON THESE TWO THINGS
WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LAVISHING HIM WITH RICHES,
EDDIE DECIDED TO RECTIFY THE WRONG HE HAD DONE.
HE WENT TO THE AUTHORITIES
AND TOLD THEM THE TRUTH ABOUT AL CAPONE.
EASY EDDIE EVENTUALLY TESTIFIED IN COURT
AGAINST AL CAPONE AND THE MOB.
HE KNEW THE COST WOULD BE GREAT,
BUT HE WANTED TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO HIS SON
AND LEAVE HIM WITH A GOOD NAME.
WITHIN A YEAR OF TESTIFYING AGAINST THE MOB,
EASY EDDIE'S LIFE ENDED IN A BLAZE OF GUNFIRE
ON A LONELY CHICAGO STREET.
HE HAD GIVEN HIS SON THE GREATEST GIFT HE HAD TO OFFER
AT THE GREATEST PRICE HE WOULD EVER PAY.
WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH ONE ANOTHER?
BUTCH O'HARE WAS EASY EDDIE'S SON.
# # #
USING THE SAME TACTIC THAT JESUS USED IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE --
ARGUING FROM THE LESSER TO THE GREATER--
WE CAN SAY THAT IF BUTCH O'HARE'S FATHER, BROKEN AS HE WAS,
WAS ABLE TO GIVE THIS AMAZING GIFT OF SACRIFICAL LOVE
TO HIS SON,
HOW MUCH MORE DOES GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER,
WANT TO GIVE GOOD THINGS, AND ONLY GOOD THINGS,
TO GOD'S CHILDREN, WHICH INCLUDES EVERYONE.
THE FIRST CORE VALUE OF COMMUNITY CHURCH
IS "GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE."
WE COULD EXPAND THE MEANING OF THIS AND SAY THAT
THE STATEMENT "GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE"
CAN MEAN NOTHING LESS THAN
"GOD IS COMMITTED TO SACRIFICE GODSELF
SO THAT ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN CAN EXPERIENCE
HEALING AND WHOLENESS."
# # #
THE THREE-YEAR-OLD FELT SECURE IN HER FATHER'S ARMS
AS DAD STOOD IN THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL.
BUT DAD, INTENT ON TEACHING HER TO SWIM,
BEGAN WALKING TOWARD THE DEEP END,
GENTLY CHANTING "DEEPER AND DEEPER AND DEEPER,"
AS THE WATER ROSE HIGHER AND HIGHER ON THE CHILD.
HER FACE REGISTERED INCREASING DEGREES OF PANIC,
AND SHE HELD ALL THE MORE TIGHTLY TO HER FATHER,
WHO, OF COURSE, EASILY TOUCHED THE BOTTOM.
HAD THE LITTLE GIRL BEEN ABLE TO ANALYZE HER SITUATION,
SHE'S HAVE REALIZED THERE WAS NO REASON
FOR INCREASED ANXIETY.
THE WATER'S DEPTH IN ANY PART OF THE POOL
WAS OVER HER HEAD.
EVEN IN THE SHALLOWEST PART,
HAD SHE NOT BEEN HELD UP, SHE'D HAVE DROWNED.
HER SAFETY ANYWHERE IN THAT POOL DEPENDED ON DAD.
AT VARIOUS POINTS IN OUR LIVES,
ALL OF US FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING OUT OF OUR DEPTH --
PROBLEMS ABOUND, A JOB IS LOST, A LOVED ONE DIES.
OUR TEMPTAION IS TO PANIC, FOR WE FEEL WE'VE LOST CONTROL.
YET, AS WITH THE CHILD IN THE POOL,
THE TRUTH IS THAT WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN CONTROL
OVER THE MOST VALUABLE THINGS IN LIFE.
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN HELD UP BY THE GRACE OF GOD, OUR FATHER,
AND THAT DOES NOT CHANGE.
GOD IS NEVER OUT OF GOD'S DEPTH,
AND THEREFORE WE'RE AS SAFE WHEN WE'RE "GOING DEEPER"
AS WE HAVE EVER BEEN.
THANKS BE TO GOD, OUR LOVING FATHER.
AND THANKS BE TO JESUS, THE FIRST PERSON ON THE PLANET
TO MAKE THAT FACT KNOWN.
AMEN.