Jesus Redefines the Meaning of Father

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Independent and United Church of Christ