Today is Father’s Day, and on this day our thoughts turn to our fathers; those men in our lives who for better or worse had an impact on the person we are today.
My father – who passed away in 1997 – was a good dad. I don’t remember him being very demonstrative with his affections, but I never doubted his love for us. He worked very hard to ensure that all of our physical needs were met. We were never hungry. We always had clothes and shoes – maybe not designer labels, but they were clean and in good condition. He also gave us something more lasting than material possessions. He gave us God. An Ordained Minister with the Assemblies of God, my father pastored several small churches throughout the state of Arizona. Being raised in the church doesn’t always guarantee a healthy relationship with God as an adult, but even now, I can recall my Father’s love of God and his passion to share that love with others. It was his influence and his steadfast faith that showed me who God was and how much God loved me. This is the legacy my Father left for me and my siblings.
While today is a day to celebrate our dads, I know that there are some fathers who may not have been Hallmark material. Instead of a legacy of love, they left a different mark on their children. To those, this Father’s Day may be one of pain instead of celebration. It is for those that I write this Father’s Day blog.
Jesus tells a parable of a Father who had two sons. One day, the younger son came and requested his portion of the inheritance. The son, a millennial of his time, was tired of living in his older brother’s shadow and ready to make a name for himself. I’m sure his request broke his Father’s heart, but the Father knew he couldn’t make him stay, so he gave the son what he asked for and let him go.
The son promptly hit the road. Arriving in a city far from home, the son connected with the party crowd. Unfortunately, his popularity with that group only lasted as long as his money did. Too soon, he found himself broke and alone. He became so desperate that he took a job feeding pigs for one of the land owners in the area.
Life didn’t get better for him. He was homeless and hungry; so hungry that the food the pigs were eating was starting to look good to him. At this point, he had hit the bottom. He had no where left to go. In his defeat, he started thinking about better times. He thought of his Father’s home and the servants who lived there. He recalled that the servants always had good food to eat and decent clothes to wear. He then had a thought…. “What if I go back to my Father’s house and ask him to let me be a servant?” With that plan in mind, he started walking towards home.
I can only imagine his anxiety as he neared the area where his home was. How would his father receive him? What would the other servant’s think? How would he be treated?
The parable tells us that while he was a long way off, the Father saw him and ran to meet him. He gathered his son into his arms and wept with joy that his son had come home. He shouted for the fatted calf to be prepared and a clean cloak to be brought for his son to wear, and the family ring to be put on his hand.
What a great dad! No lecture. No recrimination. No guilt trip. Just unconditional love and acceptance.
This parable wasn’t just a nice story that Jesus shared with those following him. It was a glimpse of God’s love for you and me. It was all about the father’s love.
“For God so love the world,
that He gave His one and only Son…"
John 3:16
God loves us that much. While we were enemies of God, He made a way for us to be reconciled to him. Not as servants, but as sons and daughters of the most-high God.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
Many people let their relationship with their earthly father define their view of God. If their earthly father let them down or disappointed them, then they have difficulty putting their trust in God. If their earthly father harmed or abandoned them, then they have difficulty recognizing the presence of God in their lives. That view is the exact opposite of reality. In Psalm 68:5, the writer tells us that God is a father to the fatherless.
People will fail us. They will disappoint us. Even those who are family will let us down and even treat us badly. They may break their promises, hurt our feelings, and abandon us, but God will not.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth as a baby knowing that one day that baby – grown to be a man – would be sacrificed on a cross to pay for our sins. He would suffer a cruel, painful death, so that we could have a relationship with the Father. That is a father’s love. That is how much God loves us.
Who could imagine so great a mercy? What heart could fathom such boundless grace? The God of ages stepped down from glory To wear my sin and bear my shame The cross has spoken, I am forgiven The king of kings calls me His own Beautiful savior, I'm yours forever Jesus Christ, my living hope
Phil Wickham – Lyrics from My Living Hope
Every Father’s Day, I remember my Dad with love and appreciation, but I don’t stop there. I also remember and celebrate my heavenly Father who sacrificed so much so that I could enjoy the blessings of his provision, protection, comfort, care and love. As Father’s Day 2021 comes to a close, be sure to call on the Father and thank him for being an Amazing Dad!
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