Luke 15:11-32 "Fatherhood"
There are some today who would like to make the Bible gender neutral. God would become our divine parent instead of our heavenly Father.
Could God actually want to be known as Father?
To think that God would deny the truth of who He is to accommodate the thinking of a culture is to accuse God of duplicity.
To assign the reason God is known as Father to the mistaken assumptions of the biblical writers is to deny the total inspiration of the Scriptures.
Father reveals something of God’s nature and character.
We live in an age when fatherhood has been depreciated.
“There is a debate in society today over father’s roles. Fatherhood has lost its cultural coherence. It’s no longer clear what we want, what we expect from fathers.” Robert Griswold in his book 'Fatherhood in America: A History'
The Influence of Fathers
Today we see the disappearing dad.
“well into the 18th century, childrearing manuals in America were generally addressed to fathers, not mothers…Family life in the 19th century was defined by what historians call the feminization of the domestic sphere and the marginalization of the father as a parent.” “Studies of young criminals have found that more than 70% of all juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes. Children from broken homes are nearly twice as likely as those in two-parent families to drop out of high school.” Time, June 28, 1993
Fathers have a tremendous power over the lives of their children.
Fathers provide certain needed characteristics in the home without which children do not receive the balance and emotional strength for future years.
A Biblical Example
A story about a son’s backsliding and repentance, but also a story about a father’s compassion.
Look at this story through the eyes of the father.
Parents care about the future of the children.
- Mothers place emphases on “be happy.’
- Fathers place emphases on “be successful.”
We need to show our children who is boss and that there are consequences for their actions.
Discipline teaches consequences. Proverbs 13:24.
The father in this story:
- Allowed the son to go his own way.
- Did not reach out and bail him out.
A Challenge to Fathers
The father threw a celebration because his son was lost, and has been found.
The challenge for us as fathers is to be there for our children, with discipline and with mercy. By our love we must show our children the love of God.
Fatherhood is a unique calling which cannot be replaced in our culture.
