Welcome! Father’s Day is next Sunday. This day conjures many images: Dads grilling cheeseburgers, going for a boat ride on Conneaut Lake or Pymatuning Lake, eating out, golfing, or maybe watching TV and indulging in favorite foods and drinks.
Growing up, Father’s Day was always a nice way to honor my dad. We often went to Chi-Chi’s in Hermitage and had Dairy Queen cake for dessert. We’d typically end the day by swimming in Mom and Dad’s pool. It was always a happy day.
My dad didn’t know his father as a child. He and my grandmother divorced when Dad was very young. He only saw his father a handful of times in his life. Regardless, Dad didn’t focus on what Father’s Day could’ve been for him if his dad were in his life. He focused on cherishing fatherhood on Father’s Day. I’m grateful to him for this.
The Bible has a lot to say about fatherhood. There are examples of good and bad fathers in the Bible. Genesis is filled with examples of bad fathers. Think about it: Abram allowed his wife, Sarai, to persuade him to have a child with her Egyptian maid, Hagar. God had promised to make Abram the father of descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5) but 11 years had passed and no baby had been born. Sarai grew impatient. So Abram gave in and fathered Ishmael (Genesis 16:2). He loved Ishmael and had him for around 14 years before their promised son, Isaac, was finally born. Abraham (God changed both his and Sarai’s names in Genesis 17:5 and 17:15) gave Ishmael the boot because of Sarah’s pestering. Not a great dad moment – throwing his son and her mother out of his home and sending them into the desert.
As a father Isaac played favorites with Esau and made Jacob jealous, which led to him steal his brother’s blessing. Jacob favored Joseph, which got Joseph thrown into a dry well by his jealous brothers and sold to Ishmaelites as a slave. See the circle? Joseph’s grandfather’s first son’s descendants bought him and took him away, just as Ishmael was sent away by Abraham.
We don’t know much about Joseph as a father, but he was a great leader. Another great leader, David, was magnificent in battle, a gifted poet and musician, and a great king. But he was a pitiful father. One of his sons, Amnon, raped his own half-sister, Tamar. Absalom later ordered his servants to murder Amnon. And David did nothing about any of this. Nice, huh? Absalom later revolted against his father. You can read all this in 2 Samuel 13.
But there are examples of good fathers in the Bible. Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, must have been a good husband and father. He married Mary despite her presumed fornication or adultery. He followed wherever God led him in order to protect Mary and Jesus: first to Bethlehem, then Jerusalem, back to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and back to his hometown of Nazareth. (Luke 2 and Matthew 2).
Another good father is Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, who pushed through the crowds surrounding Jesus and asked that He heal his sick daughter. He had faith in Jesus’ power and enough love to risk his authority and position as a Jewish synagogue leader by believing in and asking help from a radical teacher.
Jesus’ compassion toward women, love for tax collectors, prostitutes, the demon-possessed, lepers, and many other marginalized or ostracized people made him a radical in the eyes of the Jewish authorities. But Jairus loved his daughter so much that he put his own reputation and future aside so Jesus could heal her. You can read it in Mark 5:22-43.
But the best Father in the Bible or anywhere else is God. No one has to be an orphan in God’s family. He is the best father we could ask for. Think about it. He knows everything about world events, past, present, and future. He loves us with agape love, something beyond human ability. He directs us when we ask for guidance. He protects us from danger. He leads us to still waters and restores our souls (Psalm 23: 2-3 NKJV).
When we disobey God, there are consequences, no doubt of that. But he disciplines us out of love with the hope that we’ll repent and turn away from doing wrong.
A good father is wise and loving. He provides for and protects his children. He disciplines them appropriately. He raises his children in the training and instruction of the Lord and does not embitter or exasperate his children. (Colossians 3:21 and Ephesians 6:4 NIV) By so doing, he sets a good example.
But the best example of fatherhood is God. Look to God as your father. He will always be there for you, able to instruct, comfort, protect, and love you no matter what.
If you’re looking for a way to help the children in your life learn about God, bring them to Vacation Bible School at Fallowfield United Methodist Church June 18 through 22 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. I know people who’ve never gone to church or Sunday school, but who went to VBS every summer. VBS is evangelism, plain and simple. Souls get saved at VBS and kids remember the Bible stories they learn.
Kids also have fun. They change activities every 25 minutes and stay busy. But they retain things. They learn songs about Jesus and make crafts that remind them that Jesus loves them. They play games outside and get tie-dyed t-shirts with iron-on VBS decals and learn a memory verse for the program. VBS changes lives.
You can bring children any night of VBS, even if they can only come once. One night is better than nothing. You can register the children in your life any night during VBS. The registration table is directly in front of the church entrance.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!