The musings of a child through the years:
4 years old: my Dad can do anything
7 years old: my Dad knows a lot, a whole lot
9 years old: my dad doesn’t know quite everything
12 years old: Oh well, naturally Dad does not know that either
14 years old: my Dad is so out of step with reality
20 years old: my Dad is so hopelessly old-fashioned
25 years old: Dad knows a little about it, but not much
30 years old: I may ask what Dad thinks about it
35 years old: Before we decide, let’s get Dad’s opinion
45 years old: I wonder what Dad will think about this
55 years old: my Dad knows something about literally everything
65 years old: I wish I could talk it over with Dad just once more.
(unknown)
For someone who has been blessed with a good father, these thoughts will very well touch a note of sentiment. I have been very blessed in my life to have a father who prayed for and with me and played with me when I was younger: even in his last years we would gather around the table for a game of Scrabble on a cold winter’s eve. Dad protected me by placing limits and rules upon me as I grew up. I did not realize, until very much later, just how significant those rules really were in my life. Even though he set some fairly strict guidelines, I was allowed to live my life to the fullest, because he trusted me and I in turn trusted his guidance. Dad’s life was a pattern I have been trying to model my life after.
Dad spent considerable time in Bible study, for his own personal edification and also to prepare himself to teach Sunday School, which he did for more than 40 years. It is through this intensive study Dad was able to not only understand the mission of the Church as revealed by Jesus’ teachings; he also was more able to realize the mission GOD had given him through fatherhood. Now, let me ask you fathers here today: What was the model of Jesus’ ministry? Do you understand your mission as modeled by Jesus in His ministry? "When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd." Compassion is not one of those words fathers hear very often in their everyday conversations. Yet that is one of the strongest attributes of any parent, as modeled by Jesus. As father, and most probably the head of household, it is up to you to reassure the family when things get rough. Jesus saw the crowds were "weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd." One of our functions as the father is to step forward and accept the mantle of shepherd, of leadership in the family. This does not mean we are to carry a big crooked stick and use it to jerk our family around. No, what we are to do is learn how to compassionately lead our families along a path which will guide them toward Jesus. At times, any or all members of the family will become weak and weary; it is then we must show strength and compassion to them.
The need for compassion and good family leadership is so great we must go to Jesus to seek His guidance for it. Jesus tells His disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the LORD of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Are we truly aware of the need for our presence and leadership within the family structure? Jesus tells the disciples to "pray to the LORD of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." The need is here now and it is an urgent need. "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few." When was the last time you went to the LORD in prayer for help in making a family decision? The need for good fatherly leadership is right now and extremely urgent. Too many of our families are being allowed to go about their way, hither and yon, with no real vision or idea of where they are headed. Individualism is important, yet, family structure is just as essential. Without some pattern, some organization; without proficient leadership, the family institution as we have known it will not survive. And do not think that once the kids are out of the house, your job as a father is over. You will be a father from now on. My Dad was a father until he took his last breath; on Sunday, the week before he passed, he was offering me sage advice. I am thankful for that kind of fatherly dedication.
Just as Jesus sent out His disciples, He sends us out into our families as His disciples in order for us to be family leaders. Jesus’ instructions to the twelve define the arena of their work and the work they are to do. If we will listen for Him, we will also be given good instruction defining our areas of influence and how we are to go about His work in our families. When Jesus sent out the disciples He gave them some specific things they were to accomplish, "As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons."
"As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near." For the disciples this gave them authority to preach. You may actually preach on occasion, but that is not actually what Jesus is calling fathers to do. As fathers, you are to "announce" the Good News of salvation through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This can be accomplished by leading our families in some form of Bible Study; gathering them together at a set time and applying the truths of Scripture to our everyday lives. Let that teen know they will not always be thin and gawky; maturing will give them the appearance they desire. But, then there may come a time when you will need to "preach" just a little; and like a well developed sermon, keep it brief, to the point, and always end with Good News.
"Heal the sick." We will not be literally healing the sick, but part of our ministry is to spend time with our children and spouses when they are ailing. It is not always the wife’s place to care for the sick children. Let them see that you, Dad, are as concerned about their health as anyone else. Another form of healing is to give your kids sound, Christian advice when they are suffering through some problem in their lives. What seems insignificant to you may be an insurmountable mountain in front of them, take them seriously when they speak of crises.
"Raise the dead." When was the last time you tried to roust a teenager out of bed to get ready for school or to mow the lawn on Saturday morning? Then you pretty well know what it is like to "raise the dead." What Jesus is speaking of here is for us to bring back to life the spirituality of our children; to teach them right from wrong, introduce them to the Word of GOD. If we do not influence our children’s spirituality, who will? How will they learn the goodness of GOD?
"Cleanse the lepers." A five year-old who has just come back inside after a rainstorm can be no less dirty than a leper. But again, we are to go beyond the superficial and look at what Jesus is calling us to do. Quite often our children will be pulled in the wrong direction by peer pressure; it is our work to help them make the correct decisions in these situations. And if they make the wrong decisions, we are to be there to pick them up and helping them clean up their mess.
"Drive out demons." What does your child do for entertainment? Are they into sports or some other creative activity? Or are they completely engrossed by video games, TV, and the internet? Electronic technology has the ability to bring many demons into the lives of our children, and our own also. One of the best ways to "drive out demons" is by monitoring what our kids watch on TV, the games they are playing, and just which internet sites they are visiting. If a television show is rated TV14, then your 10-year-old should not be watching it. Video games rated "M" for mature audiences are rated that way for a reason, pay attention to what is being played. The internet provides some very beneficial research information for school work; it is also infested with some of the worst manner of repulsive pornography and child molesters.
"You have received free of charge; give free of charge." We can not be repaid for the work we do as fathers. If you were as lucky as I, there is no way I could ever repay my Dad for what he gave me in life. But, compensation for what we do as fathers cannot have a value placed on it. When our daughter or son accomplishes something for the first time, when they graduate from high school or college, when they walk down the church aisle beside the person they have chosen to share their lives with, or when they present us with that most beautiful, precious grandchild, then we have received our compensation. This has been the payment scheme for generations.
Everything we do as fathers has an eternal urgency. In our roles as father or head of the household we will at times face hostility, both within the walls of our homes, and from the outside world. We must learn to face these crises wisely. The cost of being a father is so much more than a small donation to the gene pool of another human being. Living as a father in the discipleship of Christ can be painful; it can and will break our hearts. We are not the first fathers to face the trials and tribulations we are facing today. Those before us, our fathers and grandfathers, faced much the same problems and those we are raising today will also go through these times of wondering and questioning. If we have raised them in accordance with the teachings of Jesus to His disciples, then we will not need worry – they will be just fine. Place our trust in Christ and He will see us through this thing called fatherhood.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT...AMEN
(Some ideas were gleaned from Craddock, Fred B., et al, eds. "Preaching Through the Christian Year A, Trinity Press International, Harrisburg, PA.; 1992, pages 328-9)
