"ABBA -- FATHER"

                On this Father’s Day I am thankful that Jesus chose to teach his disciples to God as Father, and by doing so honored fatherhood. The Jewish people ordinarily did not pray to God as father. In the psalms, the Jewish prayer and hymn book, God is addressed as “Lord,” “Yahweh,” “my Rock,” or some other metaphor, but never as “Father.” In the psalms and in the OT generally God speaks of the king as his son and of the Jewish people as his children, but individual Jews did not pray to God as Father.

                This changes with Jesus. In Matthew Jesus began his teaching ministry with the Sermon on the Mount when he taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven …” He modeled that approach throughout his ministry, until at the end, on the cross, he twice addressed God as Father, “Father, forgive them …,” and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

                Why did Jesus choose to have his disciples pray to God as Father? Perhaps doing so recognizes something about the mystery and power of God. To a child a father is this tall, strong, even fearsome person that he or she does not fully understand. A father in the Jewish social structure had extraordinary status and power. His word was final. It was to be obeyed without question.

                But the use of “Father” by Jesus goes far beyond that. The word he used in Aramaic was “Abba” – a word implying intimacy and closeness. Some have likened it to our terms of “Papa,” or “Daddy.” In addition to respect for this fearsome, mysterious and powerful God, he wants his disciples to have an intimate, loving relationship with God. As Paul says in Romans 8:15, “You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”

                As I have read, prayed and studied the psalms, one fact stands out. To be sure, God is seen as powerful, mysterious, fearsome, and one who demands obedience, but this is balanced by two other terms. Over and over the Psalms speak of God’s “steadfast love,” and his “faithfulness.” His steadfast love and faithfulness can be summarized in the one word, “commitment.” As our heavenly Father, God is so committed to us that he will do whatever it takes, pay any price, to save us and make us his own.

                As we take communion this morning, may we see not only the sacrifice of Jesus, but the commitment of God – a commitment so strong that he gave his only begotten son so that we might become his adopted sons and daughters and thus be able to call him “Abba, Father.”