I started reading a new book this week…the book is titled The Good and Beautiful God written by James Bryan Smith. The focus of the book is to look at the God Jesus revealed as a person and as a teacher and compare that to the image of God we often have set in our mind and visible in our actions. The two are not similar most times. In the third chapter God is trustworthy James Bryan Smith surprised me with his use of a classic teaching of Jesus. The example reveals who the Father is by asking for specific actions from Him. The example is the Lord’s Prayer.
Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” For many people it is hard for them to consider God as Father because they had a hard, abusive or absent earthly father. In their mind God cannot be like that. In fact God is not but their image of God is so shaped by the image of their earthly father that their heavenly Father is obscured from their vision. This prayer defines the fatherhood of God.
1. We learn God is near: “Our Father in heaven.” In Jewish cosmology, Smith writes, heaven referred to a surrounding atmosphere. Jesus said “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” right around is within our grasp.
2. We learn that God is holy: “Hallowed be your name.” Holiness is purity. God is good, pure without sin.
3. We learn God is King who rules heaven: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Kings have power and God is powerful.
4. We learn God cares for us: “Give us… our daily bread.” God provides for us.
5. God forgives our trespasses: “And forgive us our debts…” God our Father pardons us.
6. We learn God rescues us: “And do not bring us to this trial, but rescue us from the evil one.” He is better than the Coast Guard. Is powerful, ready, present, willing and able to reach out and pull us up out of the waters of sin. God longs to protect us.
In a summary Smith reveals these six characteristics of the Fatherhood of God. God is: nearby, holy, powerful, caring, forgiving and our protector. Those are clear and strong attributes of the God Jesus knew. Are those the attributes of the image of the God you know?
Our image of God is not correct. Fatherhood in fact parenthood is defined by God and His character not by the examples we see, live and experience. Our image for God is usually defined by our internal image of a parent. We live in a fallen world where everyone and everything is affected by the fallen image of sin including our concept of God. This example surprised me.
I am surprised by the richness of Jesus teaching and my own limited concept of exactly what Jesus was revealing. He always reveals more than at first glance.
Do you believe that? I ask you what do you believe about God that is or is not true of the God Jesus perfectly revealed.
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