NT WRIGHT, a well-known Bible scholar and author was once asked following a lengthy and deep lecture to a group of university students, “How old does a child need to be before they can begin understanding the love of God and His divine nature?”

NT paused but only for a second, “Well I suppose perhaps five minutes old”. You could see in the eyes of the interviewer, and you could sense from the audience the astonishment and surprise at this unexpected answer.

“You see”, NT continued, “A child should experience the love of God the minute they’re held in the arms of their parents.” This is God’s divine nature and His plan for every child.

I have to be transparent, honest about my first reaction to this question. My mind was anticipating some exposition from scripture on the “age-of-accountability”. But accountability with and this understanding of God’s nature and love begins from the moment a newborn breathes. A loving home, safe, stable and provided for by their mother and father.

This picture shows a father, loving his newborn adopted daughter. He isn’t the biological father of this child, but he and his wife became her father and mother and provided a home she did not have available to her. All adoptions start in a dark place…including ours.

I can still remember shortly after my own baptism, living in a rather dysfunctional home and without a good relationship with my father and reading verses such as, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You,  our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8. And then finding so many more statements and reminders of this Father and child relationship, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! “ 1 John 3:1. Then of course there is “The Lord’s Prayer” which begins, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:9-11

These and hundreds of others [15 in the OT] God is referred to as “Father”. This is a powerful, meaningful and personal metaphor that creates many varied applications, examples and insights into our relationship with the Creator, God Almighty and His Son Jesus our Lord and Savior. It was all of these for me many years ago when I came to realize the significance that while my connections to an earthly father was weak the connection to my heavenly Father was deep, real and everlasting, just as Paul said, “³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39.

By faith, with trust and obedience this cornerstone is laid in God’s foundation for life. The significance of this cannot be overstated.

Over the years, this “epiphany” story has been told many times to teens, young men and women, even those later in life who still struggle with the loss, pain and the consequences of having no father, an absent father or an abusive father relationship. God CAN BE and IS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

Luke records a tender yet powerful reminder of our Fathers care, “¹¹ If a son asks for ^[e]bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:11-13

A recent survey found that seventy-two percent of Americans believe that fatherlessness in our country is the most significant challenge to our families and society at large. We need and God expects us to be strong, loving, nurturing fathers, “⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

We should always honor, respect and expect men to be good fathers.

One Sunday a man after church services fussed about the sermon on the way home. He also griped about the traffic; he complained about the heat; and he made a big fuss about how late lunch was served. When lunch was served, he bowed and prayed, giving God thanks for the food. His son heard and watched this all the way from church services. As they began to pass the food he asked, “Daddy, did God hear you when we left the church and you started fussin’ about the sermon and about the traffic and about the heat?”   Dad said ashamedly, “Well, yes, son, He heard me.” The boy asked, “Well, Daddy, did God hear you when you just prayed for this food right now?” The dad said, “Well, yes, son, He… He… He heard me.”  His son asked, “Well, Daddy, which one did God believe?”

What a sad example the father presented to his son. It showcases what afflicts individuals, families, and the church today -- “hypocrisy”. Hypocrisy is defined as the distance between who we claim to be from who we are. It is a mask which identifies one on the outside in one situation then acts another way elsewhere. We call them “pretenders”. People live one way acting like all is well but are not committed, genuine, or true. What is the reason for such behavior? Is it part of the nature of man?  Is it a chemical imbalance?  Understand, God is observing this!

Jesus revealed in Mark 7:1-23 hypocrisy’s cause, outward signs, and defiling results. It is in this passage Jesus will teach us the inside of a person should match the outside of the same person. What we are in our heart is who we really are!  Outward lifestyle may look pretty but inwardly lies an ugly, corrupt, and sinful heart.

One of the first signs of hypocrisy is complaining. There is a difference in sharing your pain, struggles, desolation, or confusion to God and murmuring about what you may be entitled to have. Psalms and Lamentations describes many difficult experiences brought to the Lord with intent of drawing near to Him to learn, submit, and grow spiritually. This attitude does not represent what the Pharisees and scribes were doing in approaching Jesus. In v.1-4, they complain about a tradition not being observed. They were offended at an injustice by the disciples not washing their hands before they eat. Although they question Jesus over the issue, He turns the tables on them. He shows them their complaining is a sign of holding to a tradition and failure to honor God (v.6,7). Jesus pulls away the mask of their irreverence and traditional “rights”. Their lack of commitment to holiness and righteousness is what Jesus uncovered. They may have “faked” others, but the Lord was not deceived…                   

More next week…

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalms 34:8

“As we journey through life, with its struggles and strife…” as the song goes, we must keep an awareness of many things as citizens in God’s kingdom. Here’s just a few for thought today.

Walk worthy…of the calling to which you were called.” Ephesians 4:1 NKJV. Some translations render this “to the manner of life to which you were called.”

Walk circumspectly…”not as fools but as wise” Ephesians 5:15 NKJV. Meaning, walk by “looking around”, being aware of people, surroundings, needs and opportunities.

Walk in love…”as Christ has loved us.” Ephesians 5:2.

Peter quotes, paraphrases this resonant Psalm of David in 1 Peter 2 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow ^[a]thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:1-3

Our walk is not only righteous, worthy, noble and holy, it is beautiful and good. At least IT SHOULD BE!

I think Peter continues, elaborates, drills down and states the reason for a worthy, good, beautiful walk in the same chapter verses 12 and 15. “² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. [2:12] and “¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” [2:15]

As we “go and make disciples” often we draw on the parable of the Sower, responsible for planting the seeds of the gospel, not for the soil or the fruit and harvest. I think there is an equally valid paradigm or metaphor for our daily walk, bearing good fruit that is beautiful and gives the world, those whom we interact with daily or on any occasion to actually see, experience and “taste” the goodness of God through His people.

This receives support from another powerful analogy given on the “Mount”, you are the light of the world, the salt of the earth.”

There is a well-known quote often attributed to Francis of Assisi, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."

We have countless interactions with people every day. Each one combined with the words exchanged has the potential to leave a “taste” of God’s, goodness, justice and mercy. Maybe, just maybe, this will as Peter reminds his audience and us, cause someone to ask “a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ¹⁶ having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 1 Peter 2:15-16