26/12/07

Call no man your father

Matthew 23:9 -- "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."

Today being celebrated as Family Day is also the right day to understand our relation as a family. The Bible gives a lot of importance to relation between the family. In Matthew 15:4-6 it is again affirmed from the Book of Moses Exodus chp. 20:12, 21:15 & 21:17 that God gave great importance to relationship between the children and parents. In short a person who does not respect or love their parents (of this world) whom they can see then how will they love their Heavenly Father whom they can not see? If they say so they are lairs.

But there are a few scriptures like Matthew 23:9 and Matthew 19:29 which may seem to contradicting the relationship of a family. If the real meaning is understood then one will understand no two scriptures in the Bible contradict each other. The word used for father in Matthew 23:9 is also used for 'provider' and secondly the word man is not part of the scripture but has been added (words written in italics in KJV are added to make it readable). What Jesus meant is no one should call any person (including his or her parents) as a provider. God the Father is the sole provider and people are just the means or vessels through whom God provides. Even as a father I do not provide for my family it is God is my source and makes the provision. Parents should not take pride in being providers. If you claim to be working hard to make ends meet it is only because of the lack of knowledge of God's Word you do so.

Again in Matthew 19:29 the Lord tells us that more importance is to be given to our relation with God then between us and our parents. If we love our parents more than we love God then we can not be true disciples. It does not means that you need to physically leave your family; it means to keep your family second to God.

Let us today make our real family with the head being God and the parents representing Him; through whom the children are provided their physical, spiritual and emotional needs.


[ Prayer for the Day ]

Lord I thank You for being the head of my family. Help us be the role model You have set before us in your Word. Guide us and take charge of all affairs in my family, mend all relation between all members that our love grows in You as a Church. I ask this in your precious Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]

Matthew 15:4-6
⁴ For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
⁵ But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
⁶ And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Matthew 19:28-29
²⁸ And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
²⁹ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Exodus 20:12
¹² Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 21:15
¹⁵ And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:17
¹⁷ And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)