Friday, June 1, 2012

Role of the father

What is the role of a father. Society today is trying to redefine the roles each member holds in a family. But a traditional family held within it a blueprint , a blue print set up by God.
1God created mankind in his image;in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them.
-Genesis 1:27 (NABRE)
The image that we were created in is a family. How often do we think about the trinity? We often tend to think of God as the all powerful creator and designer of the universe, but that's not what God is from all eternity. The universe had a beginning, making it finite , not infinite. So what was God before he began to create? He was and is a father. God in himself is a family. So when he created us in his image, he created Adam and Eve married.
God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.
-Genesis 1:28 (NABRE)
Our first divine commandment was to be fertile and multiply.
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.
-Genesis 2:24 (NABRE)
They become 1 flesh so much that 9 months later that love produces life. This is the a foreshadow of the Holy Trinity. If we are created in his image then what else can we find in this earthly image? What is the main role of the earthly father? I can only give my opinion on this since many would disagree. I see the first role of the father as loving his family. Next I would say is to provide for that family. Put food on the table, a roof over their head and a loving environment. Does this tell us anything about our father in heaven? I'm going to paraphrase an analogy I heard. I don't have the text in front of me , but I'll do my best. How do my children know they are my children? Well they have my name, next they live in my house, my spouse is their mother, and they eat at my table. When we are baptized , we are baptized in the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. this is when we are born again, we die to our old selves, and take on the name of the Holy Trinity. We are born into the family of God receiving his name.
And to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
-John 2:16 (NABRE)
Here Jesus tells us the temple is his fathers house. And since we know Jesus doesn't abolish the old testament , but rather fulfills it. I think it's safe to say the new testament church is still the house of God. So God provides a roof over our head. Now we come to my spouse is their mother. Part of the reason Catholics show such reverence to Mary is that we see her as Mother of the Son daughter of the Father , and spouse of the Holy Spirit. We see Mary as our spiritual mother. Without getting into a Marian doctrine discussion I'll ask that you be patient with this statement. Maybe that will come up in a later blog. So we have the Fathers name , we live in his house , his spouse is our mother, but do we eat at his table? In the old testament the Passover meal was a covenant meal that all Jews had to partake in. It was the seal of the covenant that God made with Moses. God commanded the Jews to repeat this meal annually to remember what he had done for them. This was also the foreshadow of the covenant meal that we call The Lords Supper. We must remember, Jesus doesn't abolish the old testament , he fulfills it. That means he not only fulfills prophesy, but also fulfills all of the old testament feasts. We see this plainly in Pentecost.
Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every family must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
-Exodus 12:3 (NABRE)

Your lamb must be a year–old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
-Exodus 12:5 (NABRE)

They will take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They will consume its meat that same night, eating it roasted with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
-Exodus 12:7-8 (NABRE)

We all know Jesus is our Passover lamb, as I don't know any Christian denomination that doesn't proclaim this. But understand that it wasn't enough to only sacrifice the lamb in the old covenant. They had to consume it too.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
-Matthew 26:26-28 (NABRE)
This is the only time in the new testament that Jesus uses the word covenant. In order for us to be part of the covenant we have to consume the Passover lamb. It is not enough for the lamb to be sacrificed only. This is why we were given the commandment "Do this in remembrance of me". This is the meal that the father provides. Jesus takes the old Passover feast and completely fulfilled it.
So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
-John 6:32 (NABRE)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life"
-John 6:35 (NABRE)
So we see the image that the father created us , is the family. This family of Gods' comes to his table (the altar) to partake in the heavenly meal. The bread of life. So many Christians ask me if I'm getting "fed right" at the catholic church. All I can say is my Father in heaven feeds me in ways that only the angels and saints in heaven can understand.
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words are true; they come from God.”
-Revelation 19:9 (NABRE)
When we celebrate The Lords Supper, we are partaking in the heavenly liturgy. We come to the Lords table along with the angels and saints at our side, and partake in the heavenly meal. (The Lords Supper) thank you and god bless you.

1 comment:

  1. So many Christians ask me if I'm getting "fed right" at the catholic church.

    We are all responsible to fed ourselves spiritually. We can't live on what we hear on Sunday for 20 minutes and expect to grow. So my friend, weather you go to the Catholic church or the Prostent church, fed yourself, and you will grow! God will give you wisdom beyond any human being.

    Sundays' are for gathering together with other believers, and to worship our Lord. We don't stop there, and live like the world the rest of the week.

    Great Post!

    ReplyDelete