LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: HEART OF THE SON
“I have come in My Father’s name…”
~ Jesus Christ (John 5:43)
“Jesus, what would You like for me to say in this blog post?”
It’s taken over a month for me to be able to return to this series (“Like Father, Like Son”). The reasons for the delay have varied yet the desire to understand more clearly the heart of the son has remained ever constant. As I mentioned in my first post, the classic t.v. show The Rifleman has been a key element in this journey, showing so clearly the love of a father for his son and a son for his father: watch the show for about 5 minutes and you’ll see pretty clearly who the apple of Lucas McCain’s eye is and who holds the title as young Mark’s greatest hero.
It’s a fictional picture of a beautiful reality.
I’ve also been paying more attention to the power of a child’s love for their father in real life. You’ve probably seen it, too: a little boy or girl who thinks their dad “hung the moon”. No matter how many flaws the man may have, in the eyes of his child he can do no wrong. They pepper him with questions, follow him around everywhere: mimic his every move, every word, every gesture. They always look to see if he’s watching, call out for his attention if he’s not, and wait breathlessly to hear what he thinks of whatever it is that they’ve done when they’re finished. If he criticizes, they are crushed; if he praises, they run off to climb Mount Everest. To be clear, this is nothing against the influence and importance of a Momma with her kids (a topic which certainly deserves its own blog series!), yet a father does hold a unique power over the hearts of his children, a power that feels almost spiritual.
Because it is.
Which brings me back to the question at the beginning of this post. As I am (finally 😊) able to sit down and capture all the Lord has been doing in my heart these past few weeks, I keep feeling my own inadequacy to put it into words. I mean, we’re talking about the love of God here: how does anyone ever manage to accurately describe that? Where does one even start? So, I start where I always need to: crying out to Him for help.
“Jesus, what would You like for me to say in this blog post?”
And the answer comes swift and clear:
“That I love My Father.”
Think about that a moment.
Jesus loves His Father!
Do we get that?
I mean, really get it?
Yes, most of us know Jesus Christ is “the Son of God” (or, if we’re not Believers, that He at least claimed to be), but do we truly have any idea of the depth and beauty and significance of such a claim? Do we have any clue how crucial it is, how fundamental? Sometimes I wonder if our familiarity with certain aspects of Christianity actually blinds us to the sheer wonder of them—and, consequently, robs us of ever realizing the power of their reality in our lives?
“That I love My Father.”
Read the Scriptures with an honest heart and you’ll be amazed how much this shows up. Jesus is constantly talking about His Father.
Constantly…
“Take these things away! Do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (John 2:16)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16)
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshiper will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him…” (John 4:23)
“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” (John 5:17)
“…God the Father has set His seal upon [Me].” (John 6:27)
“My doctrine is not Mine, but His Who sent Me.” (John 7:16)
“You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” (John 8 :19)
“…I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He Who sent Me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:28 & 29)
“I and Father are one…” (John 10:30)
…And more verses than I could possibly include on this blog post. 😊
Now, you may be thinking, “That’s interesting/sweet and all, but what exactly does that have to do with my life on this planet right now?”
Well, first of all, let me encourage you to ask God to open your heart to the sheer beauty of the magnitude of the Son’s love for the Father (and vice versa). Sometimes we can rush past the glory trying to find the “practical” application and completely miss the fact that the point of the practical application was the glory. Trust me: when we truly start to grasp the pulsating passion of the Trinity’s love for each other our whole world starts turning right-side up and all the so-called “practical” stuff we worry about begins falling into place automatically!
But to answer your question in a way that at least sounds more applicable…😉
Why does the love of the Son for the Father (and the love of the Father for the Son) matter in our day to day lives?
Because Jesus would have never did what He did without it.
He never would have come to earth. Never would have died for our sins. Never would have risen from the dead and granted us eternal life. Literally, our eternal salvation—deliverance from Hell, access to Heaven, everything—would never have been possible if Jesus didn’t love His Father more than His own life. Now, don’t misunderstand, this in no way diminishes Jesus’ own love for us, yet the reason Jesus loves us is because the Father loves us and Jesus loves the Father, including whatever and whoever the Father loves.
We literally would not be here without the love of the Father and the Son.
Let that sink in. Sink in deep.
Because it is even more than “just” rescuing us from eternal damnation (if you could ever say “just” about such a thing). Jesus would not have done anything He did on this earth without His love for the Father. Healing the sick? The Father’s compassion. Raising the dead? The Father’s glory. Driving money-hungry merchants out of the Temple with a whip? The Father’s fury. Holding little children to bless them? The Father’s tenderness. Casting out demons? The Father’s authority. Teaching Good News to the poor? The Father’s generosity. Pinning the pride of religious and political leaders to the wall? The Father’s uncompromising justice. Spending hours, days, years with the same bunch of mostly well-meaning but often bone-headed guys and pouring into them the very treasures of Heaven? One reason and one reason only: to show them the Father. Everything Jesus did on this planet was to show the nature of His Heavenly Father in the flesh—human flesh.
“For I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me.” (John 6:38)
Because the heart of the Son is to show off the Father.
And what He is teaching me about why that matters is truly opening my eyes in a whole new way! I hope you’ll read my next blog post to find out how…😊
LIVE EPIC,
CHRISTIS JOY
