Caring for the Fatherless

vacation love people woman

With Father’s Day approaching we should remember those who are fatherless too. The term fatherless appears 42 times in the ESV and is a theme that runs deep throughout the Bible. God cares for the fatherless and asks his people to care for them and look after them. Hosea 14:3 says, “In you the orphan finds mercy.” Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s case.” And James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

These are not mere commands to keep God’s people busy with acts of humanitarianism. There is clear research that children who grow up without a stable father have a far more difficult path in life than those who do. Those who grow up without a father are more likely to experience poverty, poor academic performance, mental health disorders, sexual promiscuity, exploitation and abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, early death, and divorce, to name a few. These are a very heavy price to pay for those who are abandoned by or who have lost their fathers to death.

This is why God puts such a strong emphasis on his people stepping in to care for and nurture those who are fatherless. The church bears a heavy responsibility to show compassion and care for the fatherless. We must do better at being intentional about reaching into the lives of them.

Equipped to Endure

grayscale photography of crying woman

Paul’s vision and his thorn are a great reminder that there can be a great tension between surpassing greatness and agony. Paul describes a vision he had 14 years prior, though he refers to himself as “a man in Christ.” He’s clearly distancing himself from the vision of heaven, which we doesn’t know whether was “in the body or out of the body” (2 Cor. 12:2,3). Paul was not going to boast of this experience “so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me” (vs. 6).

Then Paul argues, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited” (vs. 7). Three times Paul begged for the thorn to be removed, but God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (vs. 9).

We don’t know for sure what the thorn in the flesh was, but it’s possible it refers to his persecutions. Whatever it was, Paul was willing to boast about his weaknesses because the power of Christ “rests upon me” when Paul is weak. As Christians, we should be equipped to endure weakness. In fact, Paul embraced his weakness as a thing that brings about Christ’s power.

Jesus Is Preparing a Place for Us

low angle photography gray sky

Death is a strange thing. All of us will face it; nobody is exempt. Whether people believe in God or not our fate is marked out for us. We know we will die. It’s not a question of if, but of when. Jesus’ disciples knew he would die, but didn’t understand that he was going to die so soon.

Jesus told them that he was preparing a place for them in his “Father’s house:” “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3 ESV).

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (vs. 8). Philip didn’t understand, and Jesus reminded him that, anyone who sees Jesus has also seen the Father. Christ is not only helping prepare a place for believers, he is coming back for them to lead them there. Belief in Christ and obedience is our assurance. It’s hard to fathom how incredible Heaven will be. But, rather than get hung up on what it is like, Jesus reminds his disciples that he is the Way and they should trust that it is perfect!

Be Sympathetic

upset black woman embracing anonymous girlfriend near group of people

There is something about sympathy that causes defensive walls to crumble. Not only does sympathy get past defenses, it is healing salve for the soul. Peter wrote, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9 ESV).

The word Peter uses for sympathy is only used once in the whole Bible. It literally means suffering or felling the like with someone. When we are truly sympathetic, we enter into suffering with them.

The word for tender heart means have a “good gut.” It means to have compassion well up from your bowels, where it is essentially full of meaning and heart. It is about entering into the world of suffering with another person with immense meaning. When we are unified in mind (having the same mind), enter into suffering with people and mean it from our gut, treat each other with brotherly love, and are humble, that person’s world changes.

As Christians, we need to mean it when we express sympathy for one another. This was how Jesus treated people who were desperate. He entered into their world of suffering and then ultimately suffered the pain of the cross.

Not Peace, But a Sword

knight armor

Imagine as Jesus is equipping his disciples to go out on their own and proclaim the good news that he is also warning against major catastrophic events. He promised them persecution and major, major rejection. Rejection and opposition are enough to shut most people down. When we feel intimidated, or even like we don’t meet the approval of others, we tend to wear out or shut down.

Opposition can take its toll on people, which is why it was so important that Jesus prepared his disciples to experience it. He could have removed obstacles and ushered in peace, but that’s not even what Jesus’ purpose was. In fact, the message of repentance and salvation was quite offensive to the masses. People are willing to fight, become violent, and and even kill for their own convictions.

In preparing his disciples, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:34-35 ESV). Jesus was not calling his disciples to be disruptive and violent. His point was that the message was offensive and people would turn violent, therefore his followers needed to be alert and not allow themselves to be destroyed.

The question at hand is, “Are you willing to lose family for me?” People would have to choose between faith or family. Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (vs. 37). We cannot forsake Christ for the sake of family or “keeping peace.” Jesus calls his people to radically follow him, no matter the cost.

Don’t Fear Them!

woman placing her finger between her lips

We’ve spent the past few weeks discussing Jesus’ method for recruiting, training, and sending his twelve apostles, as well as additional disciples. Jesus went through this entire process very quickly. He didn’t drag his feet or string the disciples along. Instead, he called them to immediately and completely follow him, he warned them of impending persecution, and then sent them out among the wolves.

Then, as he sent them out, he said, “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim it on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:26-28 ESV).

Anyone who has ever been oppressed, persecuted, or controlled in any way knows how terrifying people can be. People who have power to control others instill a deep sense of fear. They use threats and intimidation to control their victims, rendering them powerless and often physically, emotionally, and spiritually unwell. Jesus was in stark contrast to oppressors. He was a safe shelter for people who lived in constant fear. His disciples were going to be intimidated, beaten, shamed, and threatened to stop speaking.

Jesus didn’t tell them to lay low. Instead, he told them not to fear and to speak truth even louder! This is a timeless message that we still need to hear 2,000 years later!

Beware of Men

gray and white wolf

When Jesus sent his disciples out into the towns, he warned them that persecution was waiting for them. They were going to be drug before courts, experience floggings in their synagogues, and were going to be dragged before governors and kings for Jesus’ sake. This was a very sobering thing to tell his brand-new disciples. Imagine, Jesus told his followers to leave everything behind, including jobs and family, and gave no timeline for how long they would be on the move.

Very shortly after they left everything, he split them up into groups and sent them out into towns, but with a very stern warning: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 ESV). Then he warned them of the types of persecution they would encounter along the way. But then the warning gets worse: “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (vs. 21-22).

“Pastors resigning” is trending this week on social media because people are realizing how many preachers are leaving ministry this year due to, it is thought, the stresses of the pandemic. I’m seeing some of these people leaving ministry talk about their “persecution.” Trust that internal struggles, tensions, and even in-fighting is not the same as persecution. Jesus clearly defined persecution, and warned his disciples that they would face it immediately. This training proved to be very good, because the early church would face severe persecution and would thrive in that environment.

Perhaps we should better equip each other to face severe punishment. Traumatic experiences tend to cripple people today because forgiveness is used as a weapon, instead of teaching Christians to stand up to these evils of oppression and persecution.