The Father

John 6:41-51:

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Blog:

For many of the Jews of Jesus’ day, they could only see Jesus’ Father as Saint Joseph.  They, like many today, failed to see that Jesus’ Real Father is God and that Saint Joseph is His adopted, earthly Father.  As Parents in this life, we are tasked, like Saint Joseph, with being Good Stewards of the Gifts of Life that are given to us (either through natural birth or adoption) by God.  Parents are tasked with raising God’s Children in the Faith while trying to live out Godly, Holy lives.  Let me say that again, by “trying” to live out Godly, Holy lives.  Nobody on this side of Heaven is going to get it completely Right (like Jesus did) – while we’re all Descendants of God, we’re not God (like Jesus is via the Holy Trinity); His Shoes will always be too Big for any of His earthly Children to fill.  Parents, Teachers, Coaches, etc. need to be very vigilant and careful not to lose sight of Who’s Children they are actually stewarding; we’re all God’s Children and should be treated the Way that God treats His Children.  We all need to not lose our focus on God as the Ultimate Father by interjecting ourselves and our world into the equation.  We parent, teach, coach, etc. for God – not for this world’s goals and objectives, but for His goals and objectives for each and every one of us per His plan.  So, as Good Stewards, let’s be sure to focus on God as everyone’s Father and “try” to do our best in our weak flesh(es) to Listen, Trust, and Obey the Lord while Honoring our earthly Parents, Teachers, Coaches, etc.  Godspeed!