SPECIAL DAY: June 15, Trinity Sunday, Father's Day

LESSON: Luke 15:11-32

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1. We describe the relationship between fathers, or parents and child

1. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree

2. "He's a chip of the old block"

3. "Like Father, like son!"

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1. Some time ago I had a request to help a person answer a question that they had:

1. The question is this:

The question I told you about...is this. In Exodus 34:6-7 it talks about how God does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes the children and their children for the sin of fathers to the third and fourth generation. Now in Ezekiel 18:1-20 it talks about a son and a father and who will pay for the sins. It must have something to do with the words used or the fact that it is a special situation in Israel. But at first glance these two passages seem to say the opposite of each other.

2. Exodus 34:1-7 is quite specific.

¹The LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you broke. ²Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to me, on the top of the mountain. ³No one shall come up with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout all the mountain; and do not let flocks or herds graze in front of that mountain." ⁴So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the former ones; and he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone. ⁵The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, "The LORD." ⁶The LORD passed before him, and proclaimed,

"The LORD, the LORD,
a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
⁷keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,
yet by no means clearing the guilty,
but visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
and the children's children,
to the third and the fourth generation."

3. It is really a re-statement of what is found in Exodus 20:4-6

⁴You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, ⁶but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

2. Now we know that Good does not punish anyone for anyone else's sins.

1. The questioner cited Ezekiel 18.1-20

2. I could paraphrase it, but it is worth reading

¹The word of the LORD came to me: ²What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge"? ³As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. ⁴Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.

⁵If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right--⁶if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period, ⁷does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, ⁸does not take advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between contending parties, ⁹follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully--such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.

¹⁰If he has a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, ¹¹who does any of these things (though his father does none of them), who eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, ¹²oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, ¹³takes advance or accrued interest; shall he then live? He shall not. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

¹⁴But if this man has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise, ¹⁵who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, ¹⁶does not wrong anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, ¹⁷withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no advance or accrued interest, observes my ordinances, and follows my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. ¹⁸As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he dies for his iniquity.

¹⁹Yet you say, "Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?" When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. ²⁰The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.

3. Does this clear up the confusion or the misunderstandings?

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3. So what is meant by the passages from Exodus?

1. What is being emphasized is parental influence.

2. That is why I used the phrases at the beginning of this sermon.

1. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

2. "He's a chip of the old block"

3. "Like Father, like son!"

3. We tend to be like our parents.

4. And the possibility exists that the older we get the more we may become like our parents.

4. What we need is a different role model.

1. I read an illustration from "HOME LIFE Magazine", Lifeway Christian Resources, Southern Baptist Convention

2. The title of the piece is "FATHER'S TEN TENETS FOR BUILDING HIS CHILDREN'S FUTURE"

1. He makes himself responsible for his child's behavior.

2. He share in his child's activities

3. He makes his child feel secure

4. He has his child's complete confidence

5. He is never blinded by love to his child's faults--he knows he serves his child's interest best by recognizing and correcting weakness.

6. He is always available to help solve youthful problems.

7. He does not demand finial devotion-he wins it.

8. He recognizes and accepts as largely his, responsibility for the child's mental and spiritual development.

9. He contributes to making the home his child's heaven and the church his child's spiritual home.

10. He strives to be the man his child thinks he is.

3. Well, that's a real tall order.

1. It is perhaps the ideal.

2. But it is one to which we do not perfectly measure-up.

3. But we can measure up far more than we may think or believe we can.

4. What we need is a positive, clear, and powerful role model.

5. We have such a role model not only for fathers, but also for all parents, including grandparents.

5. We find this model in the story that we call the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which really ought to be renamed to "Child, Found and Lost."

1. We so often misplace the emphasis of the story.

1. We concentrate on the wayward and lost child.

2. We ought to concentrate on the father in the story.

1. What the father did.

2. How the father responded to the changing circumstances of his relationships with his two sons.

2. Under the circumstances what does the father do?

1. So he divided his property between them.

2. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

3. ²²But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him;

4. put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

5. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!'

6. And they began to celebrate.

7. Now he has to deal with the elder son

8. His father came out and began to plead with him.

9. ³¹Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

10. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found,'"

3. There is the freedom to choose, even when the decision leads to disaster.

4. There are no recriminations.

5. There is no criticism.

6. There is no "I told you so."

7. There is no, "Get lost! You are no longer my son."

8. There is no "Suffering in silence."

9. There is forgiveness and restoration.

10. There is the acceptance of personal decision and individual responsibility.

11. This is the way of God as divine parent.

12. This is the example, the role model, that Jesus offers us.

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CONCLUSION

1. You may not expect to find a God figure in the movies, but C. Roy Angel describes his understanding of "The Father of the Bride," especially the love of a father this way.

I hope you were fortunate enough to see on your television Spencer Tracy in "The Father of the Bride." He spent weeks and a small fortune in preparation for the wedding. His only concern was that the daughter he adored would have everything she wanted for the big occasion. He endured the rehearsals without complaining. He didn't mind being pushed around and even ignored in the frantic rush at the wedding. After the ceremony the crowd wouldn't let him through to get in the pictures that were being taken of the wedding party. The only thing that upset him was that he couldn't even get through to say good-bye to his daughter. From a distance he saw her, in a shower of rice, climb into the waiting car and be rushed away.

When the crowd had gone, he sat down among the debris in the living room, frustrated, depressed, and lonely.

Then the telephone rang. He let it ring awhile and finally answered it with a tired growl. suddenly he was all attention, for over the wire came the sweetest message. His daughter was saying, "Oh, daddy, we're at the railroad station and I couldn't leave without telling you good-bye and that you are the most wonderful daddy in the world. I love you more than I can ever tell you. I wish I could put my arms around you and kiss you a dozen times. I'll see you as soon as we get back." He hung up the telephone with a face filled with joy, despite a few tears that ran down his cheeks. Turning to his wife he said, "Everything is like it used to be. I haven't lost a daughter at all...I feel like dancing."

2. Let the dance begin! Amen!

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