Matthew 10:32-39

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”vss. 37a, 38

Our country has set aside this day, the 21st of June, as Father’s Day, a time for families to formally acknowledge appreciation for “dear old dad,” perhaps with a gift, or at least a card, sometimes even one with a mushy note. If by chance worship is a part of the day, there’s a good chance you will hear this gospel verse from Matthew, a warning against loving fathers more than Jesus! It’s a strange coincidence!

Of course Jesus isn’t telling his disciples or us not to love our fathers. He’s simply using dramatic imagery to show the cost of discipleship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about this cost in his classic “The Cost of Discipleship,” where he contrasts cheap and costly grace, writing “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

Blessed are those fathers who demonstrate costly discipleship to their children. Their lives will be focused on the living and incarnate Jesus and their sacrificial love evident in their every action including regular worship and prayer. Such dads will almost always rear children with strong and vibrant faith. Their testimony and example is even greater than that of a faithful mother. 

Thought for the Day: What did I learn about faith from my father?