FATHER.

The Hebrew Scriptures normally depict God, not as the Father of individuals but as Father to his people Israel. Pious Jews, aware of the gap between a holy God and sinful human beings, would never have dared address God as Ab (Hebrew) or Abba, the Aramaic word for "Daddy," which gradually came to mean "dear father."

Jesus shocked and offended the religious leaders of his day by claiming that he had a Father-Son relationship with the God whose name they feared even to pronounce outside of the temple. Rather than depicting God as a typical Middle Eastern patriarch who wielded considerable power within the family, he depicted him primarily as atender and compassionate father who extends grace to both the sinner and the self-righteous.

The first recorded words of Jesus, spoken to his earthly parents, are these: "Didn't you realize that I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49). In John's Gospel, Jesus calls God his Father 156 times. The most frequent term for "father" in the New Testament is the Greek word pater. The expression "Abba, Pater" is found three times in the New Testament, all in prayer. It is the form Jesus used in his anguished cry in Gethsemane: "Abba! Father! You can do anything. Take this cup of suffering away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine" (Mark 14:36).

By inviting his followers to call God "Father," Jesus made this the primary name by which God is to be known to those who follow him. Because of Jesus, we can boldly pray the prayer he taught his disciples, "Our Father who art in heaven. . ."(Matthew 6:9 ASV).

Praying to Our Father Most of us have heard the story of the prodigal son numerous times. But have you ever noticed that Luke 15:20 states that the father saw his son while he was still at a distance? The New International Version says that his father spotted him while he was still a long way off. This detail is there for a reason. It implies that the heartbroken father had been eagerly looking for his son, longing for him to come home.

Though not a prodigal, April Becker-Antoniou experienced something similar.a April hadn't seen her father since she was an infant. She knew his name was Scott Becker, but that's a pretty common name, so she had few leads to go on. What April didn't know was that her father had been searching for her for the last thirty years. He'd spent thousands on private detectives who were never able to locate her. Ten years earlier he launched a website entitled "AprilBecker.com," hoping it would eventually lead him to her. April googled her own name, and guess what? The opening line of AprilBecker.com came up on the screen: "Scott Becker Looking for April."

The two were reunited last month. Here's how April characterized her experience: "He is absolutely my father. I just felt like I wasn't complete and now I feel peace." Both father and daughter felt the anguish of being separated for so many years. Her father, Dr. Scott Becker, echoed her experience, saying: "I found my daughter. I am finally complete."

I like to think of God this way, as an eager father searching for his child. We may think we have strayed too far for God to take us back, but he is beckoning us home, watching for us even while we are still a long way off.

Abba Pater, dear Father, this is the name of yours that I love the most. Help me to grow in confidence as your child. Please reveal yourself as a Father to those among my family and friends who are still a long way off.

Promises Associated with the Name FATHER.

The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows. (Psalm 68:5) As a father has compassion for his children, Yahweh has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. (Psalm 103:13-14) Don't ever worry and say, "What are we going to eat?" or "What are we going to drink?" or "What are we going to wear?" Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. (Matthew 6:31-32) Don't be afraid, little flock. Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32) The Lord Almighty says, "I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters." (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Jesus Speaks about Dishonesty 16 1 Then Yeshua said to his disciples, "A rich man had a business manager. The manager was accused of wasting the rich man's property. 2 So the rich man called for his manager and said to him, 'What's this I hear about you? Let me examine your books. It's obvious that you can't manage my property any longer.'

3 "The manager thought, 'What should I do? My master is taking my job away from me. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I've lost my job.'

5 "So the manager called for each one of his master's debtors. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

6 "The debtor replied, 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.'

"The manager told him, 'Take my master's ledger. Quick! Sit down, and write "four hundred!"'

7 "Then he asked another debtor, 'How much do you owe?'

"The debtor replied, 'A thousand bushels of wheat.'

"The manager told him, 'Take the ledger, and write "eight hundred!"'

8 "The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. Worldly people are more clever than spiritually-minded people when it comes to dealing with others."

9 Yeshua continued, "I'm telling you that although wealth is often used in dishonest ways, you should use it to make friends for yourselves. When life is over, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. Whoever is dishonest with very little is dishonest with a lot. 11 Therefore, if you can't be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real? 12 If you can't be trusted with someone else's wealth, who will give you your own?

13 "A servant cannot serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth."

14 The Pharisees, who love money, heard all this and were making sarcastic remarks about him. 15 So Yeshua said to them, "You try to justify your actions in front of people. But God knows what's in your hearts. What is important to humans is disgusting to God.

16 "Moses' Teachings and the Prophets were in force until the time of John. Since that time, people have been telling the Good News about the kingdom of God, and everyone is trying to force their way into it. 17 It is easier for the earth and the heavens to disappear than to drop a comma from the Scriptures.

18 "Any man who divorces his wife to marry another woman is committing adultery. The man who marries a woman divorced in this way is committing adultery.

A Rich Man and Lazarus 19 "There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him. 20 There was also a beggar named Lazarus who was regularly brought to the gate of the rich man's house. 21 Lazarus would have eaten any scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Lazarus was covered with sores,a and dogs would lick them.

22 "One day the beggar died, and the angels carried him to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus. 24 He yelled, 'Father Abraham! Have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue. I am suffering in this fire.'

25 "Abraham replied, 'Remember, my child, that you had a life filled with good times, while Lazarus' life was filled with misery. Now he has peace here, while you suffer. 26 Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn't cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.'

27 "The rich man responded, 'Then I ask you, Father, to send Lazarus back to my father's home. 28 I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they won't end up in this place of torture.'

29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses' Teachings and the Prophets. Your brothers should listen to them!'

30 "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! If someone comes back to them from the dead, they will turn to God and change the way they think and act.'

31 "Abraham answered him, 'If they won't listen to Moses' Teachings and the Prophets, they won't be persuaded even if someone comes back to life.'"

Causing Others to Lose Faith-Matthew 18:6-10; Mark 9:42-50 17 1 Yeshua told his disciples, "Situations that cause people to lose their faith are certain to arise. But how horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith! 2 It would be best for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to lose his faith. 3 So watch yourselves!

"If a believer sins, correct him. If he changes the way he thinks and acts, forgive him. 4 Even if he wrongs you seven times in one day and comes back to you seven times and says that he is sorry, forgive him."

The Apostles Ask for More Faith 5 Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith."

6 The Lord said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself up by the roots, and plant yourself in the sea!' and it would obey you.

7 "Suppose someone has a servant who is plowing fields or watching sheep. Does he tell his servant when he comes from the field, 'Have something to eat'? 8 No. Instead, he tells his servant, 'Get dinner ready for me! After you serve me my dinner, you can eat yours.' 9 He doesn't thank the servant for following orders. 10 That's the way it is with you. When you've done everything you're ordered to do, say, We're worthless servants. We've only done our duty.'"

Ten Men with a Skin Disease Are Healed 11 Yeshua traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee on his way to Jerusalem. 12 As he went into a village, ten men with a skin disease met him. They stood at a distance 13 and shouted, "Yeshua, Teacher, have mercy on us!"

14 When he saw them, he told them, "Show yourselves to the priests." As they went, they were made clean.a 15 When one of them saw that he was healed, he turned back and praised God in a loud voice. 16 He quickly bowed at Yeshua's feet and thanked him. (The man was a Samaritan.) 17 Yeshua asked, "Weren't ten men made clean? Where are the other nine? 18 Only this foreigner came back to praise God."

19 Yeshua told the man, "Get up, and go home! Your faith has made you well."

The Pharisees Ask about the Kingdom of God 20 The Pharisees asked Yeshua when the kingdom of God would come.

He answered them, "People can't observe the coming of the kingdom of God. 21 They can't say, 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!' You see, the kingdom of God is withinb you."

Jesus Teaches about the Time When He Will Come Again 22 Yeshua said to his disciples, "The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 People will say, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Don't run after those people. 24 The day of the Son of Manc will be like lightning that flashes from one end of the sky to the other. 25 But first he must suffer a lot and be rejected by the people of his day.

26 "When the Son of Man comes again, the situation will be like the time of Noah. 27 People were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. Then the flood destroyed all of them.

28 "The situation will also be like the time of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from the sky and destroyed all of them. 30 The day when the Son of Man is revealed will be like that.

31 "On that day those who are on the roof shouldn't come down to get their belongings out of their houses. Those who are in the field shouldn't turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife! 33 Those who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them.

34 "I can guarantee that on that night if two people are in one bed, one will be taken and the other one will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other one will be left."a 37 They asked him, "Where, Lord?"

Yeshua told them, "Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body."

God Will Help His People 18 1 Yeshua used this illustration with his disciples to show them that they need to pray all the time and never give up. 2 He said, "In a city there was a judge who didn't fear God or respect people. 3 In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice.'

4 "For a while the judge refused to do anything. But then he thought, 'This widow really annoys me. Although I don't fear God or respect people, 5 I'll have to give her justice. Otherwise, she'll keep coming to me until she wears me out.'"

6 The Lord added, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge thought. 7 Won't God give his chosen people justice when they cry out to him for help day and night? Is he slow to help them? 8 I can guarantee that he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

A Pharisee and a Tax Collector 9 Yeshua also used this illustration with some who were sure that God approved of them while they looked down on everyone else. 10 He said, "Two men went into the temple courtyard to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed, 'God, I thank you that I'm not like other people! I'm not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven't committed adultery. I'm not even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my entire income.'

13 "But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn't even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

14 "I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God's approval, but the Pharisee didn't. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored."

Jesus Blesses Children-Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16 15 Some people brought infants to Yeshua to have him hold them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people not to do that.

16 But Yeshua called the infants to him and said, "Don't stop the children from coming to me! Children like these are part of the kingdom of God. 17 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn't receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it will never enter it."

Eternal Life in the Kingdom-Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31 18 An official asked Yeshua, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

19 Yeshua said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God. 20 You know the commandments: Never commit adultery. Never murder. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and your mother."

21 The official replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy."

22 When Yeshua heard this, he said to him, "You still need one thing. Sell everything you have. Distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!"

23 When the official heard this, he became sad, because he was very rich. 24 Yeshua watched him and said, "How hard it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

26 Those who heard him asked, "Who, then, can be saved?"

27 Yeshua said, "The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do."

28 Then Peter said, "We've left everything to follow you."

29 Yeshua said to them, "I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God 30 will certainly receive many times as much in this life and will receive eternal life in the world to come."

For the Third Time Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life-Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34 31 Yeshua took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, "We're going to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. 32 He will be handed over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, insult him, spit on him, 33 whip him, and kill him. But on the third day he will come back to life."

34 But they didn't understand any of this. What he said was a mystery to them, and they didn't know what he meant.

Jesus Gives Sight to a Blind Man-Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52 35 As Yeshua came near Jericho, a blind man was sitting and begging by the road. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he tried to find out what was happening. 37 The people told him that Yeshua from Nazareth was passing by. 38 Then the blind man shouted, "Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 The people at the front of the crowd told the blind man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

40 Yeshua stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him. When the man came near, Yeshua asked him, 41 "What do you want me to do for you?"

The blind man said, "Lord, I want to see again."

42 Yeshua told him, "Receive your sight! Your faith has made you well." 43 Immediately, he could see again. He followed Yeshua and praised God. All the people saw this, and they, too, praised God.

Zacchaeus Meets Jesus 19 1 Yeshua was passing through Jericho. 2 A man named Zacchaeus was there. He was the director of tax collectors, and he was rich. 3 He tried to see who Yeshua was. But Zacchaeus was a small man, and he couldn't see Yeshua because of the crowd. 4 So Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a fig tree to see Yeshua, who was coming that way.

5 When Yeshua came to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down! I must stay at your house today."

6 Zacchaeus came down and was glad to welcome Yeshua into his home. 7 But the people who saw this began to express disapproval. They said, "He went to be the guest of a sinner."

8 Later, at dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Lord, I'll give half of my property to the poor. I'll pay four times as much as I owe to those I have cheated in any way."

9 Then Yeshua said to Zacchaeus, "You and your family have been saved today. You've shown that you, too, are one of Abraham's descendants. 10 Indeed, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save people who are lost."

A Story about a King 11 Yeshua was getting closer to Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear suddenly. While Yeshua had the people's attention, he used this illustration. 12 He said, "A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king, and then he returned. 13 Before he left, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He said to his servants, 'Invest this money until I come back.'

14 "The citizens of his own country hated him. They sent representatives to follow him and say to the person who was going to appoint him, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15 "After he was appointed king, he came back. Then he said, 'Call those servants to whom I gave money. I want to know how much each one has made by investing.'

16 "The first servant said, 'Sir, the coin you gave me has earned ten times as much.'

17 "The king said to him, 'Good job! You're a good servant. You proved that you could be trusted with a little money. Take charge often cities.'

18 "The second servant said, 'The coin you gave me, sir, has made five times as much.'

19 "The king said to this servant, 'You take charge of five cities.'

20 "Then the other servant said, 'Sir, look! Here's your coin. I've kept it in a cloth for safekeeping because 21 I was afraid of you. You're a tough person to get along with. You take what isn't yours and harvest grain you haven't planted.'

22 "The king said to him, 'I'll judge you by what you've said, you evil servant! You knew that I was a tough person to get along with. You knew that I take what isn't mine and harvest grain I haven't planted. 23 Then why didn't you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.' 24 The king told his men, 'Take his coin away, and give it to the man who has ten.'

25 "They replied, 'Sir, he already has ten coins.'

26 " 'I can guarantee that everyone who has something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don't have much. 27 Bring my enemies, who didn't want me to be their king. Kill them in front of me.'"

The King Comes to Jerusalem-Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; John 12:12-19 28 After Yeshua had given this illustration, he continued on his way to Jerusalem.

29 When he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives (as it was called), Yeshua sent two of his disciples ahead of him. 30 He said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter, you will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it, and bring it. 31 If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say that the Lord needs it."