Honoring Father
I am aware that, technically, Father's Day is not a biblically called-for holiday. And, I also know that churches in the USA have always made a bigger deal out of Mother's Day than Father's Day. About that, I remember reading Bill Cosby's book Fatherhood a number of years ago. Cosby said that he knows why there is such a difference in how Mother's Day and Father's Day are commemorated in our country. He insists that Mother's Day is a much more honored day because mothers are more organized. Mothers say to their children, "Now here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father and surprise me on Mother's Day." Then, we all go out and do what they say.
Fathers just don't know how to organize as well as mothers do to get the children going on this task of honoring the day. Cosby said that he gave each of his five kids $20 so that they could go out and by him a present for Father's Day—a total of $100. They went to the store every June and bought two packages of underwear, each of which cost $5 and contained three shorts per bag. They would tear them open, and each kid would wrap up one pair, the sixth going to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Father's Day, he would walk around with new underwear, and his kids would walk around with $90 worth of his change in their pockets.
Well, I want us to acknowledge Father's Day today at LAC (please remind Brandon). But, I also want us to keep looking at the book of Philippians. Usually, on Father's Day, I pick out a father in the Bible (like Abraham or David) and see what we might learn. But I noticed that our text today ends with a much better Father, i.e., Jesus does what he does "to the glory of God the Father" (2:11). So, for this Father's Day 2011, we go as high as we can go when it comes to learning about being good children responding to our fathers. (What will I do next year?).
And, since God is our Father too (when we place our faith in Jesus), maybe we will learn how to bring glory to him.
To His glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor