Thursday’s Thoughts
His interpretion of God as Abba had more to do with confronting a concept of God that was distant and austere. Jesus changed the theological landscape in his understanding of God by bringing God close and by helping people look beyond the idea of God as severe judge and punishing power. God was like a loving parent; a loving father, but Joseph was not God.
Taking the concept of God as having been influence by Joseph, Jesus’ father-figure, we will want to look at two aspects of God:
1. The initiating, propelling impetus of God who enters into our lives and influences us to take a step forward. There is that in God that is moves us off the mark and pushes us to try what we are afraid to try, and urges us to live up to the greatness we have the potential to achieve.
2. The comforting, loving, supportive understanding of God that provides ballast when we tend to list to the point of sinking. There is that presence that grants us a sense of well-being and helps us when we fail or falter.
Do you experience these two attributes of God; one more than the other? Does ‘abba’ provide a context for those attributes. It seems clear to me that Jesus was influenced by his father, Joseph, to define God in ways that we can understand as he understood. What do you think? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. Click on the blank space and the address will pop up.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles
