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Lent Series: The Father and The Shopkeeper
THE TAKEAWAY:
God invites us into his two roles because of Jesus Christ.
THE MESSAGE:
My son has got me hooked on The Loud House animated series. It’s about a family of one boy and ten girls. Every episode is about Lincoln and his ten sisters as they try to coexist harmoniously. Now, the parents (who somehow had 11 different kids with 11 different personalities) have to be faithful and active parents while also running a full-time restaurant. It’s no wonder that the mom and dad have a very hands-off approach to parenting. The most unbelievable part of The Loud House is that the parents do not take antacids for their constant stress.
Everyone loves the idea of God as a jovial, loving Father who wants to see his children thrive and be happy. There is nothing untrue in that statement, but you cannot have that truth alone. We forget that God is a cosmic shopkeeper. The shopkeeper needs to keep the business running and cannot deviate from the standards and practices that have made it a success. Therefore, if you are stealing things in the store, breaking merchandise, heckling other customers, or trying to solicit your own products, the shopkeeper must intervene. So, God, as a shopkeeper, is not always pleasant or fun. This is why you have people in the Bible constantly worrying about breaking rules while maintaining a deep, trusting relationship with God.
Jesus’ mission is the perfect bridge between God’s role as a shopkeeper and a father. A shopkeeper must keep order, while a father must invest in the safety and pleasure of his children. Which one will we get? In the shopkeeper role, Jesus is the perfect co-worker, showing us how to coexist with its many rules and practices. In the Father role, Jesus is the perfect brother, keeping us in the family by his power to forgive sin and vanquish consequences.
The good news is that God has always wanted you in his family, by his side, and with his love since day one, despite our inability to keep his standards and practices, because Jesus is what enables us to live with the perfect Shopkeeper and Father.
REFLECT OVER IT:
Read: Psalm 119:32-34, Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 12:6-8, 1 John 3:1
- In each Bible verse, indicate if God is inviting us to see his shopkeeper role or his father role (or both).
- What would happen if you expected God to be lax on his perfect shopkeeper duties?
- What would happen if God only cared about being a good shopkeeper and not a father?
- Where does Jesus help us to be part of God’s order and fatherhood?
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