Father Knows Best
1. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will you give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish, will you give him a serpent?
2. Or if he shall ask for an egg, will you offer him a scorpion?
3. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
Luke 11:11-13
What is A Father
Once upon a time in Hollywood, male parents were respected as role models and examples of intelligence and leadership. For whatever reason, the media industry has flipped the script and made fathers to be careless and callous villains. Many are portrayed as absentee fathers or as those who have no strong relationship with their children.
Growing up in the early 1960s, programs such as My Three Sons and Father Knows Best portrayed men in a different light. Granted, the shows were not culture inclusive, but they were positive in presenting male characters. Robert Young was the lead star with Jane Wyatt as his wife. Each episode of the situation comedy found the Anderson family facing some challenge, but always the father would help guide them through their problem. Another show that portrayed positive fathers was The Cosby Show, with Bill Cosby as the in-place Dad who always wanted what was best for the family. He worked a good job and balanced his time to meet the family needs. This was the image of a father.
What has changed? Granted there have been problems in fatherhood in our current culture. Granted there are many who have not stepped up to their assignment as a Dad, but that does not mean that all fathers are failures. In this message, we will attempt to share some encouragement with Dads and remind them that they are to reflect the Heavenly Father’s Love and Care. There are four lessons that we learn from this passage that are critical to the role of being a good father. First, a father must be in the right position. Second, a father must be prepared to meet the needs of his children. Third, a father must respond with love. Four, a father must give his best. In those five critical areas, a father is best known as the one who gives. What many fathers have discovered is that when they set their mind to being a good father, they will find the full backing and support of the Heavenly Father. The key is being willing to serve.
A Father and His Mission
Jesus does something very wonderful in this passage and yet it is also a challenge to men who have children. In this passage, Almighty God is seen as One who meets the needs of His children by giving them the precious gift of His own Holy Spirit. God Almighty spares no cost and does not cut corners to skimp when it comes to meeting the needs of those who call upon Him. In this, Jesus is inviting us to not only look at God, but also to look to God for every resource. If God does not give us the daily bread, we certainly cannot pass it on to our children. God first gives then we respond by giving.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will you give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish, will you give him a serpent? … Or if he shall ask for an egg, will you offer him a scorpion? … If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? In this passage, we see children in need and in response to that need, the loving father steps into action.
The father who knows best also knows that his children will have needs. They are not crumb snatchers. They are not tax deductions. They are certainly not wards of the State. They are your kids, so your first mission is to get into position as a father. Please note how God, the Creator of the Universe and Sustainer of everything puts Himself in position. God came down from Heaven to personally guide Israel and to watch over them as His people. If God did that, then certainly we can get into the right position by being present for duty. This is not a weekend mission; it is every day. The mission starts with prayer to be the best father possible. The mission goes further by getting into an economic position through employment. The other important position of the father is to get into spiritual position by living a good clean life and serving as an example. If father knows best, then the father must be in position. The absolute best position is to get into position with God. Get right with Jesus and He will show you how to be a good Dad.
Jesus also stated in this parable that fathers must be prepared to meet the needs of their children. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will you give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish, will you give him a serpent? … Or if he shall ask for an egg, will you offer him a scorpion? Knowing what to give to the children is the important element. You don’t give a stone for bread. You don’t give a serpent for a fish. Nor are you to give a scorpion for an egg. Being prepared means understanding the need of the child and being able to obtain the resources to meet those needs. Child support is not the same as giving the child your attention. An allowance is not the same as being there when they cry out for help. Money is not the answer for every child’s problem. Those are the materialistic answers and not realistic answers. Why do you think the Heavenly Father would promise the Holy Spirit? Is not the Holy Spirit given so that earthly fathers could be Spirit-filled, and Spirit directed. The true father that knows best also knows that he needs God to equip him for the task.
The third issue that arises is responsiveness. A father that knows best also knows how best to respond in a time of crisis. One of the great tragedies of failed fatherhood is to relinquish responsibility. “Go ask your Momma” is not a good response. In the Old Testament, the Scripture records a father whose child had fallen ill from a heat stroke. In 2 Kings 4:19, a little boy cried out to his father that his head was hurting. The father responded, “take him to his mother.” That was not the appropriate response for the child’s need. Fathers, the first step in responding to your children is not do something, but to listen. Yes, ask Momma to be involved, but don’t live all the responsibility up to Momma to figure it out. Father knows best when they know how to respond.
The final critical area of fatherhood is giving your best. There will be times where fathers may not be in a position economically to give the child what they want, but that should not stop them from giving what they can. A piece of bread, an egg, and a fish may not mean very much to the western culture, but it means the world to children in hungry nations. So, what was Jesus saying by this comparison? I believe the Master was teaching that fathers should not just throw something to their children in hopes that they will accept any and everything. Put quality in the giving. Put heart into the giving of your gifts. Most of all, put everything you can into the gift and give your best.
There is something in the verse that is a bit troubling. The passage refers to earthly fathers as being evil. We must recognize our human limitations. Compared to Almighty God, our little bit is only a drop in the bucket. Compared to the gift that God gives all we have cannot be compared with even the smallest of gifts offered by God. So, why does Jesus use these words, If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? This goes back to the first lesson on being a good father. You must get into position to be a father. Getting into position means more than being available for your children. It also means being available for your Heavenly Father.
God only gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. A number of self-made men and self-made fathers like to boast about their accomplishments. Most of the boasting falls under the category of a wind bag. Without God’s help and guidance no man can make the claim of being a good man much less being a good father. Thus, in closing, the question must be asked, what is your relationship with Jesus Christ? This is a question that must be answered not only from the standpoint of knowing Him, but more so from the standpoint do you need Him. If you need Him, you will know how to call on Him. If you need Him, you will recognize that He is your Rock in a weary land. If you need Him, you will acknowledge that He is a shelter in the time of storm. If you have never really needed Jesus, then it stands to reason that you really have not known Jesus. The father who knows best also knows that it is only when the Holy Spirit is operating in our lives that we can be the best father. God wants you to be the best father possible, but God also wants you to call on Him for lessons on fatherhood. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Just ask and discover that only the Heavenly Father knows best.