Just as we seek Jesus through Mary, we can also seek God through Jesus. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus tells us that we can only find God through Him. Jesus has always led by example. So, if we wish to be more childlike with God, what better person to emulate than the Son, Jesus Christ?
How does this passage depict Christ and the Lord? It depicts them as a family, a single unit. How amazing it must feel to be one with the Lord! For me - and I’m sure many of you - it is difficult to feel close to God, especially when life doesn’t go as planned. But, again, Jesus has us covered when he says “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you […].” We might not know the plan, but God does, and He can, literally, do anything.
With that said, I think it is imperative to continually look to Jesus and examine His relationship with the Father. If there is ever a time when we are unsure of ourselves, or of His love for us, we only need to look to their relationship. The love and compassion between the two is unparalleled. While we as sinners are certainly unable to achieve that sort of perfect love, we can certainly strive to be perfect, humble servants of God the Father, just as Jesus was.
Throughout the course of Jesus’ life, we see Christ constantly calling out to the Father, praying to the Father, and confiding in the Father. At all times, Jesus maintained His trust in God-never faltering. If we get anything out of the study of their relationship, I think it would most certainly be trust. I can’t count the number of times when I have called out to the Lord “Don’t you see me down here struggling?!” I wasn’t trusting God, and because I’m a sinner, I will have several more of those moments in my life. But, thankfully, God sent us Jesus. I think back to when Christ was making His way to be crucified. Even in the last, darkest hours of His life, He never lost faith.
In today’s society, we unfortunately see fathers depicted as either nonexistent, or some bumbling idiot that doesn’t know anything. I think these stereotypes can taint our perception of God. “God isn’t near,” or, “God doesn’t know anything about the struggles I face.” It’s easy to fall into that trap of what society tells us fathers should look like. It’s even easier to fall into this idea that if our own father wasn’t there. This again, is where the example of Christ and God comes in handy. We can take that relationship, hold it up, and say, “I want that kind of love and trust in my life.” By throwing out our own preconceived notions, or even our own experiences of what a father looks like, we can grow closer to Our Father.
God has always been, and will continue to be Our Father. While it is difficult to fathom that the Lord could love someone as imperfect as ourselves, He certainly does. He has shown His love for us many times over-we only need to trust and draw close to Him to see His perfect love.
Reflect: What kinds of attributes do you think a good father should possess?
Reflect: Name one part of your life where you don’t fully trust the Lord.
Act: The next time you feel yourself crying out to the Lord, take a deep breath, listen, and put your total faith in Him.
