Become like daddy
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: Matthew 5:48
Daddy is the best! This is especially true of the heavenly Daddy. HE is merciful and of great goodness and combines all the other excellent qualities. A person’s calling is to become more like this God. Let yourselves be transformed in your being! Our contribution is to appreciate this God, spend time with Him and listen to Him. Everything else runs by itself.
I still have in my ears a sentence by René Winkler, which he pronounced here a few weeks ago in his sermon: «Christians who do not allow themselves to be changed are not neutral, but immunise against faith in Jesus Christ.«Such Christians become comical, harsh, self-righteous and judgmental. They remain caterpillars and miss the transformation into butterflies. A huge potential lies fallow. Instead of being a «fragrance of good» (2 Corinthians 2:15) to the world, they spread a stink.
The potential that lies in a follower of Jesus is called: «But you shall be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect»(Matthew 5:48 NLB). Become like Papa. The apple should not fall far from the tree. Many boys want to learn the same profession as their father. And because children each have half the DNA of their parents, similarities of character often become very clear.
What’s he like, the dad?
Become like daddy is the challenge of the Sermon on the Mount. What is the Father in heaven like? The virtues of God are described in the Sermon on the Mount. Thus, each beatitude points to one of them: Humility, suffering from the hardship of the world, non-violence, longing for justice, clarity of heart, readiness for reconciliation and will for peace, as well as readiness to endure opposition for the sake of justice.
The official annual motto of this year takes up one of these virtues: «Be merciful as your Father is merciful»(Luke 6:36 NGÜ). Our Daddy is merciful. He has a heart for the poor. He is «Father of orphans and helper of widows» (Psalm 68:6 NLB). Jesus» response to the needs of individuals, such as a leper, was: «And it grieved him» (Mark 1:41 LUT). The Greek term means the Turn over intestines. Jesus was repeatedly moved by deep compassion. God is a Father who is touched by our need.
If one reads the text further, mercy is made concrete: «Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Acquit, and you will be acquitted.»(Luke 6:37 NGÜ). Mercy is expressed in our thinking and talking about other people. At the Olympics, a German coach motivated his protégé on a racing bike in individual time trials with the words: «Catch the camel drivers in front of you!«He was referring to an Eritrean and an Algerian who started before the German. The coach apologised afterwards. Nevertheless, he was dismissed for racist remarks. Under pressure, what is in the mind comes out. Mercy should permeate our whole being. As Jesus hung on the cross, contorted in pain, in the worst of circumstances, he forgave his tormentors. «Speak freely!«Jesus demands. We are to speak to other people in such a way that they find their way into freedom. David testifies: «[…] you set my feet on wide space»(Psalm 31:9 LUT).
«Give and you will receive. What you give away will flow back to you decently, even generously, with a considerable addition. According to the measure with which you give, you will get back»(Luke 6:38 NLB). Mercy also shows itself in action. Are we generous givers or deficit-oriented takers? Are we only generous with ourselves or specifically also with other people? In Matthew 25:31–46 this virtue is unfolded and concretised in the «six works of mercy»: Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned.
Our daddy’s guts are spinning in the face of the need in this world. Melanie visited the asylum centre in Hallwil some time ago. Afterwards she was quiet and introverted. She had deep compassion that drove her to action. For me, this was an impressive example of the nature of God. We have been getting more insight into the lives of migrants around us lately. The need is great. Those who want to train their mercy will find a good training ground here.
Another aspect of God’s mercy is found in the Psalms: «The LORD heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.»(Psalm 147:3 LUT). HE heals and connects. God has a weakness! And especially for hurting people and those who are disadvantaged by life.
How perfect can it be?
«But you shall be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect»(Matthew 5:48 NLB). What means totally? Do we have to reflect the character of God in perfection? If that were the case, we might as well clock out. It would also be demotivating to strive for something that we are far from being able to achieve.
The Greek word téleioswhich is used here for perfect, means «an adult who has reached full height». A student who has acquired mature knowledge in a subject is also a téleios. The Greeks considered any object perfect that completely fulfilled the function for which it was designed and made. Man is perfect when he realises or fulfils the purpose for which he was created.
Téleios thus answers the question of whether or not a person is living in his or her vocation. For what was man created? At the very end of the Bible, a condition is described that God had always aimed at: «I heard a loud voice calling from the throne: «Behold, the dwelling of God is now with men! He will dwell with them and they will be His people and God Himself will be with them»(Revelation 21:3 NGÜ). The aim of the healing programme is to live with or in the people.. This is the first and general calling, to offer dwelling to God.
When God commanded his people to build the tabernacle, he said: «The Israelites shall build me a sanctuary, that I may dwell with them»(Exodus 25:8 NLB). It is the wonderful idea of God from the beginning that he wants to dwell among people. Later, God dwelt in the temple and manifested himself in this world through the temple. How does this wonderful idea of God materialise in our modern times when we no longer have a temple in Jerusalem? Paul answers this question for us: «Do you not realise that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?»(1 Corinthians 3:16 NLB).
The second vocation answers the individual question of whether a person is in the place and doing what he is led to do by the Spirit of God. In Cédric B.’s application process we all got the impression that he was led to us by God. Before it is about what he and also our intern are doing here and how well they are doing it, the two are called to become perfect, become like Papa. What should be the highest priority in their lives? «[…] And what is this mystery? «Christ in you – the hope of God’s glory!» «(Colossians 1:27 NGÜ). Do not strive for the good virtues, but for yourselves to become a sanctuary, so that Christ dwells in you and has much room. And then it happens by itself: «Through Jesus Christ, may he bring about in our lives that in which he delights. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen»(Hebrews 13:21 NGÜ). Let your being be transformed! This is the best intention you can have here.
How do we get there?
How do we become like the daddy now? Tabea and Kusi were both in our staff team for a long time. Now they both lead a church congregation themselves. We exchange ideas again and again, and they both tell me how they implement many of the things they learned in seetal chile in their current place. Part of our DNA lives on elsewhere. Tinu, our Kidspastor, was in Stein am Rhein for a week and worked with Kusi there. After his return he said that the way Kusi leads the church reminds him a lot of my way. I hope that comes out well! ;-) Why is that? Because we value each other and have been fighting side by side for the kingdom of God for some time. Moreover, the two of them have listened to the podcasts of speeches on our relaunch that I gave at a conference a few years ago.
In the same way, we become like the daddy! It’s mutual attraction and appreciation, lots of time together and listening to God’s Word. This is how we become like Papa – all of us. As we celebrate this day, I want to focus these thoughts on our new team members. You both want to fervently invest yourselves in the community and do good for it. Only – how can this happen? The most profitable for all is when you become like Papa! This is not done by writing good sermons or attractive kigo lessons, but by exposing you to the nature of God and soaking up his words. Mutual attraction and appreciation, lots of time together and listening to God’s Word – many think this happens naturally for church workers who walk around all day with Bible in hand. But it doesn’t! Church workers struggle against the same odds as everyone else. You cannot tick off the relationship with God professionally.
In a family, children grow into a resemblance to their parents by themselves. We can educate the children with words, but in the end our example speaks much louder. Someone said: «The most powerful means of raising children is the example set by their parents.«This puts us in a position of great responsibility. It would be desirable if the gap between the example of the parents and the perfection of God were as small as possible. This means that we parents, if only for the sake of education, would develop ourselves in the direction of God’s image of character. «It is not what we say to our children that decisively shapes them, but the way we are, the way we live, the way we deal with them and other people and the things that are important to us»(Irmela Hofmann).
«But you shall be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect»(Matthew 5:48 NLB). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become God’s dwelling places. If we give Him this space, He Himself will transform us into His image. He who has God in his heart becomes perfect.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:36–38
- How is the heavenly daddy described in the Bible? Do you think he really has such an impeccable and good character?
- What does it mean to become perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect?
- How can we further our development towards the Father in heaven?
- What is the general vocation of every Christian? How do we become the dwelling place of God?
- For parents: What does this topic have to do with parenting? Where have we been challenged?
