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Father’s Day Service
Characteristics of a Responsible Father/ A Father’s Faith
~Luke 8:41-42, 49-56 KJV/Mark 5:21-24,
35-42/Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26~
In-person service at Temple Baptist Church
(850 Venice Blvd., at Oak)
William S. Epps, Senior Pastor
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41And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
49While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. Luke 8:41-42 and 49-56 KJV /
Mark 5:21-24 and 35-42 / Matthew 9:18-19 and 23-26
Introduction
We applaud fathers today! Father’s Day illuminates and distinguishes fathers as positive role models and the influence they have on their children and families. Over many years, Father’s Day has become a significant event within the life of the church. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate and salute men who are responsible fathers and encourage all fathers to be the best they can be. There is a clarion call across America for men to become the fathers their families need. Many of those who have answered the call are beginning to acknowledge the necessity of having a relationship with God as part of their quest to be good fathers.
Father's Day celebrations had a modest beginning. Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia is believed have conducted the first Father's Day service in 1908, at the Central Church of Fairmont in Marion County, West Virginia. However, it was the colossal efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd, who made it possible for the day to acquire national recognition. The history of Father's Day dates back to1909, in Spokane, Washington, Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother's Day sermon at the Central Methodist Episcopal Church. The lecture inspired her to have a special day dedicated to her father, William Jackson Smart, who had brought up and her siblings, single-handedly. Dodd’s mother died in 1898 during childbirth, leaving her father William Jackson Smart to raise Dodd and her five younger brothers.
Sonora realized the greatness of her father and wanted to let him know how deeply she was touched by his sacrifice, courage, selflessness and love. To pay tribute to her great dad, Sonora held the first Father's Day celebration on June 19th, 1910,
on the birthday of her father. She was the first to solicit the idea of having an official Father's Day observance. However, unlike Mother's Day, which was readily accepted, Father's Day was received with mockery and hilarity. Though the day was gaining attention, it was mostly for the wrong reasons. Jokes, satire, parody and derision were all that the day was commemorated for.
The day was primarily nationalized in honor of all good fathers, who contribute as much to the family as a mother, in their own ways. White and red roses were made the official flowers for Father's Day. While the white rose commemorates gratitude for a father who is deceased, a red rose expresses thankfulness to one who
is living.
While the Bible does not command such a celebration, it does not prohibit it. We join with this long-standing tradition of acknowledging fathers.
Consider what it means that the origin of observing Father’s Day was due
to a daughter whose father reared her and wanted him to be recognized
for being a responsible father.
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Let me say from the outset, there is no such person as a perfect dad. We are all flawed persons with our feet of clay. The only perfect father would be God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth. Earthly fathers strive for excellence to be the best we can be given our limitations. Do not underestimate the importance of fathers in the lives of their families, communities, nation and in the life of our church.
Our scripture today provides a glimpse into the life a father whose name is Jairus. His name means, "Jehovah enlightens." (etymology of Jairus comes from the verb to give light / to shine). Jairus was the head of a local Sanhedrin or court of elders, supervising the synagogue worship and life of the community in Capernaum. No doubt he heard about Jesus, as Jesus had left Nazareth and made Capernaum His home following the death of John the Baptist. It was there that Jesus healed a centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, a paralyzed man who was lowered through a roof, a man who was possessed, and many others who came to see him.
Jairus' daughter was 12 years old and she was deathly ill. This was his only child.
Luke abbreviates the original account, and Mark and Matthew condense the story even more without mentioning the name of the father at all. Jairus comes to Jesus to ask him to come to his home and save his little girl. Jesus consents and they head toward Jairus’ house. On the way they are interrupted by a woman who steals a healing from the Lord. The procession stops while the Lord finds out who has secretly sought to touch His garment in search of healing and wholeness. No doubt Jairus is getting more anxious as the Lord delays. As the women who tried to steal what she wanted unnoticed is exposed, Jesus lets her know that her faith has made her whole. By now they are approaching Jairus’ house and, While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, and said, 'Your daughter is dead,' 'Don't bother the teacher any more.' (8:49). Jesus respond to Jairus saying, "Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole."
Consider what it means that Jairus was a leader in the synagogue in
Capernaum, the city in which he lived.
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Ponder a few of the implications Jairus’ faith suggests as characteristics of a responsible father.
Firstly, a father’s faith invites the Lord into the life of his family.
Jairus is a father who has reverence for the Lord. He is well-regarded in his community. Luke calls him, "a ruler (Greek archos) of the synagogue," "the official who has charge of the arrangements for the synagogue services."[2] He isn't the attendant (Greek huperetes, Luke 4:20) who does the actual work, but the synagogue president, the leader. His duties include conducting the synagogue worship and selecting those who are to lead the prayer, read the scriptures, and teach in the service.
Now this highly respected citizen of Capernaum (for that is where we assume this took place) comes up to Jesus among the multitude of pushing and shoving individuals. They make way for him out of respect, but he is not there to pay his respects to the rabbi. He has been the one responsible for inviting Jesus to participate in the synagogue services since Jesus has taken up residence in Capernaum. He doesn't come to greet an old friend. He comes to get the help he needed.
His face is ashen, his hands tremble, and when he finally reaches the Master he falls upon his knees before Jesus. The Greek word in Luke and Mark's account is pipto,
fall down, throw oneself to the ground' as a sign of devotion, before high ranking persons or divine beings, especially when one approaches with a petition. [4]
Matthew uses the more specific word proskuneo, "(fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully."[5]
I see his head bowed, his shoulders trembling with emotion. Here is quite a scene:
the well-to-do synagogue president utterly humbling himself before the simply-dressed Jesus. He has been waiting for Jesus to return -- hoping he would return in time, and now he is here. Jesus is Jairus' last hope.
Mark records Jairus' plea: "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live" (Mark 5:23). Jairus is on his knees pleading with Jesus. Please come! Please! So Jesus goes with him.
Have you been where Jairus is? Desperate? Exhausted with worry? Sick with concern? This isn't just a daughter, one of a dozen children. Luke tells us that this is "an only daughter" (Greek monogenes). You get the idea that she is the apple of her father's eye -- "Daddy's girl." And now she lies near death. She is twelve years old. We would consider her a child; I'm sure Jairus still did. But girls were considered adults at twelve, and boys not until thirteen. [7] She was of marriageable age, and yet she lies at the point of death. Jairus is grief-stricken.
You can probably identify with Jairus. Perhaps you've been where he is. He has heard the report that Jesus' boat is coming, and so he has left his daughter's side and gone down to the beach to see Jesus as soon as he lands -- he and hundreds of others. From his words in Mark he seems to believe: "Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live" (Mark 5:23). He believes that if Jesus will just touch the girl, she will be healed and live. Jairus is staking his faith on a touch from Jesus' hand to pull his daughter back from the brink of death. Jairus hopes they will not arrive too late.
Reverence for God will sometimes put you in a situation that has the potential for embarrassment and humiliation. Jairus put the welfare of his child in Jesus’ hands. Jairus put his reputation on the line also. He did not come by night but in full public view. He could have sent servants to find Jesus and bring Him to his house, but he came himself. Some things are too important to delegate. It should be noted that Jesus and the religious persons of his day were at odds. The Scribes, Pharasees, and Saducees did not embrace Jesus and Jesus did not succumb to them. By seeking out Jesus he was exposing himself to ridicule from those who discounted Jesus.
Jairus had a problem he could not solve on his own. He went to Jesus. Jairus’ faith in the Lord eclipsed his frustrating limitation to help his daughter.
Consider what it means to invite the Lord into the life of your
family because of your faith in the Lord.
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Secondly, a father’s faith persists through life threatening interruptions.
Jairus comes to Jesus because his little girl is deathly ill. When tragedy strikes, it often comes with no warning, crashing down upon us. Jairus’ life was interrupted by tragedy. His only daughter was deathly ill. We are not told what sickness she had but only that it would kill her. Bad things do happen to good people.
Jesus consents, and begins to move towards Jairus' home across town. But the crowd is so overwhelming that it is difficult to move at all, much less make rapid progress. There was the crowd that interrupted the progress. There are always those who gather around and impede your progress. You can imagine that all sorts of people were in the crowd.
There was someone else in need that interrupted the progress. Taking advantage of the press of the people, a woman with an incurable hemorrhage came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his robe. She said to herself, 'If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.' (Mark 5:28). Jesus felt that power had gone out of him, and at once turned around and asked, 'Who touched my garments?' He realized that this was due to no accidental jostling by the crowd, but to someone's longing for healing, and He insisted that they declare their need.
As Jesus looked round, the woman, knowing that she could not escape His notice and that she was now instantly cured, came forward, fell at His feet and owned up. Whereupon Jesus answered: 'Daughter, your faith had made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.' (Mark 5:34).
Jesus has just risen from talking with the woman and sending her on her way - a whole woman for the first time in a dozen years. But at the edge of the tightly-pressed crowd, Jairus can see one of his close friends pushing to where he is. The man's face reflects the message he carries, and when he gets close enough his words are grim.
Consider what it means that people interrupt our expectations in life.
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Bad news interrupts.
"While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, 'Your daughter is dead,' he said. 'Don't bother the teacher anymore.' " (8:49)
At the words of his daughter's death, Jairus' heart is broken and he begins to weep. But the man's next words are curious: "Don't bother the teacher anymore." The man who bears the bad news now advises Jairus to impose no further on Jesus.
Why do we imagine that our prayers, our requests for favor and intervention, are an imposition on God? That somehow God has better things to do? This is a very common attitude indeed. But God does not see our prayers as an imposition.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
Jairus is standing near Jesus as the news comes. He hears the words he has been dreading, and his immense grief now turns to inconsolable mourning. But like a friend at his side, Jesus intervenes. "Don't be afraid," he says, "just believe, and she will be healed." I can't imagine this scene without seeing Jesus' arm reach
out to this grieving father and put His hand on his shoulder. Jesus feels his pain as deeply as he felt His own at the death of Lazarus and wept salty human tears at his loss. (John 11:33-35)
There comes a time sometimes when even solid faith buckles. We hope against hope and then our hopes are dashed. We are tempted to give up and walk away from Jesus. But Jesus doesn't let us go so easily. "Don't be afraid," he says gently. He knows our fears and our limits. But if He goes with us, He can carry us beyond our fears.
"Just believe," He says, "and she will be healed."
Consider what it means that bad news interrupts our lives.
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Thirdly, a father’s faith listens to Jesus and continues to trust him.
There were other voices heard that day. There was the voice of the one with the dreadful news. There was the voice of the those who ridiculed Jesus. Jesus says in the midst of our hopeless situation, don’t be afraid, only believe and everything will be all right.
Jesus refuses to leave Jairus alone with his grief but goes with him. If you will, Jairus comes to Jesus on the basis of his own worried, hoping faith. But when that fails, Jesus carries him with his own faith. Let Jesus’ faith carry you forward to face what you fear.
Jesus simply turned to Jairus and said, 'Do not fear, only believe.' When they reached the house to find everyone weeping and wailing, Jesus said, 'Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.' (Mark 5:36, 39).
They scornfully laughed at him, knowing the girl was dead. Unbelieving mourners laugh at Jesus. This is the first occasion on which the three of the apostolic band are singled out - Peter James and John. They and the parents are the only one allowed to enter. There is a sacredness in great grief which demands protection from the rude gaze of mere curiosity. Those who were willing to wail so freely were willing to laugh.
Jesus then turned them all outside, allowing only the parents and his closest followers, Peter, James and John, to remain. Then in the presence of these five whose faith he could trust, Jesus commanded the child to get up. Mark records his actual words in Aramaic, 'Talitha cumi - Little girl, I say to you, arise.' (Mark 5:41). At once, she rose up and walked, and they were all astonished. Jesus bound them all to silence and told them to give her something to eat. The gentle thoughtfulness of Christ. When the maid arises, Jesus commands that meat be given her. Life restored must be supported. Death is the final boundary beyond which even today’s medical knowledge and technology cannot break through, but Jesus can.
Consider what it means to listen to the Lord and trust what the
Lord says more than what anyone else says.
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Conclusion
A responsible father’s faith invites the Lord into the life of his family. A responsible father’s faith persists through life threatening interruptions. A responsible father’s faith listens to Jesus instead of the other voices that exacerbates an already harrowing experience.
We have been reminded in sacred writ that we are to let the advice and words of the Lord to take precedent over all other advice and words.
“Fix the words of the Lord in the hearts and minds and tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talk about them when you sit down, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Whatever you give you children, give them what the Lord says. Teach them to reverence God. Give you children a legacy of courage, devotion, faith, hope and love.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-28)
O, for a faith that will not shrink, / Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink / Of any earthly woe!
That will not murmur nor complain / Beneath the chastening rod,
But, in the hour of grief or pain, / Will lean upon its God.
A faith that shines more bright and clear / When tempests rage without;
That when in danger knows no fear, / In darkness feels no doubt.
A faith that keeps the narrow way / Till life’s last hour is fled,
And with a pure and heavenly ray / Lights up a dying bed.
Lord, give me such a faith as this, / And then, whate’er may come,
I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss / Of an eternal home.
Consider what it means to have a faith that will not shrink
though pressed by every foe.
Footnote Andrew Billingsley's book entitled, Black Families in White America,
is a critical historical presentation about the accomplishments of black families in America refuting the Moynihan report that ,“concluded quite incorrectly, that the Negro family in this country is falling apart.” Billingsley says, “Negro families have shown an amazing ability to survive in the face of impossible conditions. They have also shown remarkable ability to take the barest of shreds of opportunity and turn them into the social capital of stability and achievement.”
Unfortunately, the worst is something presented about the life of black families without considering the best that has been achieved against the odds. When you consider SNAP, 37% are white, 26% are black, 16% are Hispanic, 3% are Asian, 2% Native American. Imagine 67% of U.S. households reporting receiving financial assistance from the government! 43% of the population that receives welfare are white.
Just passing this along.
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