Tom Norvell preached a message for fathers last year. In that presentation, he spoke about the joys of fatherhood. He listed the following: 1) The surprising joy that comes with the responsibility of being a father. 2) The constant joy that comes by providing for your children. 3) The reluctant joy that comes by giving your children their freedom. 4) The elusive joy that comes by trusting the Heavenly Father in disciplining your children. 5) The over-whelming joy that comes by witnessing a child’s maturity.

I want to tell you about some fathers in the Bible. Some provide good examples of fatherhood; others provide a good example of things we should not do as fathers.

Father of an Afflicted Child (Mark 9:17-29.)

The father first asked the disciples for help with the child, but they could not cast out the evil spirit that plagued him. After Jesus firmly rebuked the disciples, he turned to the father and the son. Before casting out the spirit, Jesus asked the father if he believed.

"If thou cast believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:23-24.)

Jesus then healed the child of the evil spirit. The disciples marveled at what had occurred. They asked Jesus why they could not cast him out. He replied, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (9:29.)

Several things are impressive in this story.

1. The father, not the mother, brought the child to Jesus. She is not mentioned in the story at all. We know nothing about her. How often do mothers step forward seeking help for their children without the father’s help. Most often when a family needs food in our area, it is the mother who humbly seeks out the help. It is the mother who so often brings the children to Bible school. But on this occasion, the father sought help from Jesus and the disciples.
2. His good expression of faith is impressive. Yet, he was cautious, not boastful. Lord, I believe, but help thou mine unbelief. Many have benefited by this reply of a tearful man in the presence of Jesus.
3. The father did not quickly turn away when the disciples could not heal the child. He stayed until the child was healed. Parents will do many things for the good of the children. Jesus once said, "If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matt. 7:11.)

I know a father and mother from Mississippi who had a child born with crippled feet. Doctors said that he would need surgery to ever walk properly. The parents were farmers and poor. The child was born in the late 30s or early 40s. The father walked the dusty roads to his neighbors to ask if they could help with the expenses of his surgery. Some gave a few dollars at his request. Finally, the father had enough to carry the son to the doctor for the surgery. Now, years later, the son walks normally and flies a jet airplane for a living. This father is like the father of Mark 9. If Jesus were alive and performing miracles, I am certain that this father would have readily brought his son to Jesus to be healed.

We need to be fathers who care about our children.

A Father Who Would Offer His Son (Genesis 22.)

In many ways, this is a troubling scene. Why would God ask this of Abraham? How could Abraham draw the knife to kill his son? This seems so cruel and unthinkable. We know that God never commanded or permitted child sacrifices to be made unto Him. We know that Abraham believed that God would raise him from the dead if he took his life. (Heb. 11:17-19.) In the end, an angel stopped Abraham who was in the act of slaying Isaac, his beloved son.

What lessons are there for fathers in this story? We are taught that we should be like Abraham in his faith. He is fittingly called the father of all who believe. (Rom. 4:16.)

I know a father who prides himself in saying that his family comes first. He says it with force and conviction. "My family comes first, then God, and then the church; in that order!" Such a father could never fill the shoes of Abraham. Jesus spoke at length about putting your family before God. He did not mean that we should not love our families and care for them. But he did say was,

"If any man come to me and hate not his father, mother, wife, children, brethren, sisters, yea, his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-27.)

"Who is my mother? And who is my brethren! And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother." (Matt. 12:48-50.)

"Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. Another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house. Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-62.)

Jesus knew the hearts of all of these in their objections to following him. They would use any excuse, even good things like family, to keep from doing the Lord’s will. It is not God who makes the conflict between family and God; it is man. Man is the one who will use his family as an excuse for his disobedience. If we are faithful to God, putting God first, then there will no conflict in caring for our family. God stopped Abraham from harming his son. He wanted to see the extent of his faith. Do you believe that I can raise him from the dead? (Gen. 22.) Do you believe that I can heal your son? (Mark 9.)

Joseph the Father of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-21.)

We know very little about Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. But what we do know shows this character was very much like that of Mary his wife. The Bible calls his a just man. He knew that the child that Mary was carrying was not his own. He could have acted in outrage and self-righteousness demanding that she be stoned to death. But he did not want to publicly embarrass her. How different from those Pharisees who brought an adulteress woman to Jesus and publicly humiliated her. (John 8.)

Less there be any quibbling, we should note that the Bible repeatedly calls Joseph the father of Jesus. In addition, Jesus often would make it clear when speaking of God the Father by adding the phrase, which is in heaven. (Matt. 12:50.)

We do not say much about Joseph, this just man, except to say that he was not the father of Jesus. Yet, the Bible says that he was the father of Jesus. Note the following: a) Mary said, Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. (Luke 2:48.) b) Philip said, We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (John 1:45.) c) The Jews called him the carpenter’s son. (Matt. 13:55.) d) Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. (Luke 2:41.)

How do we resolve this conflict? Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus; yet he is called the father of Jesus. It is resolved by understanding that there are more ways to be a father than biologically. There are foster parents who raise children from broken families. They become parents by raising and caring for the children. As Christians, we have been adopted into the family of God. We are permitted to call God our Father, even though we are adopted children. Joseph was the only earthly father that Jesus ever had! It is biblical to call Joseph the father of Jesus.

Joseph was not only a good man protecting Mary from public embarrassment, but he was a good husband and father. He worked hard as a carpenter and taught Jesus the trade. The Jews had a strong work ethic. They believed that if a father did not teach his son a trade, he taught him to steal. Jewish fathers believed in teaching their sons the Torah. "A son ought to be fattened with the Torah, as an ox with hay."

Eli restrained not his sons. Eli is an interesting man in the Bible. He is a religious man, devout and sincere, but weak. He is the fourth son of Aaron, in the lineage of being a high priest. Eli is known from the good story of Hannah and the birth of Samuel. Hannah brought the young child to be raised in the service of God at the temple.

Eli combined the office of high priest and judge, judging Israel for forty years. After the good account of Hannah and Samuel, we have the sad story of Eli with his own sons. Hophni and Phinehas were rebellious and wicked sons. They are called "sons of Belial." The judgment against Eli in Scripture is that he did not restrain his sons. They were sinful, licentious and self-serving. Because of Eli’s softness in dealing with them, the prophet foretold the downfall of his house.

The judgment was not long in coming. The Philistines defeated the Jews, carried away their ark of the testament, and killed Hophni and Phinehas. When Eli heard the news, he fell off his seat backwards and broke his neck. All of this occurred when a grandson was being born, Ichabod. His mother died in childbirth. Such dishonor was heaped upon Israel. This child’s name was given to cause them to remember the events of that day. His name means loss of honor.

Eli was like many religious people. We would call them good and gentle, but lacking in real strength and firmness. Eli is always found in the Bible surrounding by characters stronger than himself. Hannah and Samuel are the central figures in the first story. In the latter, Eli’s house is coming to an end. As father’s we must restrain our children from doing evil.

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." (Prov. 13:24.)

"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." (Prov. 22:15.)

"Withhold not correction from the child, for if thy beatest him with a rod, he shall not die." (Prov. 23:13.)

Timothy’s father. (Acts 16:1, 2 Tim. 1:5.) What father would not have been proud of Timothy? Yet, his Greek father was not involved in his spiritual development. Paul commended his mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, but could not say anything good about the father. Father’s do not repeat this familiar refrain. Be involved in the spiritual development of your children. Set a good example for them. Many fathers here are doing just that. You have broken the stereotypical image of a macho-father who is tough and self-reliant. You show faith and tenderness and love. You care about your children.

The blind man’s parents. (John 9.) Jesus healed a man who was born blind. He was not afflicted due to some great sin of the parents. Jesus healed him by putting clay on his eyes and having him to wash them in the pool of Siloam.

When asked how he could see, he replied clearly that a man called Jesus healed him. (9:11.) The Pharisees threatened to kick him out of the synagogue. They asked his parents about it. "Is this your son who was born blind? Yes, but we do not know how he can now see. (9:19-21.) This reply is shameful. They knew that Jesus had healed him. The son would have joyfully told them and everyone. But they replied, He is of age; ask him. The parents feared the Jews and did not want to disfellowshipped.

In the very next chapter (John 10), Jesus said, "My Father, which gave them (the sheep) me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." (10:29.) The healing of the blind man was still being discussed. (10:21.) If Jesus were a devil, how could he open the eyes of the blind? The Pharisees might cast someone out of the synagogue, but no one can pluck (by their decision or power) one of the sheep out of my Father’s hand. This is not a statement about the impossibility of falling from grace, but rather it is a statement of assurance that no man decides who is a Christian and a child of God. There are some occasion when it would be good if others rejected us and cast us out of their religious organizations. There are some enemies that we should desire. But those enemies of God and man cannot pluck a disciple out of the Father’s hand! The parents of the blind man forgot that great truth.