Father Really Does Know Best

The vengeful delusion of demonizing fathers and masculinity usually flows from a desire to hurt God.

Say what you will about the old TV shows: They were naive. They weren’t completely honest. They were sentimental. They were unrealistic.

That may be true, but at least they attempted to foster the best of our hopes and dreams rather than pandering to our lowest desires. One such show was “Father Knows Best.” Robert Young played the dad, and the comedy was gentle, but the show focused on a good-natured father who was a source of wisdom and example for his family. So, yeah, it may have been a bit unrealistic, but at least Dad was the hero instead of the buffoon or the tyrant so often portrayed in today’s media.

No wonder we moderns have such a hard time calling God
”Father!”

Call me a bit nostalgic, but shouldn’t we desire the highest ideals instead of a false and so-called “honesty” that glorifies darkness?

Doesn’t it seem odd that our “entertainment” producers are slavishly committed to saying, “The bad guys aren’t really bad, just misunderstood?” Just look at the whole development of the Batman universe, the “bad guys” being actually the “good guys,” and the “good guys” really being the “bad guys.”

This missing the point, skewed focus on lesser things, takes our lives down the wrong paths. Losing the ability to set our sights on proper priorities and ultimate destinations sends our lives spiraling out of control, and soon we look around and ask, “How did I get here?”

Look at our Gospel Lesson today in Luke 12:13-15, 22-31.

At that time, while Jesus was teaching, one of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well."

In this powerful sermon, Jesus does what He so often does in the Scriptures. He challenges our status quo and our thinking patterns to the point that we are left contemplating our foundations of life and perspective.

That’s on purpose!

I will never escape the “stinking thinking” that keeps repeating patterns of choices, behaviors, and consequences in my life until I confront the invitation by CXhrist to so become like Him that I see the whole world through His eyes! That’s going to take a consistent commitment to honestly look at myself before I expect anyone else to “be good.”

Jesus does this hard inviting by insisting we look beyond our basic desires to understand that “life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” We won’t become the people we were made to be trapped in a materialistic universe too small to rise to the dignity of our creation!

Worrying won’t make my problem go away any more than wishing to be taller, which will add a few inches to my stature! We have to see how our Creator made His universe beautiful, and seeing that, we stop living our daily lives pretending that what we say we believe about God is just for Sundays!

God knows what you need—what you truly need. You won’t be able to embrace that complete provision for your life until you are willing to find out what you truly need instead of being intoxicated by the small wants that cloud your judgment!

After all, your Father knows what you need daily, and He loves you even more than you love yourself. And His love is much more trustworthy than any self-love we may have! Father really does know best!

St. Joannicius was born to a poverty-stricken family in the Christian Roman Empire in 740 AD. The child grew up tending the cattle, his family’s only wealth. From an early age, Joannicius's heart turned to God and prayer. But, as he grew older, he was drafted into the Imperial Army and served with distinction. But his heart longed to spend his days in prayer and spiritual devotion to Christ. He left the Army after seven years and went to a monastery to devote his life to the Faith. He eventually memorized all the Psalms and grew in humility and spiritual discernment there. He eventually became a recluse and was sought after for his wisdom and spiritual insights. He lived a long life and fell asleep in the Lord at 94. It isn’t a mistake that we have so many saints with military backgrounds. The focused discipline of military life turns our hearts to the spiritual disciplines that free our souls.

Today, are you willing to reorient your mind away from the spirit of the age that wants to slander God the Father? This isn’t some hiding from the ugly truth of the real world; it is reorienting my thoughts to the true beauty of our very Good God, Who loves us and longs for us to have a Normal Orthodox life!

P.S. With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O Joannicius, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Tomorrow is Election Day here in the United States. I am asking everyone to pray for peace and God’s direction.

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV