In Honor of Godly Fathers I did not visit my father on Father’s Day. Instead, I called him from a hotel room in Crossville, Tennessee. “Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I’m preaching this morning.” He could have been more proud of a gift-wrapped tie, but I doubt it. Christian fathers want to know that their children are safe in the Lord and faithful to His cause. There are not many things that make them happier.
We can learn a lot from faithful fathers, and some of us are fortunate enough to have grown up under their care. As we grow older, our appreciation of them tends to grow. Even so, the Bible commands much more than appreciation. The Law of Moses gave this precept with a promise: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16). Paul quoted the same command to the Ephesians (Eph. 6:2).
What is the best way to honor a godly father? King Solomon wrote, “A wise son makes a father glad” (Prov. 10:1). So, if we wish to make our fathers glad, we must strive for wisdom. Luke said of Jesus that He “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). Our Lord was One Who honored both His heavenly Father and His earthly father.
The Bible tells of many sons who made their fathers glad by making wise decisions. Besides Jesus, there are many well-known characters such Isaac, Joseph, and Solomon who also inspired fatherly pride. We can also learn how to honor our fathers through a study of some of the Bible’s lesser known characters. Consider Shem and Japheth–two of Noah’s sons. Not only were they obedient in that they boarded the ark prior to the flood, but they also protected their father’s dignity when he became drunk from the wine of his vineyard. For this kindness, Noah blessed them saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem….May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem…” (Gen. 9:26, 27).
Simon of Cyrene is known to most of us as the one who carried the cross of Jesus, but he was also the father of two boys. Mark records, “And they pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross” (Mark 15:21). Were these boys with Simon on that fateful day as he came into the city of Jerusalem? Did they watch as the cross was placed upon his back? We may never know these details, but we can suppose that one of his sons obeyed the gospel. It may be more than a coincidence that Paul later wrote to the Romans, “Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine” (Rom. 16:13).
Much of the book of Proverbs is written as words of wisdom from a father to his son: “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction…” (Prov. 1:8). Those of us who wish to honor our fathers will heed the wisdom found there. A psalmist wrote, “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psa. 127:3). Are you? Were you a reward to your father? What type of gift did you bring on Father’s Day, and what about next year? Before Moses died, in his farewell address to the people he had faithfully led, he encouraged them to “remember the days of old.” “Ask your father,” he sang, “and he will inform you” (Deut. 32:7). Let us honor our earthly fathers by being obedient to the Father above.