The Perfect Father

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:9-11

In these three verses, Jesus makes an argument that we can rest in the knowledge that God answers our prayers with good. The most obvious reason is that God is God. He therefore only always does what is good. He can do no other or He would violate His own character, which He cannot do.

But Jesus makes a parabolic argument, rather than simply saying the obvious—that God is good. Jesus argues that human fathers, though they are sinners, naturally do what is good for their children.* Jesus argues from that starting point, that naturally sinful fathers (which includes all human fathers, Romans 3:23) seek to do good for their children, no matter how often we fail. Therefore, if sinful fathers desire to do right by their children, how much more can we count on God to do what is good for His children?

Human fathers, even with the best of intentions, fail. Thank the Lord that He never fails, nor can He fail His children.

  • Rest in the knowledge that God answers our prayers with good—even when we do not understand or when we like His good answers. After all, He knows better than we do.

  • If your father was not a good father, ask the Lord for His grace to forgive him.

  • If your father was one of those who was truly bad, I am sorry. Thank God that He is not like your earthy father.

  • If your father, like the vast majority of earthly fathers, was generally a good one (despite his failings), thank God for your father.

* Of course, there are anecdotal examples of truly evil fathers who do harm to their children, but these are the miniscule exception, not the rule.