“And do not call anyone on earth father, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven” (Matthew 23: 9) The debate about Catholic Priests being called fathers in the past was a big bone of contention especially by the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches that would constantly quote Jesus’ words, “And do not call anyone on earth father, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven”. To my Pentecostal and charismatic brothers, what has now changed? That which you opposed now you have possessed and defend it at any cost even at the cost of scripture. First I must be the first one to submit and admit that we as Pentecostals didn’t fully understand that scripture, we took the words of Jesus Christ completely out of context. Because in the same place Jesus said, “do not call anyone on earth father…” he also said, “Nor are you to be called teacher, for you have one teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant”. Let us leave it there at the moment, now it is not only calling one on earth father that is forbidden, even calling someone teacher on earth is forbidden except Christ. This passage is not the only difficult and misunderstood passage. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters yes, even his own life he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14: 26) If we are to take the words of Jesus Christ literally when he says, “don’t call anyone on earth father…” surely we must take these words of Jesus Christ literally when we become Christians we should therefore “hate our fathers, hate our mothers, hate our spouses, hate our children, hate our brothers and sisters, and hate self” wow! What kind of Christian witness are we to be when we carry so much hatred for others? Of course we have experienced the share of extreme Christian zeal that cuts off parents and relatives and embrace “new” parents in Christ. But that is not what Christ intended in that passage, Jesus was not propagating hatred or hate speech. The word hate is a strong word to be understood literally will be a little misleading. Especially considering the fact that scripture teaches us to honor, respect, obey our parents. The word “hate” here must be understood as “less”. Our love for parents, family, friends and even ourselves should be “LESS” than our love for Jesus. And this is how people are described in these last days; Lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying it’s power. The root cause of all these evil vices can be traced from a misplaced or misdirected love. “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22: 37-40). How then can you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind? Where in my heart, soul and mind do I then place the love of earthy fathers, and parents in Christ fondly called Papa, Dad, spiritual father and other preferred titles? If there was a time in the history of the Church that we need to put our differences aside, and with sober hearts re-visit Jesus’ words is now. What did he mean by saying, “do not call anyone on earth father”. We are at that time in history that we need to ask why we call servants of God spiritual fathers, and why we refer to ourselves as sons and daughters of Prophet X as opposed to refer to calling ourselves sons and daughters of God? In this article today I will highlight three reasons that will put in perspective the words of Jesus Christ as it relates to calling one on earth father. We need to begin by looking at the context again so that we don’t run ahead of ourselves. Before exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees Jesus exposes the pride of the Pharisees. Instead of loving God with all their hearts, souls and mind, they love; 1. High Seats: “They love the places of honor at banquets and most important seats in the synagogues” (23: 6). Rank and status was at play here, seating in the synagogue was assigned according to ranks or levels. The seats of honor would be deliberately placed in the visible place where even the lowest person seated on a mat in the corner at the back can see the very important people seated on those seats of honor. Ask yourself the question today, does this sound familiar or it’s just the Pharisees who did it? 2. Special Greetings: “They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them Rabbi” (23: 7). Greetings were very important, “peace be with you”. Special greetings were introduced on how to Greet WHO and WHEN. You had to understand how to greet a person superior to you in the knowledge of the “torah” the law. Some preachers insist that they be greeted and introduced with all their credentials; Dr. Apostle . Bishop. Founder & President. Rev. Kensington greetings sir. In the marketplaces greeting the Pharisees with “peace be with you” was unacceptable. They had men call them Rabbi and enjoy the praises in the crowded markets. The word “Rabbi” means master and this title was preferred by Pharisees than to be called teacher. Teachers of the law therefore insisted to be called Rabbi (Master). This title became a covetous title like today’s “Reverend “ or “father”. Affectionately and respectively Rabbis were also called “Abba” or “Papa”. As I said in one of my posts, nothing is new under the sun, “My Papa” things can be traced back into history! The Rabbis in return addressed their disciples as “my children”. The Rabbi (Papa) was held in a very high position of power and honor than his disciples. It is in this context that Jesus said, “but you are not to be called Rabbi” which implies superior authority over others. And do not call anyone on earth father, except your Father in heaven”. The high seats must be leveled down, the special greetings leveled down, we are all children of our Father in heaven.
THREE REASON FOR NOT CALLING ONE ON EARTH FATHER
1. To Avoid The Danger Of Falling Into Idolatry:
Bear these words in mind;
“do not call anyone on earth father” and read these words, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:4).
This is known as the “Shema” in Hebrew which means “hear”.
I pray to God that this generation will hear from the Shema. God is One!
The God of Israel is one exclusively to be worshipped alone. No worship of foreign gods, no any other treasure God is one.
Israel should not imitate and worship the gods of the Canaanites. Israel as a nation of God practices and observes monotheism.
Anything that takes or occupies your heart, soul and mind is your object of worship.
There is a sharp distinction between your earthly fathers and our heavenly Father.
Jesus is pointing out that when it comes to spiritual worship, both you and your earthly fathers have one Father in heaven, One God.
Is God your Father? Or you have turned your earthly parents into gods, object of worship?
Don’t elevate your earthly fathers up and above your heavenly Father, doing so is spiritual Idolatry that scripture forbids.
2. To Avoid To Dethrone God:
“For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being King over me” (1 Sam. 8: 4-9).
Samuel taking the request that Israel needs a King so personal, God puts it into proper context, it is not you they have rejected but me.
God’s people reject the rule of God over them, preferring the system of kingship of other nations.
Effectively choosing the rule of man over the rule of God. Israel admired Kings of other nations and the kind of power these kings possessed.
Kings in the Ancient Near East were extremely powerful.
The words of the king was the law, the king therefore was a law-giver, and was regarded as a deity who received worship.
In the case of Egypt the Pharaoh was a deity and his words were law. The king went to war to fight and win battles for his nations, Israel wanted a king too like the other others.
What they forgot is that Israel is not just any other nation, it’s a special and unique nation whose King was God Himself.
The Prophets represented God to people, and the Priests represented people to God that’s how God designed this theocratic rule.
God’s rule was replaced by man’s rule. Today the rule of God in our place is replaced by a celebrity preachers that seat literally on the place of God in people’s lives.
In God’s plan in the New Testament we are all kings and Priest, we are royalty, in that sense before God we are equal,
there is no new testament king/Priest who is above others. Under God we are all sons/daughters of God.
3. To Avoid Promoting Titles: Titles are not evil, there is nothing wrong to acknowledge someone as Professor, Principal, President or Pastor.
In the same breath there is nothing wrong to acknowledge someone as a father, Papa, Abba or Dad. But we ought to acknowledge that there is no finality in these titles, for we have received but just a measure of the gift.
It is in Christ and God our Father that we find finality, and without measure spiritual authority.
Here Jesus is not against titles mostly which are Biblical, he is not even forbidding the use of these titles father, Rabbi, master or Papa.
What is at stack here is the attitude of the people who have made these titles into idols and they utterly dependent on them.
There is a reason why we are admonished to not to depend on the arm of flesh.
It is also in the attitude of those who love to receive these titles and want others to be dependent on them.
These men build doctrines around these titles, to explain the importance of having and using these Abba, father, Dad and Rabbi titles.
Conclusion
In Proverbs the Bible states,
“ Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men; it’s better for him to say to you come up here, than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman”. (25: 6-7)
True humility is demonstrated in this passage, honor is not assumed, it is bestowed.
Fathers don’t use and abuse their children by daily preaching to them about how to honor and do things for fathers.
Father care, love, protect and provide for their children without expecting children to pay them back.
Children who know God will take care of their father and help relieve them of financial and material burdens out of genuine love, children should not act only after being manipulated or threatened with a curse.
A child who loves the parent is not moved by fear of curse, but out of pure love for parents.
In conclusion Jesus is not forbidding the use of titles, it’s ok to call him father, Abba, Papa, Teacher but what is forbidden is the affection (love) of such titles,
and deliberately building doctrines around titles, going out hunting for these titles.
What is forbidden is the exercise of an absolute unquestionable tyrant mastership,
to assume the paternal absolute power so as to indoctrinate those under you to believe you,
and to believe things because you said them, without checking the scriptures to check if those things are true as commanded in the word of God.
When you are exalted to a position where people can’t see anything wrong with what you preach, agree absolutely even when your intentions are only selfish and self-gain.
It is in this case therefore that God alone is the Father of all men, Christ alone the master.
Pastors are servants, ministers of the gospel called to equip the saints,
so that saints can do ministry effectively until we reach maturity in unity.
Before God, we are equal!
Lawrence Musunte
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