The Gospel According to Matt

The Andy Griffith Show is one of the all-time great television situational comedies.  It first aired from 1960 to 1968 and spent much of that time in the top ten in the Nielsen Ratings.  And in the 40 years since its final episode it has never been off the air, still playing in syndication to this day.

I, for one, still enjoy watching Deputy Barney Fife bumble and stumble his way around Mayberry.  And I still laugh when Otis (the town drunk) checks himself into the County Jail on Saturday nights to detoxify.  I still get a kick out of Goober pumping gas for the locals while listening to the latest gossip. And I still appreciate Sheriff Taylor, played by Andy Griffith, who successfully balances his duties as a citizen, his career as a police officer, and (most importantly) his responsibilities as a dad.

In playing the part of Sheriff Taylor, Griffith really does offer a positive image of fatherhood.  And that is sorely needed in a culture that often disregards the importance of dads.  Just about every modern day television show portrays the dad as aloof, irrational, goofy, and unnecessary (apparently we’re all just another Homer Simpson waiting to happen).  Meanwhile the consensus of sociological research indicates just the opposite: the importance of fatherhood cannot be understated.  Therefore, we need positive images of fatherhood more than ever.

In the Bible we find many wonderful images of fatherhood—none more important than the imagery of God as our perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing Father who is full of grace and truth.  And in Genesis 21-24 we discover another positive image of fatherhood as we examine the relationship between father Abraham and his son Isaac.

This Sunday we’ll be studying their relationship; learning that Abraham was an excellent father to Isaac in that (1) he cherished his child; (2) he protected his child from predators; (3) he led his child to love the Lord; and (4) he helped his child make healthy choices.

And we’ll also make several points of application such as: we need to (1) set high moral standards for our kids; (2) constantly communicate them to our kids; (3) help our kids achieve the standards by being involved in their lives; and (4) restore our kids when they fail to achieve our (and God’s) standards.

You can listen to this Sunday’s sermon beginning June 17 at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html.  It should be a challenging message for all the dads out there this Father’s Day.

Note:  I must thank my dad, Tom Summers, for making such a positive impact on my life, and for doing his best to be a good dad, then and now.  Growing up, my friends were always jealous of me for having such a thoughtful, wise dad.  I’m sure this particular father’s day weekend (and birthday) is difficult for him—but we love him dearly and are praying for him.  And, truly, I am blessed to be his son.  Happy Father’s Day, Dad!