Abba, Father: Desiring Relationship, Not Sacrifice

The Torah or the Laws, or as Christians would understand it – The Old Testament, are not a “law code” but rather terms for a covenant relationship. Though many take it as Manual For Good Behaviour dropped from heaven, it is certain from the way God describes His own relationship with us, that it is familial.

Why the bible is not a literal law code

In 2 Samuel 14, David excuses his son Absalom (who murdered Amnon), contrary to every law and principle in the biblical law codes, with no appeal or defence of his actions and no reference to it. Furthermore, in Jeremiah 26, the most detailed description of a trial in the Old Testament, Jeremiah is accused of treason for announcing the temple’s destruction. His defence is that another prophet before him, Micah, announced the same message and he was never imprisoned. This is an argument from precedent, not from a law code. No laws from the Torah are ever consulted to defend or accuse him.

What proof that God desires relationship not sacrifice?

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

Genesis 22

In Mark 14:36, it is Jesus who calls God “Abba, Father”. In Matt. 6:9, it is Jesus who teaches us to pray to God as our Father. While all the names and descriptors of The Lord are important in many ways, the name “Abba Father” is one of the most significant ways in understanding how God relates to us. Abba in Aramaic means “Father”. Abba signifies the close, intimate relationship of a father and his child, as well as the childlike trust that a young child puts in his “daddy.”

In today’s gospel according to Matthew, 25:1-13 tells of Jesus teaching his disciples via parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.”

Suffice it to say, when the bridegroom arrived, the foolish ones had no oil and asked for the wise ones for their oil. Seeing as there wasn’t enough to go around, the wise ones declined. And so when the foolish ones rushed out to get some, the banquet started with the wise ones who remained present and the doors where closed. When they returned, the bridegroom aka the Lord, did not recognise them.

In real life

I’m a cradle Catholic. I do recall my own childish reticence at spending my precious Sunday mornings at church. This time, my eldest child was sick and in no shape (nor could I, in good conscience, allow her to bring her cough and sniffles amongst the elderly parishioners), so I had more or less anticipated how my youngest would react when I came to interrupt her session of Hello Kitty Island Adventure on the gaming console.

feeling aggrieved

“It’s so unfair!” she complained, wiping tears of frustration aside. I understood but at 8.45am in the morning, when I reached into what reserves of wisdom I had, I realised I didn’t have the right words for a 9 year old.

I wanted to talk to her about having right relationship with the Father but because she’s too young, i didn’t want her to think the relationship was transactional – that is to say: we go to church so we can ask God for things.

God is not a wish granting genie.

Jonathan Ho

I held her close as we entered the lift and I could feel her apprehension, so I lifted my eyes to God and asked for the Holy Spirit to grant me the wisdom to have that conversation.

Coincidentally, today’s gospel was about the bridesmaids and the lamps and waiting for the Lord. The homily was about how building a relationship with God is not something that can be given, just like how the oil in the lamps couldn’t be shared, if you don’t have a relationship with God, how can He recognise you?

If David but extends his digit, he connects with God

In the car ride back, there was a peaceful silence, quite the opposite from the defiant silence I endured on the drive to church. She asked, “Daddy, is this why you are always praying?”

The oil is our prayer and time given to God, it is the right relationship that no one else can share or give you. It’s not coincidence that consistent prayer builds up the light in our lives and brings it the fragrance of God’s blessings. Prayer is our ‘supply of oil’. When you’re in constant relationship with the Father, it doesn’t matter the day nor the hour, we live lives “safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

I smiled as I turned back to look at her, “Isn’t it weird if you don’t talk to me daily? You talk to me daily because i’m your daddy. I’m always praying because God is my Father.”

Posted in Jonathan Ho, Reflections.

Jonathan, a Singaporean Catholic, is a 12-year veteran journalist and father of two discovering new depths of the Word through radical adherence to the tenets of biblical marriage

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