Abba, Papa

Tuesday January 1st 2006, Galatians 4: 6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." The view of God up to the time of Jesus was of a majestic God far off in the heavens. Jesus introduces us to the God who calls us into a relationship and compels us to call out “Abba”. Another word for Abba is Papa. We are not called into a relationship with a God before whom we are to grovel and try to please, we are called into a relationship with a loving God to whom we can go with all our lives and whom we try to please out of response to living in this loving relationship. An Abba is someone on whose lap you sit. Abba is someone who washes off your wounds and puts on a Band-Aid and kisses your woes and makes them better. Abba is someone you can bring all of your problems and thoughts to and know you will be heard. Abba is someone who lovingly stops you when you are getting yourself in trouble, or sometimes steps back and lets you get into trouble and then helps you set things right. Jesus tells us that the majestic Lord God Almighty, creator of the heavens and the earth, is Abba, papa, and loves us.