Fatherlessness and Christian Responsibility

The lifelong impact of fatherlessness was the subject of a lengthy, emotionally-draining conversation. I felt deeply and was broken in spirit as I was confronted again with the weight of responsibility for fatherless children and youth.

Consider that when God defined the penalties for sins against society, He declared, "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless." – Exodus 22:22-24 The, "I will make your children fatherless," could have been, "I will kill you!" but, God is emphasizing the ongoing penalty felt by future generations.

God shows preferential treatment to the fatherless. "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow." – Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:28-29; And, He makes provision for the fatherless to be included as members of the extended family when care, provision and festive feasts are organized. – Deuteronomy 16, 24. The fatherless are to share in the harvest bounty, not left with faces pressed against household windows from the outside, wishing, longing, never experiencing the joys and plenty within. A special curse is threatened to those who fail to address justice for the fatherless. – Deuteronomy 27

Psalm 68:5 captures the Lord’s nature with precision and may serve as a template for the church to act. "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." The potential for transforming lives is staggering when one considers "adopting" a fatherless child. A spiritual "Big Brother" image comes into focus. We who follow Jesus need to revisit our Heavenly Father’s design and desire to "set the lonely in families."

It is time to address the deficits of the fatherless. Acknowledge, assess, and act are three verbs. Isaiah speaks God’s oracle:
"When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,
learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD.
‘Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.’" – Isaiah 1:15-18
We are quick to quote, and believe, God’s promise (out of context) to cleanse us from sin, but are unaware that our prayers are unheard if we fail at connecting benevolent behavior to our prayers.

One man in my life modeled his own obedience, his personal response to his understanding of James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Earlier this year I preached in the church where our family worshiped when I was a boy. At the end of the service, Ray came to me and said, "Your dad was like a father to me!" Among other things, Ray mentioned, "He taught me how to tie a tie." My father, with my mother’s full cooperation, extended the boundaries of our family to include others.