GIVING A NAME TO THE FATHERLESS

(He said unto the sick of palsy, son.... Mark 2:5

The bible doesn't give us the name of the man with palsy. In many bible stories, we not only have the man's name, but we have his father's name. For example, we know that the blind man in jericho was Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus. (see Mark 10:46). When a person's name and father's name are given, the implication is that the person is important. This palsied man was a no-name boy. We don't know his name. We don't know his father. For that matter, he may not have known his own father.

Fathers in the bible give their sons status, a place in the society. They give them their identity. Today-as then-if a boy doesn't have a father, he doesn't have full status. He doesn't have a full identity.

When I look at our society today, I see thousands upon thousands of young men and who are fatherless. They group themselves together because they don't belong to a group called family that is led by a leader called father. When I was a boy, my friends and I were afraid to walk into a group of men who might be standing on a street corner. We'd give them a wide berth. Now I see grown men who are afraid to walk into a group of boys. They go out of their way to avoid them.

Fatherless boys are very often called by their problem, not their names. They are labeled just as this man was labeled- "sick of the palsy". He was identified by his condition.

Troublemaker, dopehead, gang-banger,homosexual, convict, rapist.
Fatherless boys become known for their condition, their predicament, their past actions.

We, as christians, must go get these fatherless boys. It may take four of us to reach one boy, but we must go get them and bring them to jesus. And what did Jesus call this man who was called by everyone else as the one who was sick of the palsy"? Jesus caolled him "son". He saw beyond this man's problem and looked into his person. He spoke to him, giving him a name that gave him a relationship. Jesus gave this man an identity, even before he forgave his sins and healed his body! In calling this man "son", Jesus was taking uopn himself the role of "father." We must do the same.

We must not wait unti8l the fatherless boys we encounter are cleaned up, singing in the choir, or leading the bible study. Jesus called this young man "son" while he was still sick. He didn't condemn him for what had caused his palsy. He didn't say to this man....

You shouldn't have dated that girl
You shouldn't have hooked up with that gang
You shouldn't have taken that first drink.
You shouldn't have smoked tht first joint.
You shouldn't have gone into that pool hall.
You shouldn't have....

No. Jesus loved him as he was. He entered into a relationship with him while he was still sick and in sin.
Neither did Jesus put any qualifications upon his relationship with this man. He didn't say to him....

If you'll clean up your life...
If you'll agree to do things my way...
If you'll stop....
if you'll start...

No. Jesus loved him without qualification, without condition.
We are called to do the same.
I tell my sons, "you are strong...handsome...vibrant...able...resourceful....intelligent men, not wimps. You are able to take a licking and keep on ticking. You are somebody! As God's child, you don't ever have to be lonely, destitute, desperate, or empty. You never have to be jealous of anybody. You are rich soil and fertile ground for a great harvest of blessing."

I have told my daughters repeatedly that I am their first date. I am the one who takes them out to nice places and buys them pretty dresses and shows them a good time. I'm the one who shows them the example of how a man should treat a woman with courtesy and manners. I'm the one who tells them that they are special, beautiful, and lovely in spirit. When they get to be dating age, their dates are going to have a tough act to follow. My daughters are accustomed to affection and praie and kindness; a young man would have a very tough time slapping my daughter and then trying to convience her that she deserved it. She'd likely say to him without any hesitation whatsoever, "I don't think so. My daddy told me otherwise.'

Tell your children who they are to you, and who they are to God. Do the same for your spiritual sons and daughters. Every child needs an identity. Every child needs a daddy.

By TD Jakes