Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the biblical model of parents who are one with God. Here are some lessons they teach.
Parents share God’s creative nature. Parents create life. Jesus and the Holy Spirit brought people to life through the power of God.
“When you send your spirit, they are created.”
“Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.”
Parents act in the image and likeness of God creating children. God feels joy in the smile of an exhausted new mother on her hospital bed holding her newborn baby. She resembles God’s own experience giving birth to humankind. Because of this, we praise mothers for their understanding the heart of God.
Jesus and the Holy Spirit brought people to life through the power of God.
Parents give and give, and forget that they have given, and give again.
“This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
The Old Testament calls parents to stone to death a rebellious son, after turning him over to the tribal elders. Jesus taught the parable of the prodigal son—forgiveness without limit.
“The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
“God gives the spirit without limit.”
Parents manifest the image of God. Jesus said his words were not just his own, but that the Father was living in him and doing His work through him. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
“The mystery of Christ …was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.”
The mystery of Christ has now been revealed by the Spirit.
“The things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.”
Parents are teachers of their children. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” And he sent the Holy Spirit to teach even more: “When she, the Spirit of truth, comes, she will guide you into all the truth.”
(Citations: Ps 104:30; 2 Cor 5:17; Mark 12: 43-44; Deut 21:18-21; John 4:13; John 3:34; John 14:9; Eph 3:4-5; 1 Cor 2:9-11; John 13:13, cf. Mt 19:16, Mk 4:38; Jn 16:13. Photo credit to tparents.org.)
