CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) Here’s something I remember from growing up in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. Most families had an Abba Father.
There was no greater sign of love and respect than being Abba. It was a title reserved for the most loved, most respected, wisest person in the family. A grown man might refer to his father, or, perhaps his father-in-law as Abba. So would his children and grandchildren. Abba was someone who was loved unconditionally, and loved unconditionally in return. If you were in need of wise advice, Abba is who you would ask. Abba always wanted what was best for you.
My father, even at age 81, is Abba. There is nothing he would withhold from me. If I needed money, all of his wealth would be at my disposal. If I needed council, on anything, his words would steer me right. There is nothing I could do that would break his love for me.
In the earliest Bible translations, Jesus prays to his father as Abba. In Gethsemane, where Jesus knows that soon he will be arrested and crucified, he prayed “Abba, if it is possible let this bitter cup pass from me, but, Abba, your will, not mine.”
Is God you Abba? He should be. He is the father who loves you unconditionally. You and I are given forgiveness we cannot earn and do not deserve. And we are given instructions, through holy scripture, on how to live our lives. God wants only good for us. Thank you, Abba.
Chris Conley
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