Parental love as metaphor for divine-human love

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Jun 2003 by Patterson, Richard D

Consideration of Jesus as God's Son raises the problem of poetic utterances of familial love in the NT. L. Ryken concludes that although most of the NT is printed as prose, much of it is nonetheless poetic.46 Ryken avers that because of his great use of metaphor and simile, not only is Jesus the foremost poet of the NT, he is "one of the world's most famous poets."47 Moreover, "the speech of Jesus was essentially poetic."48

Illustrative of the often poetic language of Jesus is his conscious appropriation of the son metaphor in Matthew 11:27:

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.49

Accordingly, with due allowance for Ryken's thesis one may safely affirm that the metaphor of familial love not only exists in the NT but many passages in which they occur may often be viewed as poetic. The use of Ps 2:7 by the writer of Hebrews further underscores this fact:

For to which of the angels did he ever say, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you?" Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?" (Heb 1:5).

The parent-child metaphor extends even further. Not only was it employed for God's covenant relation to Israel and David, and especially to David's messianic heir, Jesus Christ, but to individuals. Thus the psalmist observes,

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those that fear him (Ps 103:13).50

Carried over into the NT, the parent-child metaphor assumes two dominant forms. Believers are termed both "sons" ((ProQuest Information and Learning: non-USASCII text omitted.)) and "children" ([tau](e)[kappa][nu][alpha]) of God. Those who have received Jesus are God's children (John 1:12). Lavished by his love (1 John 3:1-2) they are to respond in righteous living (1 John 3:10) and carry out his commands, especially in reproducing his love (1 John 5:1-3).

Made sons of God by faith (Gal 3:26) they are to show love even to their enemies, so that they may go on to reflect God's own perfection (Matt 5:41-45). They are to be those who encourage peace (Matt 5:9) and who regularly pray (Matt 6:9). In a bold use of the sons/children metaphor (Rom 8:14-17) Paul reminds believers that as sons of God they are to be "led by the Spirit of God." Now as those who have achieved the same status through God's sending of his Son Jesus Christ, all Christians have a close and living relationship to their heavenly Father. Therefore, they may boldly cry, "Abba, Father" (cf. Gal 3:6). Advancing the metaphoric language still further, Paul declares that as God's children believers have become full co-heirs with God's own Son, Jesus Christ (Gal 4:1, 7).

Here in a real sense the parent-child metaphor comes full circle. Far beyond the claims of special divine favor accorded to an individual king in the ancient Near Eastern metaphor, Israelite familial relationships provided a source to express God's covenant relation first to Israel and individual Israelites, then to David, Israel's king. From there it has come through David's heir par excellence to designate all true believers (cf. Gal 3:26-4:7). The old covenant, which provided Israel's sonship, was based upon God's redemption of his people out of Egypt. Together with the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants it found new orientation in the new covenant and in its mediator, God's unique Son (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; Heb 8:6-13; 1 John 4:9). As fellow heirs of the blessings of a long metaphorical tradition, Christian sons of God are no less obligated than son Israel of old to live up to the responsibilities of sonship. Moreover, they may expect God's correction when they fail to do so (cf. Isa 30:1 with Heb 12:5-6). Indeed, as God's children, because of their union with God's Son (John 17:20-23; 1 Cor 15:22; Gal 2:20), theirs is a calling to an even higher standard of devotion and the reproduction of the Father's character in their lives (Matt 5:48; Col 3:12-14; 1 John 3:1-3; 5:1-5).