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Godโ€™s Parental Sayings

By: Zach Collins It is common for the Bible to speak of God as a father. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said, โ€œWhen you pray, say, Our Father in Heavenโ€ฆโ€ (c.f., Luke 11:2). This teaches two important lessons about the fatherhood of God. God is the spiritual Father of Christians and He is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (c.f., Ephesians 1:3).  While we are given little information about the upbringing of Jesus under the tutelage of Joseph, his earthly father, Mary, and God, His Heavenly Father, we do find a peculiar statement, in Luke 2:52, โ€œAnd Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.โ€ Jesus grew, not only physically, but spiritually. He grew in wisdom, knowledge, and grace. It is the case that His Heavenly Father played an imperative role in His growing process.   We, as parents, have an interesting way of teaching our children and helping them grow. Many of us have go-to parental sayings that are utilized to teach our children valuable life lessons. I wonder what parental sayings God might have provided to Jesus, Him being His Father and Jesus being His Son? Did they resemble the parental sayings of earthly parents today?  We say, โ€œKids, money does not grow on trees.โ€  Perhaps God said, โ€œYou could grow money on a tree or, you know, in the mouth of a fishโ€ (Matthew 17:27).  We say, โ€œUse your manners! You were not raised in a barn!โ€  Perhaps …