Father in heaven

“Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (MT 23: 9-12)

Temporary and eternal—we live between these two factors of our lives. “rabbi,” “master,” and “father”—are temporary, here on earth, and are images for eternal life, where we will learn and meet the true Teacher, true Master and true Father. And we will learn how today’s paradox—“the greatest among you must be your servant” and “whoever humbles himself will be exalted”—is normal there.

“Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.