The title of an early  ’50s TV program, “Father Know Best,” triggered the topic for this post: Does Father Know Best?

For Adam and Eve, the Creator prepared a place of “pleasure and delight” [Hebrew for Eden], an environment intended to stimulate complete fulfillment. (Genesis 2:8-9) One day the Devil (Revelation 12:9) entered the Garden to tempt Eve. Here’s the essence of the conversation. “Father Doesn’t Know Best! If he did, he wouldn’t be holding back ingredients that would heighten your experience of living. He shouldn’t be trusted. You should trust your own judgment. You must take control of your own destiny to experience optimum satisfaction.” Adam and Eve “took the bait.”

Since then, our natural disposition, apart from grace, is that “Father Doesn’t Know Best!” This is the soil in which the weeds of self-management grow ever more deeply. The genius of AA’s 12-Step Recovery Program is that it addresses this deep-seated “evil” (“live” spelled backward) FIRST. “We admitted … that our lives had become unmanageable.” Having spent everything, the prodigal son was hired to tend pigs, an abomination to a Jew! In that circumstance, he came to his senses, realizing that self-management wasn’t working. (Luke 15:14-17) “Until and unless there is a person, situation, event, idea, conflict, or relationship that you cannot “manage,” you will never find the True Manager.” (Richard Rohr – Breathing Under Water)

The Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) appeared, made like us in every way. (Hebrews 2:17) Before he commenced his ministry, he was driven into the wilderness to be trained for trust; that is, “Father Knows Best!” For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil. (Luke 4:2) Jesus passed the tests (Luke 4:13), prepared for his Life-Giving Mission. (John 10:10) However, there was a final exam. Hours before his death, Jesus went to Gethsemane (olive press.) Three times he prayed: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup of agony away from me. But no matter what, your will must be mine.” (Luke 22:42) “Father Knows Best!”  In his dying breath, he expressed the same trust. Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!”  (Luke 23:46)

The Apostle Paul declared an emphatic “YES!” Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:32-39)