Yahweh is a deity within the religion of Militarism. He is the fictional War Lord deity invented by Hebrew warmakers. Yahweh sanctifies Old Testament rulers who dominate over the people. Yahweh cannot be compared to the historical peacemaker Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel. Attempts to connect the two, however, are sometimes made. One attempt is made by claiming Jesus was referring to the fictional Yahweh when he called God Father. Jesus’ image of God as Father is simply not compatible with the image of the War Lord deity Yahweh.
In the Gospel according to Mark, the first written, Jesus refers to God as Father three times. The references do not match the War Lord personality of the ancient Yahweh deity because the translation is actually “Abba.” Abba does not mean Father. Abba means a relationship that is loving, sweet, gentle, as with a father. In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus uses Father 10 times. Again, the Father, “Abba,” metaphor is used in a way that contradicts and even rejects the old War Lord deity. One example is, ‘the Father is pleased to give you the Community of God” which is Jesus’ replacement of Yahweh’s kingdom of David (13:32). Luke also has Jesus refer to God twice as a woman, which is not comparable to the War Lord Yahweh image. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience, uses the title Father, “Abba,” more often. The vast majority of the time it references a “heavenly father,” “Abba” who is juxtaposed with an earthly father and is thus challenging the patriarchal system. John, written last, some 60 to 80 years after Jesus’ death, uses the Father, “Abba” title most frequently. It is used in this Sunday’s Gospel. John also uses other metaphors. For example, Creator and gives birthing metaphors (3:3-8). John’s use of Father, “Abba,” confirms a relationship of love, sweetness, and gentleness as between fathers and children and is again not compatible with the image of the War Lord Yahweh. Biblical fundamentalists emphasize John’s use of father without the accurate translation to “Abba” nor its accurate meaning. More so, Biblical fundamentalists emphasize the Old Testament and Paul, thus ignoring “Abba” of Jesus entirely in favor of Yahweh the War Lord and the very patriarchy Jesus rejected. A fictional War Lord and fictional interpretation enables their worship of Yahweh while they call themselves Christian. As Yahweh, a War Lord Father God, rules over Jesus, and the Old Testament and Paul rule over Jesus’ Gospel, so too fundamentalists rule over institutional Christianity, and its men rule over its women.
The misinterpretation of ‘Abba” Father provides insight into a non-Christian religion of Biblical fundamentalism whose members reject a relationship with Jesus and their brothers and sisters based on love, sweetness, and gentleness.
Prayer: Spirit of Abba, may we be loving, sweet, and gentle.
Question: What images of the Mystery called God speak to me?
May 28, 2017 Gospel John 17:1-11a 7th Sunday of Easter