Who is Your Father?

“Who is your father?” That is not a question we ask very often, at least not directly. We might ask about family, background, where someone comes from, but not in this sort of straight-forward manner. It even seems rude. But this is a question at the center of the conflict in our Gospel reading today.

Jesus is speaking to the Jews, to those who pride themselves on their lineage, and they insist: “Abraham is our father.” Their patrimony, that is their inheritance as being descendants of Abraham, was the basis of their identity. It was their confidence. It is the basis of their claim to righteousness before God. And Jesus did not let that stand. He pressed the issue and sharpened the question. In so doing, He exposed what truly makes someone a child of Abraham and what does not. Even more, He also presses the same question upon you: who is your father?