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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa
A man in the Netherlands fathered
at least 550 and possibly 600 children by making repeated
donations to fertility clinics there and in Denmark. A
court in The Hague finally ordered the man to stop. He
could be fined €100,000 euros ($110,000) per infraction if
he continues. Dutch medical guidelines say a single donor
can only father 25 children with 12 different mothers, but
the man repeatedly lied about his donation history. The
court made the decision after a foundation representing
his children and their parents brought a civil case
against the man. The parents said they were concerned that
his children might have trouble forming relationships out
of fear that they might be involved with a half-sibling.
The man’s motivations are unclear. He told the judge he wanted to help couples have children. But in the Netherlands, private or public clinics pay between $10 to $20 (€9 to 18) for each donation. So, he may have made as much as $12,000 (€11,000)! I’m speculating but there may also have been a matter of ego involved, with the knowledge that he fathered the equivalent of a small town, especially since he didn’t have to take part in raising the children. It might seem irreverent, but all this reminded me of a song children and youth sing sometimes: “Father Abraham had many sons. / Many sons had Father Abraham. / I am one of them and so are you. / So let’s all praise the Lord.” The song would lead us to believe Abraham was extremely prolific, except he didn’t really have “many sons” if you’re being literal. His first son was Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar (Gen. 16:1-4, 15-16). Hagar was the servant of his wife, Sarah. His second son was Isaac, whom Sarah bore (Gen. 21:1-7), the son God had promised him and Sarah many years before (Gen. 15:4-5). After Sarah died, he married a woman named Keturah and fathered six more sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Genesis 25:1-2). If you’re counting, that’s only eight sons (said someone who has never given birth). But in a very real sense, Abraham did have “many sons,” and daughters too, countless millions in fact, because Jews are considered the descendants of Abraham’s son, Isaac, the son who was born through God’s promise. That includes persons who have converted to Judaism, even if they weren’t born Jews. They become spiritual descendants of Abraham. Jesus also dealt with the question of who a descendant of Abraham was. He told some Jews who had been receptive to his teachings, “‘You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” (John 8:32 World English Bible). But they misunderstood what he was saying and replied, “‘We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone.’” (vs. 33b WEB). He told them they were slaves to sin (vs. 34) and that his word was not in them (vs. 37). They answered indignantly, “‘Our father is Abraham.’” (vs. 39a WEB). But Jesus told them, “‘Abraham didn’t do this. You do the works of your father.’” (vs.40b-41a WEB). They replied, “‘We have one Father, God.’” (vs. 41b WEB). But Jesus told them their true father was the devil (vs. 44a). Then they called him a Samaritan and accused him of being possessed by a demon (vs. 48) In the end, they even tried to throw stones at him (vs. 59). If Jesus talked that way to people who believed him, imagine the verbal bombs he reserved for those who didn’t! Paul wrote to the Galatians, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise. (Gal. 3:7-9, 29 WEB). And that means you and I can be children of Abraham, at any age. The same promise that was available to the Galatians is there for us. We can be freed from the spiritual bondage of sin and become heirs along with them. And as free children, children of truth, filled with God’s Word, we can invite others into our “family” at every opportunity. Copyright © 2023 by David Phelps
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