Jesus is even better than Bluey’s dad

“You’re as good as Bluey’s dad”. It is the highest compliment our young children can give my husband. I’ve given a similar compliment to one of our humorous friends and father of four. Bandit, more commonly known as Bluey’s Dad, is an animated Australian cattle dog daddy who has captured the hearts of children and parents the world over with his dry wit, playfulness and love for his two doggy daughters. The show has won an Emmy and Bandit has been declared a dad-idol by celebrities and dedicated fan groups.

So what’s so good about Bandit? A big part of his appeal is his sense of fun and humor. But entwined with that is the enjoyment he shows in caring for and spending time with his daughters. Bandit delights in his children even if sometimes they have to drag him out of bed or away from his phone. Don’t we all want that? Someone who delights to be with us, spend time with us and care for us? That’s how Jesus is even better than Bluey’s dad.

Jesus isn’t known for His sense of humor or playfulness (though I suspect He has more of that than we understand) but boy does He like being with us. Jesus didn’t just get out of bed on time He left the perfect majesty of His heavenly home to be with us.

“For I [Jesus] have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him [God] who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son [Jesus] and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:38-40).

Jesus came to earth as a human, not for His own fun or adventure but to be with us, He died on the cross to be with us, He took the punishment for our sins to be with us and so all who believe in Him can be with God forever. The delight we enjoy watching between Bandit and his doggy daughters is just a glimpse of the mutual delight we can enjoy with God forever and ever because of Jesus. That’s why Jesus is even better than Bluey’s dad

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You are so much better than Bluey’s dad! Help me to understand the
sacrifice you made so you can be with me and I can be with you forever. Help me to look forward to our delighting in each other for eternity.

Appendix: “Bluey” is an Australian animated television series for preschoolers. The show follows Bluey, an anthropomorphic six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy who is characterised by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity of the world. The young dog lives with her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo, who regularly joins Bluey on adventures as the pair embark on imaginative play together. Bluey loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures, developing her imagination as well as her mental, physical and emotional resilience. Other characters featured each represent a different dog breed. Overarching themes include the focus on family, growing up and Australian culture.

Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2022