HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER

The first four commandments govern our relationship with God and the latter six relate to our fellow men. These indicate a responsibility to society at large, but our first duty is to our own household. Happiness in the home is dependent on obedience to the word of God as it affects the family. Among other things, it tells of the duties of husbands and wives, Eph. 5. 22-33, but this command insists on a respect for parents. Western society has suffered from a breakdown in family life and one of the symptoms is that ground rules laid down by parents are being disregarded. The attitude of Christian children and teenagers has to be different.

The Scriptures abound with examples of misery in families resulting from a failure to honour parents. Ham showed great disrespect for Noah by publicising his failings, Gen. 9. 22. Jacob deceived his father and fuelled a family feud, Gen. 27. His sons deceived him, and virtually broke his heart, Gen. 37. All this, and we have still not left the book of Genesis! The prodigal’s experience is evidence that there are personal con­sequences for rebellious behaviour, Luke 15. 17. It brought distress and despair: the grass on the other side of the fence was not so green after all!

The young believer should have respect for parents, not only because of this basic commandment but because the Lord Jesus left an example for us. As He entered the teenage years of life, it is said that ‘he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them’, Luke 2. 51. Apostolic teaching adds weight to the command by showing that obedience to parents is ‘wellpleasing unto the Lord’, Col. 3. 20. Surely every true believer has the ambition to please Him, 2 Cor. 5. 9.

Although obedience to parents may end with the transition from childhood to adulthood, the responsibility to honour them remains. For example, it is the duty of a family to provide for a needy widowed mother, 1 Tim. 5. 4. Paul regards it as a payback for all the effort and expenditure involved in bring­ing up her children. Such reciprocation is also ‘good and acceptable before God’.