“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12
Scripture Reading: Mark 7:1-12
Memory Verse: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3
Introduction:
The fifth commandment directs us to honor our parents. It is most certainly deserving of this place in the commandments. God knew that the welfare of mankind depended, among other things, upon order, respect for authority, respect for equals, and respect for those under our authority. The father is to be the head of the household and the wife is to submit to his leading. In order to learn reverence to God, children must first learn reverence for their parents. The intent of the commandment is to teach respect for authority beginning with respect for parents. This is in opposition to the view of many.
The rebellion of children against parents is very prevalent in our modern world. Those restless, uncontrollable youth protest authorities of all kinds and their rebellion takes many forms. They indulge themselves in the things that even society once considered off-limits. They delight in disrespect for the law and for our great heritage of justice. They show a lack of honor to parents and a lack of respect for all that is good and wholesome. At the heart is a reaction against the authority of God and His authority over our lives.
The commandment says to honor our parents “that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Ephesians 6:3 says to honor your parents “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” This certainly had application to the Israelite people, but it goes beyond that to all mankind. Yes, this is not to be considered a motive for keeping the command. In other words, we don’t honor our parents so that we will live long. There are many parent-honoring children who die young and others that have not honored their parents who live a long life. Regard this statement in a general way, applying to our society, rather than individually.
The word “honor” in Hebrew is from the word, “kabad*.” It is a verb with the definition of, “to be heavy.” In other words, to regard as worthy of a weight of respect. The Greek word for “Honor” is “timao**” which means to fix a right evaluation of their worth.
How do we teach children to honor their parents? The Hebrew Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 comes to mind. We teach children to be respectful by showing them courtesy and respect. We teach honor by showing genuine love. We teach honor by demonstrating honor and care of our own parents.
Lesson Questions:
- What was Jesus’ example of showing honor to parents? Luke 2:51
- What was the penalty for disrespect to parents in the law of Moses? Leviticus 20:9. Why should disrespect to parents be considered a sin?
- What does Solomon say about honoring father and mother? Proverbs 6:20, 22; 13:1; 15:5
- How had the Pharisees elevated their traditions above the commandments in Matthew 15:1-9? What was Jesus’ view of the commandment here? Note: It was a tradition of the Jews that a son or daughter might pay a sum of money known as “corban.” They were then freed from any further obligation to help their parents.
- Discuss why it is inconsistent to say we are Christian when our life reflects that we are not devoted to honoring our parents?
- What does Paul say about obedience to parents? Ephesians 6:1-3 What about those children whose parents are not Christian? Are children to obey those parents and in what circumstances?
- What is the parents’ duty to their children? Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:11. How can parents cultivate genuine love in their relationship with their children?