‘Honour your Father and your Mother…’ (Exodus 20:12)
At its basic and simplest level this commandment is all about respecting your parents and giving them the honour that they are due and certainly this is a theme which is consistent throughout the Bible. However, there is more to it than this; there is also an element of respecting all your elders, not just your own parents but all parents, all those who have more wisdom and life experience than you do. And again we also see this kind of theme repeated throughout the Bible.
However, during His ministry Jesus appeared to take it to yet another level in Matthew 12:48-50. When He was told that His mother and brothers were outside Jesus pointed to all His disciples and said they were His mother and brother – indeed anyone who did the will of His Father in heaven could be called His mother, brother or sister. So maybe that’s how we should look at this commandment; yes, honour our parents by showing them the love and respect we are due them, but also show this same love and respect to all God’s children because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and all part of God’s one family.
Lord, help us to show love and respect to all whom we meet in our lives every day…in Jesus name. Amen.
Question Of The Day: Which Disciple replaced Judas?