Honor Your Father and Mother

Introduction

Exodus 20:12 ““Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

ILLUSTRATION: My parents were very meticulous about me learning how to drive. I did not get a car the first day that I could.

I had to drive around 30 minutes to school down some country roads and on the interstate every day to school. I did not realize how dangerous such a drive could be.

My parents instilled in me safe and cautious driving.

One day, I ignored their teaching. I thought, “I have gotten the hang of this.” As I was driving down the road, I was trying to adjust the radio, and I was driving too fast.

I came around a curve, and I was in the other lane and a cop car was right in front of me.

He hit the ditch, and I went ahead and pulled over.

I had disobeyed my parents, and I could easily have lost my life.

We forget that this is for a covenant people. god is reaching us worship.

I could easily have lost my life, because I did not listen to my parents teaching.

The command applies to more than just driving. It applies to all of life.

Our parents teach us danger from safety, but they also teach us right from wrong - which ultimately is danger from safety.

God has given us each of us our parents, and we are to honor them.

CIT: Christians are to honor their earthly parents as an act of worship to their Heavenly Father.

Explanation

We have two parts to this verse: The commandment and the promise. This commandment is the only one given with a promise.

Honor your father and mother,

What does honor mean?

Honor means, “to understand or grasp the weight.” There is weight in the title.

Whether you agree with the president of the US or our governor or even a city official, we honor their title.

There is a certain decorum that we possess when we talk to people of a certain caliber.

The commandment does not say, “Honor them if they are worthy of honor.” We honor our parents whether they are worthy of honor or not.

This does not mean that you excuse abusive behavior, but it does mean that you do your best to interact to them with respect.

Children are to obey their parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. (Col 3:20)

My mom told me to practice the piano when I was a child.

I never did, and I did not make it out of the beginner book in 6 years.

I wish I had listened to her. I would maybe be able to play the piano today.

As adults, honoring your parents looks different. It does not mean that we do everything that they say. We leave and cleave as Genesis 2 shows us. We do, however:

Listen to the instructions of our parents.

Imitate their godly practices.

Our language needs to be respectful.

As much as we are able, we care for them in their old age.

Even if your parent is not a believer or living in sin, there is a way to have those conversations that honor them.

How long should we honor our father and mother?

We always honor our father and mother.

You do not graduate from honoring your father and mother when you graduate from high school.

You do not graduate from honoring your father and mother when they become too feeble to walk.

Do you always honor your father and mother?

Some of you need to call your momma or your dad after we finish this worship service.

Some of you need to forgive your parents of the things that they have done.

When God says, “Honor your father and your mother,” he is saying, “Trust me.”

God placed you in that womb. Psalm 139:13 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

John Piper says, “Teachers will come and go, bosses will be hired and retire, governors and presidents will be elected and leave office, whole nations will rise and fall, but your parents will always be your parents.”

God had billions of options, and he gave you to your parents.

Honoring our parents gives us practice for honoring Him.

God is our heavenly father.

The natural tendency of our sinful hearts is to scoff at our parents, ignore our parents, or vilify our parents.

As we practice a lack of respect before our parents, it leaks into our relationship with our great heavenly Father.

Example: The “Why” question.

I am not talking about the truthful and earnest 3-4 year old who is trying to figure out how things work.

I am talking about the “why” question that older children and teenagers use as a way to delay their obedience to their parents. “Why” do I need to take out the garbage? “Why” do I have to come home at 10 PM? It is done to force parents into an explanation that they ultimately are not owed.

We eventually use this reasoning with God, Himself.

“Why” must I sell all that I have and give to the poor?

“Why” should I go to church instead of sleeping in this morning?

that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Why does God give this promise? A long life?

I think this is a general statement.

Your parents have lived longer than you have, and they know more than you do.

Your parents are training you for the real world. What they teach you will help you throughout your life. Your respect for them will help you as you have a boss, etc.

I wish I could describe for you the sheer number of stupid decisions I made as a kid, because I would not listen to my parents.

However, remember God’s promise. He just made Israel a covenant people.

It was tied to the land that they were given. The promised land.

Application

Parents: Your children’s honoring of you does not mean blind submission, especially if you are living in sin.

Jeremiah 7:18 “The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.”

This passage is often used for parents to say, “Do exactly what I say when I say it.”

In this passage, the entire family is playing a part in creating an idol.

Job was a great father. He cared for his children, and he even offered sacrifices on their behalf. He loved his children, but he was also a spiritual leader for them.

You aren’t blinding following your parents. You are honoring them.

Ultimately, we honor our parents as we honor our Heavenly Father.

Our Father has done more for us than our parents.

He sent his own son that we could be adopted as His sons and daughters.

Conclusion

Only one way does God become your Heavenly Father - the blood of his son, Jesus Christ.

Honor your parents. Call them. Text them. Visit them. Give less of a little huff when they say something for the 500th time.