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Our topic is: "What Does Honoring Our Parents Really Mean?" Part V of our Ten Commandments series. Here's Rick and Jonathan.
[Rick] (0:22 - 0:27) Welcome everyone, I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over twenty-five years. Jonathan, what's our theme Scripture for this episode?
[Jonathan] (0:27 - 0:38) Exodus 20:12: "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee."
[Rick] (0:38 - 1:26) The Fifth Commandment that God gave to Israel after He freed them from slavery was a simple statement of respect. God instructed each and every individual to honor their parents. To really understand the impact of this command from God to His people of Israel and to us, it's important to do two things.
First, recognize that appropriate "honor" for one's parents really has its foundation in the previous four Commandments. Second, we need to be aware that while honoring parents does have its basis in honoring God, we must recognize that any and all honor we give them reflects how and why we honor God. How and why do we as Christians honor our parents?
[Jonathan] (1:27 - 1:45) To grasp the meaning of the Fifth Commandment, let's refresh ourselves regarding the previous four. The First Commandment is found in Exodus 20:3: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."
God is sovereign. This "internal instruction" is the basis for all of God's other Commandments.
[Rick] (1:45 - 2:05) The Second Commandment in Exodus 20:4: "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image." God's sovereignty is never to be shared or diminished. This "external action instruction" is outwardly observed when we create a physically or emotionally tangible object of worship.
[Jonathan] (2:06 - 2:27) Now let's read the Third Commandment; Exodus 20:7: "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain." This external action instruction focuses on never representing the holiness of God's name carelessly, foolishly, or with any hint of irreverence.
[Rick] (2:27 - 3:01) Now we've got those three, and now we go to the Fourth Commandment in Exodus 20:8: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." This is also an external action instruction--it's what we do.
God rested after His creative work of the earth and human life, though He continued working on preparing and providing for the Messiah. We are also to rest, to not be driven by the toil of our physical lives, but rest in the redemption and calling that Jesus has provided. We rest in the blessed work and sacrifice of taking Jesus' yoke upon us.
[Jonathan] (3:01 - 3:20) Summing them up, the first four Commandments focus on how to thrive spiritually and on who God is. They encompass the sanctity that His sovereignty holds in our lives. They teach us to always reverence Him with our everyday thoughts, words, and actions.
[Rick] (3:20 - 3:54) We've got that as our foundation. Now comes the Fifth Commandment. It's also an external action instruction.
It's also what we do, and it's the first step in establishing how to thrive as a physical people in relation to one another. It's kind of like a whole new foundation for our physical, worldly relationships. What we're going to see is all of the final six Commandments will show us what governs successful interpersonal relationships, and all of that starts here.
The Fifth Commandment, Jonathan, Exodus 20:12:
[Jonathan] (3:55 - 4:40) "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee." What does it mean to honor your father and mother? This word "honor" can be positive or negative.
In a bad sense, it means to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard. In a good sense, honor means to be rich, be honorable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honored. Let's look at an example of "honor" in a bad sense.
Exodus 8:32: "And Pharaoh hardened (that's the same word for 'honor') his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go."
[Rick] (4:41 - 4:56) This word carries incredible weight. That's showing it being applied in a very negative, very dangerous sort of position. You're going to look at that and say, wow, it can be really bad. Well, it can also be really good. Let's look at an example the other way, Jonathan.
[Jonathan] (4:57 - 5:04) Proverbs 3:9: "Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase."
[Rick] (5:05 - 5:56) "Honor"--make weighty, give great reverence to God with your substance, with your very being, and the firstfruits of everything that you produce. Put Him high above everything for every reason all the time. This word is really powerful, however it's used.
Let's go a little bit further then. Just as the principle of reverencing God is the spiritual foundation for society, so the honoring of parents is the physical foundation for human societal interaction. It's really important to notice how both of those things are needed.
If we're going to truly understand honoring our parents, we need to put it in its context. I love this next Scripture because it puts it all together in a really beautiful way-- also part of the Law. Let's look at Leviticus 19:1-4:
[Jonathan] (5:57 - 6:34) "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy..." Or "set apart," that word can mean. In other words, it's saying you shall be set apart just like God is set apart.
As people, you're different than everyone else. Let's continue with verse 3: "Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths;
I am the LORD your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God."
[Rick] (6:35 - 7:14) You have this command. Now it's reflecting back--it's actually reflecting, won't go to take the time--but it's reflecting back to the first five Commandments. All five Commandments are in this summation in Leviticus.
It helps us to see that in ancient Israel, the honor due to parents was a pivotal piece in setting up and maintaining a God-reverencing society. You couldn't have that society in force in a God-reverencing way without honoring your parents. Could even have been looked like as a matter of national security.
You've got to honor your parents to keep your nation intact because it's built upon honoring God.
[Jonathan] (7:15 - 7:55) I'd like to read a comment from jewishstudiesforchristians.com: "In the Hebrew, honoring our parents carries the profound idea of 'weight' or 'heaviness.' First and foremost in the mind and heart, to ascribe weight, substance and supreme importance to one’s parents. It involves refusing to view them as fleeting shadows; but rather, as vital anchors in our lives, deserving our deepest respect and devotion."
[Rick] (7:56 - 8:13) There's a powerful sense--and we talked about the power of the word in a few examples previously--but that powerful sense of their strong anchors. An anchor holds you in place. That's the concept that we're looking at here. That's looking at it from the standpoint of Israel and the Jewish Law.
We've got that put in place. Now let's focus on our Christian responsibility to honor our father and our mother.
[Jonathan] (8:14 - 8:36) The New Testament word for "honor" means "to prize, i.e., fix a valuation upon; by implication to revere." A good example is found in Matthew 15:4: "For God said, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, and, HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH." Wow, that's harsh!
[Rick] (8:36 - 8:36) Yeah.
[Jonathan] (8:37 - 8:40) But what if someone's parents are awful parents?
[Rick] (8:40 - 9:45) That's a really good question. That's a really important question. We're going to get to that question.
We need to set some groundwork first, but that is a pivotal place for us to have a discussion. As we look at this, this is the New Testament interpretation. God said, "Honor your father and mother."
It's quoting the Commandments. We see that word for "to prize" and "to revere." That's the sense that we as Christians should have.
Another use of that word for "honor" very obviously shows us how it can be applied in its highest sense in John 5:23:
JONATHAN: "...so that all who honor the son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." RICK:
That's a pretty strong statement by Jesus, saying: "I am connected, and if you want to truly revere the Father, you need to honor me, because He sent me!" When we have respect for our parents, it opens positive doors for all involved.
It really truly does. Going back to an Old Testament Scripture, Proverbs 23:22-23:
[Jonathan] (9:46 - 9:57) "Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding."
[Rick] (9:57 - 10:25) It's just giving us a sense of "Pay attention!" It's an interesting thing. It's basically saying, pay attention to those who are naturally there for you. It's not a hard thing to find.
Pay attention, they're right there. Such a level of honor begins in a sincere heart and is expressed as an external action. Honoring somebody, like our parents, is not done just on the inside.
It is done by how we live, how we express ourselves.
[Jonathan] (10:25 - 10:40) Continuing with the source, jewishstudiesforchristians.com: "Parents are the first divine representatives we encounter—the ones who give us life, exercise authority over us, provide care and hold out the promise of a bright future."
[Rick] (10:41 - 11:03) That's a beautiful way to put it. They're the first ones in line. As Christians, we, just like those given that commandment back in the Old Testament, have this sense of reverence in relation to our parents.
We need to put that into practice. How do we do that? How do we, in a practical, everyday sense, honor our father and our mother?
[Jonathan] (11:03 - 12:20) We brought my parents to live with us because they needed care. My dad had Alzheimer's for seven years, but was always gentle. We're very glad of that.
After eight months with us, he passed away peacefully at home with the help of wonderful caregivers and God's guidance. My mom stayed with us for three years. She loved having Bible studies at her house, waving to people from the porch, and being pampered.
We did our best, but caring for her was sometimes hard because she needed a lot of attention. It took patience from all of us, especially my wife. I remember once when Jewel was working in another room, and mom was in the living room watching TV.
She called out for Jewel and asked for three Raisinets in a dish. Of course, Jewel didn't count them out, but anyway, can you believe that? By the way, Mom was capable of walking.
See, that's the ironic thing. We all called her "Queen," and she actually loved that. Looking back, we have no regrets.
God gave us the strength to honor both of my parents. It wasn't always easy, and sometimes it was exhausting, but the point is, it was the right thing to do.
[Rick] (12:21 - 12:47) Really, that's the bottom line. To just do the right thing, or to do the right thing from your heart, that's the key. That's where respect and honor have a difference.
You can respect by just doing the right thing, but the honoring comes from the heartfelt example of that. That's a great story... three Raisinets.
I don't think I'm going to forget that. I don't think I ever heard this from you before, so this is new. I might mail Jewel three Raisinets.
[Jonathan] (12:47 - 12:49) Oh, my...I don't know brother, if you should do that!
[Rick] (12:52 - 13:09) Anyway, let's go back to Jesus as an example. First, from his very early life, we all remember when he was twelve and he had been left behind in Jerusalem, and his parents were really worried. Here's his response to their worry, and then here's what happens afterwards. Let's look at Luke 2:49-52:
[Jonathan] (13:09 - 13:12) "And he said to them, Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?" Let me pause. Jesus was saying, where else would I be? I'm not interested in anything other than being close to my heavenly Father. "But they did not understand the statement which he had made to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he continued in subjection to them; and his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
[Rick] (13:46 - 15:03) Sometimes we think that Jesus was perfect--and he was. At twelve, he probably had an intellect beyond most human beings, obviously, because of the way his mind was working. You think, well, he could have figured everything out.
But the beauty of this Scripture is that they didn't understand what he said, and then the next Scripture says, he went down, he came to Nazareth, and he continued in subjection to them. In other words, he had them teach him. He used them as an example, and that next Scripture that says he kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men is a testimony to his parents' input and his receiving it with that honor.
That's a beautiful, beautiful thing. Even though Jesus was perfect, he didn't know everything. He remained in subjection until the right time came.
It's a great example, because it was calm, it was quiet, it was open to learning. Now let's fast forward. That's the first instance we have of Jesus interacting with his parents.
The last instance of Jesus interacting with his mother is when he's on the cross. At the very end of his life, Jesus continued to be the example of what honoring our parents looks like. Fast forward to the cross, John 19:25-27:
[Jonathan] (15:03 - 16:00) "...But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved (obviously that's the Apostle John) standing nearby, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son! Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother!
From that hour the disciple took her into his own household." A child dying before the parent is unnatural. Yet Jesus, while in the midst of agony and pain, was concerned for his mother's well-being.
He turned over the responsibility of care for his mother to the Apostle John, who he trusted with her life-- the only Apostle that was there at the cross. John lived longer than any other Apostle, giving him time to care for Mary, Jesus' faithful mother.
[Rick] (16:00 - 16:48) That's a really beautiful observation. It was not just a flippant thing. There was thought and care behind what he said. It just shows the honor and respect, almost literally, with his dying breath.
I mean, literally, you're this close to it. You get that sense of awe and respect for Jesus in his respect for his mother. We look at those examples...our respect for our parents has to filter through our recognition of their best and yet imperfect efforts.
You've got to filter through the recognition of their best and yet imperfect efforts, because some of you might be listening saying, yeah, but what about...but what about...? Well, let's start to talk about "but what about" a little bit here. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 12:9-11, and this is a Scripture talking about being disciplined.
[Jonathan] (16:48 - 16:54) "Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them (In other words, they did the best they could), but He (God) disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
[Rick] (17:27 - 18:04) The comparison is, "they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them." That's the point. So in Hebrews, we're being given the caveat of imperfection.
They're doing the best they can, and they disciplined us, and we should have--according to that discipline--we should have adhered to it, because all discipline doesn't seem joyful, but grievous. I don't know, Jonathan, when you were a kid the kind of discipline you got, but for us, it was, you didn't do something right, you sat in the corner. Okay? I'm telling you, there was nothing worse than sitting in the corner.
[Jonathan] (18:04 - 18:08) Not for a guy like you, who can't stop, is always on the move.
[Rick] (18:08 - 18:48) Yeah, I know, it's like...you just...but see, it was after their best intentions, according to their best efforts. That's the key. If we want to be judged based on our best effort, we need to owe that standard to others, especially to our parents.
This is an important baseline--according to their best efforts--and we know none of us is perfect. Though wisdom is never complete in any of us, and it really isn't, it does generally dwell in those with greater experience. That's another big piece of this wisdom and respect and honor.
Wisdom generally is in those who have more experience. Let's look at 1 Timothy 5:1-2:
[Jonathan] (18:48 - 19:00) "Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity."
[Rick] (19:01 - 19:19) It's that sense of respect. When something needs to be altered or corrected, do it respectfully. Our best application of wisdom is to have respect and appreciation in its presence.
It's such an important thing to look up, even if we have to do something, with honor.
[Jonathan] (19:20 - 19:39) It is appropriate to respect our elders. My mother-in-law was a devoted Christian. We had the privilege of having her live with us for thirteen years after my father-in-law passed away.
She faced many physical challenges and needed our help. I always enjoyed discussing the Scriptures with her. She had so much wisdom to share.
[Rick] (19:40 - 21:36) I knew your mother <in-law> well, and she did. She lived with you for a long time. Over those years, I was able to see the great mutual respect that everyone had, and how you did lift her up—both of you lifted her up—into a position of great honor. It sits with me to this day.
In this Scripture, Jonathan, it talked about having to do something to direct somebody who's older. Let me give you just an example in my own life experience with my mom. You know my mom very well.
She is one of the most generous, hospitable people you'll ever meet anywhere. If you look up hospitality in the dictionary, that's her picture. But as people get older, what happens is their reflexes start to slow down.
They don't necessarily realize it. I would watch her. A few years ago—I won't talk about her age, I'll just say it's greater than 70 and less than 90, okay, somewhere in there—it became obvious that driving was probably not a good idea anymore.
So I had a conversation with her one day, and I talked to her about the concept of slowing down reflexes and the potential of you might hurt somebody and certainly not mean it. I said, "Mom, I want you to think about this, because I want it to be your decision." I think it's really important.
A few days later, we were sitting and talking-- I go visit her every morning-- and she said to me, "Oh, you know what?
I thought about it and here's what happened." I was driving with her daughter, my sister Joy.
Joy was driving and somebody just cut out in front of them and Joy had to stop suddenly. She said, "You know, I realized I would have never been able to stop in time."
So she made the decision. I could have approached her and said, Mom, give me your license, but that would not have been the respectful thing to do.
So to me, it was give honor where honor is due and respect their ability to be able to move things forward. That really, really stuck with me in terms of how to deal with things from a perspective of honor.
[Jonathan] (21:36 - 21:49) I love your mom. She's always encouraging when she sees me and always compliments me. She's so special.
But Rick, what about parents who aren't honorable? Is it time to answer that question?
[Rick] (21:49 - 21:49) It is. It is.
[Jonathan] (21:49 - 21:50) Good.
[Rick] (21:50 - 22:04) That's an important question. There are two cautions that we want to talk about. Okay,
the first caution is a very big and deep caution. Honoring a destructive parent is NOT a biblical principle. It is not.
[Jonathan] (22:04 - 22:06) That's powerful. Say that again, please.
[Rick] (22:06 - 22:24) Honoring a destructive parent is NOT a biblical principle. We are NOT to ever blindly follow evil instructions or evil examples. How do we know?
Let's go back to the Scriptures. Ask Christians. Ephesians 6:1-4:
[Jonathan] (22:24 - 22:42) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
[Rick] (22:42 - 24:11) First it says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord." You've got that direction. "Obey your parents in the Lord" because that's the right thing to do.
Then the Apostle Paul quotes the Commandment. Then it says, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." It's all about honoring God, having the parents be honoring to God.
We honor that from both sides. We honor them from a godly perspective. They honor us from a godly perspective.
"In the Lord"--this means abiding by the first four Commandments. There's a reason that this honoring of parents comes after clearly defining what honoring God is, as well as what our responsibility is to "rest" in our spiritually driven lives. It's such an important concept in the Lord.
So when a parent--Jonathan, it breaks my heart to even talk about this--but when a parent is destructive, is abusive, is not abiding by righteous principles, we have to be able to step back from that and approach it, not blindly following, because the Scriptures tell us not to do that. Any destructive parenting issue can be a real challenge. As Christians, we should always look to those who would give godly instruction for help when faced with such a prospect.
Just as a principle for that, let's look at Galatians 6:2:
[Jonathan] (24:11 - 24:59) "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." Continuing with the jewishstudiesforchristians.com, they really cover this concept: 'Honor can mean being sad about the loss of the ideal parent or respecting your own God-given worth by setting limits.
To break the cycle of abuse is a very honorable thing to do. It indicates that you care about the relationship and want to make things better in the future. The process of healing becomes a sacred task as it brings the damaged relationship before God...
When we listen with intention, forgive with generosity, set healthy boundaries where needed, and remain faithfully present."
[Rick] (24:59 - 26:31) There is no greater honor than to help someone get picked up and put onto the right path. If it's our parents, so be it. Let's do it with that concept of love and respect, which means taking a stand on the foundation of godly righteousness.
Not on the foundation of what I think, or what I feel, or my resentment--on the foundation of godly righteousness. Honoring our parents...we have to put in the context of godliness. Can't be done without godliness.
That's our first caution. Now we're going to go on to another caution, all right? Before we mention what the second caution is, we have to make it very, very plain.
These two cautions are very different. They need to be separate at all times. The second caution, we must NOT confuse the difficult circumstances we just talked about with our own potential willfulness, resentment, or frustration against our parents.
Sometimes we can have a resentment and it overwhelms us, but it's not based in godliness. Maybe our parents were doing the best they could toward righteousness and we just rejected it and didn't like it, and now we've built resentment. We have to be careful.
That's a second area of caution. Jesus addresses this idea of finding excuses to cast our parents aside. He addresses that idea when he's talking to the Pharisees in Mark 7:9-13:
[Jonathan] (26:31 - 27:08) 'He was also saying to them, You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER; and, HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH; but you say, If a man says to his father and his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban
(that is to say, given to God), you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."
[Rick] (27:09 - 27:35) Jesus is looking at the Pharisees and saying, they would teach others, they would teach those who were following them, that you should really be contributing to the treasury of the temple so we can do God's work. You know what? Don't worry so much about your parents, because you can tell them, Corban, I'm doing this to honor God.
Jesus said, stop. That is not what the Commandment was about. Jonathan, we were talking about this beforehand, and you said...
[Jonathan] (27:36 - 27:41) They created a loophole to get out of taking care of their parents.
[Rick] (27:42 - 28:41) They did. They created this massive loophole. It was a big, big, big, big tunnel you could drive through. You could drive a truck through it.
Give the money to us, not to your parents. It was exactly positively wrong. It's easy to fall into that if we have resentment, if we have frustration, if we're remembering difficult experiences.
I mean, sometimes we are rebellious as kids, right? Sometimes we don't follow along, and then we resent the correction. That's not an excuse.
That's not a destructive parent. We were destructive young people, but the parent was working hard at righteousness. Don't confuse those two things.
Wisdom is clearly required here. It's clearly required to choose the right path, and especially when we're faced with highly emotional issues. Sometimes with our parents, it's emotional.
Let's look at Galatians 6:7-8:
[Jonathan] (28:41 - 28:56) "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life."
[Rick] (28:56 - 29:44) "God is not mocked." What we sow, we reap. What we put out, we get back.
God knows if we're acting out of resentment, if we're acting out of frustration, if we're acting out of spite, if we're acting out of those kinds of things. Folks, as we look at as Christians at honoring our parents, we need to do it from the heart, recognizing that if my heart is tainted in any way, that's my issue that I have to work on. I have to correct so that I can be honorable the way the Scriptures taught us to be honorable.
Child-to-parent honor and parent-to-child respect that is pleasing to the Lord has got to be a clear, focused, important, primary objective. Colossians 3:20-21:
[Jonathan] (29:45 - 30:05) "Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart." Now, this is similar to the Ephesian Scripture we read earlier about fathers not provoking children to anger.
Because Paul was inspired to share this twice means it's pretty important.
[Rick] (30:06 - 30:47) Well, you think about it, he's talking to Gentile Christians. They don't have any sense of the Jewish heritage that they were brought up with honoring their parents. So he's laying out all of the groundwork, saying this is what a true Christian life looks like from all perspectives.
It's a beautiful thing that he does this because it helps us to see the most important things. All of what we do, Jonathan, all of what we do must be done with our full intention to please God, and honoring parents is included. We need to have that intention to please Him by honoring our parents from our hearts.
Colossians 3, we'll skip a verse and go to verses 23-25:
[Jonathan] (30:48 - 31:23) "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality." Let's go finally back to the jewishstudiesforchristians.com:
"For when families reflect the weight of genuine honor, they become places of healing, hope, and light—illuminating the way toward deeper harmony with God and one another."
[Rick] (31:24 - 31:41) Jonathan, this is a choice. This is a choice that we can make in terms of applying this particular Commandment of honoring our father and mother in our own lives. No matter what age we are, we can still apply all of this.
Honoring parents and honoring God, let's put this all together.
[Jonathan] (31:41 - 32:05) To honor our parents is an external action instruction to always respectfully do what is best for them and by them. Our actions of honor and respect should always be filtered through a God-honoring approach. Let us work to be sure this honor surpasses merely fulfilling responsibility and comes from our hearts.
That's what Jesus did.
[Rick] (32:06 - 32:55) That is what Jesus did, and that's what Jesus taught us to do. Again, when we look at the concept of honoring our parents, what we need to recognize is the honor of our parents comes because we honor God, because we don't have any idols, because we don't take His name in vain by misrepresenting Him, because we rest in Jesus. Now as Christians, honoring our parents is built on those things.
Those are the principles. That's the way we go. This is what our lives should really be about.
Honoring our parents is a joy, a treasure, and a brilliant, brilliant opportunity as well as a responsibility. Think about it. Coming up on our next episode, Part VI of our Ten Commandments series: "What Makes Christians Guilty of Murder?"
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