Re:Verse passage –Exodus 20:12 (day six)
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.”
The command is simple enough. We know it refers to all of us, not just our toddlers and teenagers. We know it rightly elevates the role of family in society. We even know what it means to “honor” our parents. And yet how often it is easily dismissed, forgotten, or simply replaced.
Jesus had strong words for the Pharisees when their traditions trumped the commandments. In the case of this commandment, the Pharisees allowed the tradition of a designated gift to the temple (corban, Mark 7:9-13) to alleviate any pressure to financially take care of elderly parents. Jesus said, “You create traditions, so as not to obey God’s commandment.” It got me thinking, what traditions keep us from honoring our parents? What traditions, even in the church, have disrupted God’s design for the family?
We probably would greatly benefit by giving that serious thought.