Honor Your Parents

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Ex. 20:12)

The first four commandments have to do with our attitude and conduct towards God. This command concerns other people. The first “other people” we know after birth are our father and mother, and we are to stay with them until we are married.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24)

That may be a long time.

This attitude and action of honor is to continue all the time before and after we are married. It has nothing to do with whether our parents are good or bad parents. They are our parents.

Disrespect, disobedience, or rebellion in thought or action is not honor.

Eight of the ten commandments are negative commands (“thou shalt not”). This command and the Sabbath day commands are the only ones that are expressed positively.

Violation of this command is sin and needs to be confessed.

St. Paul quotes this command in Ephesians 6:

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” (Eph. 6:1-3)

Here Paul identifies obedience with honor. He also reminds us that there is a promise attached to this command—long life.

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