Read: Ephesians
6:1-3
Honour thy
father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.
Exodus 20:12
Imagine how the soldiers who crucified
Christ must have felt when they stood before God at the end of their lives and
realized their mistake. The soldier who shoved the crown of thorns on His head
must have been mortified to learn that Jesus was the King of Kings. The soldier
who drove the spikes through His hands and feet must have been devastated to
learn that He was not the criminal he thought He was. The soldiers who lifted
the heavy beams that formed the rugged cross and dropped it into its final
resting place atop Mt. Calvary were undoubtedly astounded to find out that they
had murdered the One who had created the things they handled so mercilessly.
The soldier who gave Jesus vinegar to drink in place of water as he hung there
dying must have been stunned when he heard that Jesus was the Living water and
that he had done his part to ensure His death. Jesus had remarked in Mark 6:4
that a prophet was not without honor except in his own country, and those
soldiers had proven that to be true. They had unknowingly crucified the One who
deserved every last ounce of their honor and respect. They didn’t realize what
they had until He was gone.
It is easy to criticize those soldiers for
their treatment of Christ, but many young men treat their parents the same way.
Parents certainly are not Jesus Christ, but they do deserve honor for who they
are. Your mother went through the jaws of death, even offering her own life if
that was needed, to give you birth. Your parents sacrifice daily by going to
work to support you and by giving up the nice things that they could have
themselves so they can give you a place to live, food, schooling, and so many
more things. Imagine how you will feel when you stand before God one day and
realize your mistake in mistreating the parents He gave you. Parents are often
not without honor except in their own families, which is really a shame because
within their own families is where they deserve honor the most.
No parent is perfect, and some haven’t
earned the honor and respect of their children, but that doesn’t give the
children the right to act toward them in a way that is displeasing to God. His
command is not to honor them if they are honorable; this command is to honor
your parents. Period. Honoring them involves obeying them, respecting them (to
their faces and behind their backs), and following their advice. Children who
unfailingly honor their parents will be honored by God for following His
command to give them the respect they deserve.
Quote
of the day: “Respect is what we owe; love, what we give.” – Philip Bradley
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