Command 26 : Honor Your Parents | Day 176

Get the Blessing Not the Curse!

To all who saw her she was just a poor, hardworking woman. Her shoulders and back bent forward from years of manual labor, and her clothes were faded and worn. She spent as little as possible on herself, because in her heart was a cherished dream: one day she would stand beside her only son when he graduated from college. All her sacrifices would then be worthwhile.

The long-awaited day finally arrived. She traveled to the college eager to share in this special event. As she greeted her son, she anticipated expressions of joy and appreciation. Instead her son said, "Mother, I don't know how to say this, but I don't want my friends to know that you are my mother." Shocked, she asked, "Why would you say that, son?" He stammered a moment and responded, "Well, you are not very well dressed, and your appearance is an embarrassment." The mother was crushed and stunned by what her son had said. Through his attitude and actions, he had just violated the following command that Jesus gave:

Command Twenty-Six: “Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matthew 15:4).

Honor is one of the greatest gifts that we give to others by our words and actions. In practice it is choosing to esteem someone as having high value, worth, and importance to us. In this command Jesus restates the importance of children honoring their parents.

How and why does this command differ from the Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue? “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). Paul points out that the Fifth Commandment is the first command with a promise of blessing. (See Ephesians 6:1-3.) Jesus' reaffirmation of the command includes a curse for not following it: “Let him die the death.”

The Pharisees had contrived a clever scheme called Corban to avoid their obligation to provide for their parents in old age. They dedicated all their resources to God, yet they continued to use their resources for themselves. When their parents needed financial assistance, they would respond that they had nothing to give because it had all been dedicated to God.

Jesus rebuked them for making the commandment of God of no effect by their tradition. (See Mark 7:10-13.) In His rebuke, He reaffirmed the consequence of cursing father and mother. (See Exodus 21:17.)

According to the Mosaic law, one who cursed a parent received the same penalty as one who committed adultery—death. (See Leviticus 20:9-10.)

There are several Hebrew and Greek words that describe the full range of cursing, from mild disrespect to vicious consignment to hell. The Hebrew word used in the Law is the milder form of cursing and means to lightly esteem your parents. This brings up two important questions: How many times have we actually cursed our father and mother? Can we purpose now to fully obey this command to honor them?