July - 13
HONORING PARENTS
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD . . . is giving you.” Ex. 20:12
It might come as a surprise to many of us that this commandment is not age-specific. It’s a commandment not just for the young but for children of all ages. God asks that parents be worthy of honor in the way they relate to their children. And God commands that children obey and show respect for their parents in line with doing what is right. This means both are to act appropriately at each stage of their lives together.
This commandment came to a society without the support systems that many of us are used to. Adult children were totally responsible to look after aging parents. God reminds us that as long as we have parents, we are to honor them, seeing that their living is respectable and they are well cared for. It’s not just a matter of doing what our parents tell us to do when we are young. It’s a matter of showing life-long honor to the parents who gave us life, raised us, and launched us on life’s journey.
The apostle Paul calls this “the first commandment with a promise.” God indicates that when we honor the parents with whom we are in relationship, he will honor us. Some parents are easier to honor than others. But respecting those whom the Lord has chosen to place over us opens a door to blessing. By honoring our parents and others whom God places in authority over us, we honor our Father in heaven.
PRAYER
You call us, Lord, to honor parents not for what they have done but for who they are, even if they are not easy to love. Help us do that well, for your, their, and our sake. Amen.
我们或许觉得奇怪，这条诫命没有提到它适用于甚么年纪的人，因它不单适用于年轻的子女，它也是对任何年纪的子女说的。神吩咐父母善待子女，以配得他们的孝敬，神亦吩咐儿女，要理所当然服从和尊敬父母。意思是说，无论在生命哪一个阶段，双方都应用合宜的方式来彼此对待。
当日领受这条诫命的社会，缺少现今多数人都有的福利制度，供养年老的父母完全是成年子女的责任。神提醒我们，父母有生一日，我们便应孝敬他们，留意他们是否过着颇舒适的生活并得到妥善的照顾。父母给我们生命，养育我们，又提携我们走上生命的路程，我们不单要在年轻时听从他们的吩咐去做，更应一生一世孝敬他们。
使徒保罗称这条诫命为「第一条带应许的诫命。」神指出，我们若孝敬我们的父母，祂便会称许我们；有些父母是子女乐于孝敬的，但有些则较难去孝敬，然而，尊敬这些神放在我们之上的人，就等同于打开了一道祝福之门。借着孝敬父母和尊敬那些神放在我们之上的人，我们便是孝敬我们天上的父了。
祷告
主啊，吩咐我们，就是难以去爱祢的父母，我们一样要孝敬他们，不是因为他们做了甚么事，而是因为他们作父母的身分。为了，为了他们，又为了我们的缘故，求祢帮助我们好好的孝敬他们。阿们。