A Command with Blessing

Hello Bride of Christ, 

In the Hispanic culture the elderly are well respected. Especially the matriarch! Her wisdom and way of life are passed down from generation to generation through stories, meal recipes, and special celebrations. As a child I saw my Abuela (grandmother) almost every day, which allowed for me to hear her stories and experience her cooking first hand. Slowly without me noticing I began to treasure and identify with the hardships my family endured to ensure the next generation like me lived a more opportunistic life. Although my Abuela had only made it to the eighth grade, her wisdom surpassed anything that could be contained to a text book and four walls of an institution. As I sit here writing today, I see her legacy and wisdom live on and transcend physical space and time, for it lives in me. 

God, too, understood the importance of family. He knew the generational impact family could leave on a family unit, a region, and a whole nation. Therefore, when He lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and He gave them the commandments better known as the Ten Commandments He included this one:

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12 or Deuteronomy 5:16

This golden commandment is the only one tied with a promise. All the other commandments either tell you how to keep it or what you shall not do, but none are tied with a blessing. 

Why?

All the commandments are important and have their value for in the summation of them all is to have a heart that loves God. However, this particular commandment of honoring your father and mother stands with promise. Probably because it would be the commandment we struggle with from birth. Being born in sin, we are prone to want things our way. Another reason God probably attached a promise is because it is in the home with our father and mother where we learn from young the attributes of God through our parents. I often tell my sons their relationship with their father and me is a reflection of their relationship with God. If they are able to share your faults with us, who they can see and touch, they will be able to be transparent with their God as well. If they come to us for their needs and guidance, they will be able to come to their God as well to make the same request. The blessing is a great incentive!

What is honor?

The book of Leviticus gives us further insight in chapter 19 verse 3 which read, "Everyone of you shall revere his mother and father...I am the Lord your God." It means to hold in high respect and esteem. I know some of you may be thinking, "Well my parents never did anything worthy of respecting or esteeming...they 'fill in the blank'". So I think it is important to understand who gave the command and who the command is about. 

The Lord your God gave you the command, and the reason He gave it knowing that we would not all have parents worthy of revering is because His heart was "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." (Leviticus 19:2) We are called to be holy, set apart, because our God is set apart. It is not an easy command. Jesus, when completing His ministry on this earth, spoke about this very thing in one of His first sermons. In the mount of beatitudes sermon, Jesus speaks about loving your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).  Jesus asks a great questions here, "If you love those who love you, what reward have you?" So for those of us who may have had parents that do not inspire reverence know that Jesus understands. God's command and blessings are not tied to the parent, but tied to God's character. He is holy therefore so are you. He has equipped you to be so. 

For those of us that our parents have departed from planet Earth know this commandment and it's blessing does not expire with the passing of the parent, but is tied to your longevity. As long as you have breath in your lungs given by the Almighty it is your calling to honor your parents. As I mentioned earlier my family's legacy lives on through me. Pass on those God honoring traditions, stories, and culture. 

Remember Bride of Christ, Jesus lives within you and desires to shine brightly through you in the land He has given you. Honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the land.