Devotional #104

Question 104. What does God require in the fifth commandment?

Answer: That I show all honour, love and fidelity, to my father and mother, and all in authority over me, and submit myself to their good instruction and correction, with due obedience (a); and also patiently bear with their weaknesses and infirmities (b), since it pleases God to govern us by their hand (c).

(a) Ephesians 6:1-5: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Colossians 3:20-24: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged . . . . Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Proverbs 1:8: Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
Proverbs 4:1: Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight.
Proverbs 15:20: A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Proverbs 20:20: If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
Exodus 21:17: Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
Romans 13:1-7: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

(b) Proverbs 23:22: Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
(c) Ephesians 6:4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:9: Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Colossians 3:19-21: Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Romans 13:2-3: Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval.
Matthew 22:21: They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

For your personal reflection:
Why do parents have authority over their children?  At what age are we free from this commandment?  What does it mean – and how does a person – honor their mother and father as adults living independently from their parents?