And God Spoke These Words: Fifth Commandment

"Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, NRSV)

The previous commands are concern with Honoring God. This commandment shifts away from God to honoring parents. Although the implication is that by honoring your parents you honor God. The literally and understood meaning is not hat you obey everything that you parents tell you to do--because surely they are fallen just as everybody is. However, you honor them in their old age (you take care of them).

Parents have the awesome responsiblity of representing God to their children. Parents have the responsible to teach and disciple their children in the faith. Children are then given the responsiblity to take care of, honor their parents, when their parents retire, or in their old age. What does that look like in our society? Does that mean shipping parents off to nursing homes? Does that mean providing for their care? What does in mean to take care of--to honor them? One of the questions people fail to answer when their consider what to do with their parents when the get older and need to be taken care of is to ask the question is--do I want to be treated the same way when I get old that I am treating or caring for my parents?

Then there is a promise--a promise of long life. However the promise is not an individual promise of long life--but a corporate promise of residing in God's promised land for a long time. If we as a community honor our parents, God will continue to provide mercy on our community. We get to keep receiving God's gracious gifts. The question is what is God's gracious gift? Mainly mercy and grace! (not material!)