HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER CODE
It is out of this understanding that Paul applies “honor thy parents” to those he’s writing to in Ephesus.īy law, every first century Roman household had a code called the “Patria Potestas.” This code was addressed to the head of the house and made clear that others were to subjugate themselves to him. This isn’t something we age or wise into.
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The Imago Dei establishes our shared humanity and equality with one another. No matter the brokenness of the world or the brokenness in ourselves, we were made “very good” from the beginning. On the other hand, it’s important that the image of God in them not be mistreated or overlooked. Careful contextualization of this command in the biblical narrative reveals that God desires people to celebrate and honor the Imago Dei, the image of God in us, while mutually standing against the sin that distorts his intended goodness in all people. So what do you do? Approaching this commandment to obey from a “spirit of the law” rather than a black- and-white “letter of the law” approach, it is possible to begin exploring the intended purpose of these passages.Īll human beings are created to be treated with dignity, which at times creates some tension: on the one hand, you want to teach your students the value and purpose of honoring their parents. Or they may tell you about needy and/or disengaged parents who are manipulative or emotionally abusive.
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Perhaps you notice some yellow (or red) flags as a student describes controlling behavior or overly rigid rules at home.
HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER HOW TO
Initially, the application of this Scripture seems so straightforward, but once the commandment gets “skin on,” its impact is a bit challenging.įor a youth leader, the question is when or how to intervene when your student’s emotional health and well-being appear to be threatened by unhealthy family dynamics. This dates back to the Ten Commandments- “Honor your father and mother” (Ex 20:12)- the first commandment with a promise of blessing! These remarkable words have led the community of believers to value family and the elderly in an often counter-cultural way. In my journey as a clinician, specifically a Christian marriage and family therapist, I have wrestled with the teachings surrounding the verse, “Children obey your parents in the Lord.