Obedience

Ephesians 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

What does obey mean? Why should we? For how long? Why is this right in the sight of God? Is this a guideline, or command? What happens if we don’t?

The word ‘obey’ is not passive, it requires action. Obey (verb) means to carry out, comply with, submit to, be ruled by, or serve. Jesus showed us perfect obedience while on earth, to his earthly parents, and to God the Father by dying on the cross.

John 2:1-5  On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  (2)  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.  (3)  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."  (4)  And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come."  (5)  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

He then goes on to comply with his mother’s request. Now why did Jesus obey Mary here? His time had not yet come, as he said, so he had a legitimate reason not to do so.

Colossians 3:20  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

The question really isn’t, “Will you obey you parents” But, “Will you obey your parents, for God’s sake?” For it pleases the Lord! That is why Jesus obeyed. Jesus did not obey Mary with just eye-service, He obeyed completely. Jesus is our example in all things. His entire life  was an act of obedience towards God the Father!

Now, back to Ephesians 6:1. The first word in this verse, is children. When the Bible refers to children, it means those who under the authority, and care, financially, of their parents. But when are you not a child?

Genesis 2:24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

We see here, that when you leave your parents, when you are no longer under the care of your parents, that you are no longer a child. So once you are an adult, your parents no longer have the authority over you that they once had. You no longer have to obey, because you are your own family now. BUT, that does not mean you can dishonor your parents!

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

1Timothy 5:4  But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

We see in these verses, that there is no age limit for when we can stop honoring our parents.

God was so serious about honoring and obeying parents, that in the Old Testament the children who disobeyed, and were dishonoring, were put to death in order to keep the other children from doing the same.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21  "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them,  (19)  then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives,  (20)  and they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.'  (21)  Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Leviticus 20:9  For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.

Exodus 21:17  "Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

So please, it is a command from God! Obey your parents!

Soli Deo Gloria!