Lord’s Day, Vol. 7 No. 19
Honour Our Parents
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
On Mother’s Day, it is fitting to rehearse the Lord’s 5thcommandment, the foremost of human relations, for children to honour their father and mother. A command to give thanks to father and mother for they are the imparter of life to us. Without them, we will not have our existence. Children owe their existence to their mothers who gave birth to them after carrying them in their womb. Not an easy task to carry, bear and finally to give birth. The physical toil upon the mother’s body is tremendous from conception to the full term of the baby, not to mention the painful process of childbirth.
When the baby is born, the mother began the process of caring for the little baby amidst her physical weariness after childbirth. The feeding of the baby, the changing of the diapers, the cleaning and bathing. The mother communicates with the baby by her touch, by her voice, by her presence, bringing love and security to the infant child.
The infant grows to be a toddler, able to turn, crawl and learning to walk. Mother is at hand to guide each step of the way. What an effort! The mother sings, speaks, prays, read the Scripture to the growing child, bringing the child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4b). The father is no less involved if not more in the upbringing of the child. What a responsibility entrusted to father and mother in the nurturing of the young life.
When the child is sick, feverish and weak, mother and father sponge the child, sometimes for long hours when the temperature is high. The occasions when the child is rushed to the clinic or the hospital, the anxious times of emergency. The toddler’s bible, the children’s bible, the bible stories read to the growing child. The bible songs taught to the delight of the child. The message of the gospel imparted, line by line, precept by precept, with prayer. Thank God for father and mother.