Honoring Our Parents
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
On my podcast, we are reviewing the Ten Commandments. I am calling it, “Living in the 10.” These 10 have been the cornerstone of Western civilization, especially here in the United States, since our inception as a country.
I want to address the Fifth Commandment, which is the one that commands us to honor our father and mother. Just looking at the statistical numbers of how families fail, it becomes obvious that the ground-level reason is the deterioration of the family … starting with moral decay.
Research indicates that up to 82% of juvenile offenders, and a significant majority of long-term prison inmates, come from broken or highly strained family environments. Fatherless children are significantly more likely to engage in criminal behavior, with data indicating they are up to 20 times more likely to be incarcerated. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The term, parental alienation, is described as a natural or independent breakdown in the family relationship, primarily due to differing values, trauma, or poor communication within the family system. Today, we have children who are cancelling their parents out of their lives, and excluding the grandkids from seeing their grandparents. It is broadly referred to as family estrangement. Talkspace did a survey and found that 60% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials reported having no contact with a relative in the past year, mainly parents, who are identified as that relative.
All of this brings me to the Fifth Commandment, which tells us to honor our parents. This commandment is the foundation of society, and by honoring our parents teaches respect, obedience to authority, and honors God’s order in creation.
The Scripture is clear about this mandate. If you review just a few of the many Scriptures that the Bible teaches us about honoring our parents, God is serious about honoring our parents:
Exodus 21:17 Whoever curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
Deuteronomy 27:16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother.
Proverbs 20:20 It is written that whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;). That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Commentator Dennis Prager, says that the Fifth Commandment is the only one that gives a reason for observing it … it is the promise of long life. He goes on to say that if you build a society that honors parents, it will long survive. Conversely, if a society does not honor their parents, that society is doomed to self-destruct. Prager also goes on to say that parents want their children to love them, but nowhere in the Ten Commandments does it say children should love their parents … only to honor them.
Final Word
There is nothing like the honor we give to others. However, of all the people in our system of relationships, no one is more worthy of honor than our parents. God thought it important to lay this out in the top Five of His Commandments, even before those that tell us not to murder, steal, commit adultery, lie, or covet. If honoring is that important to God, then we need to reevaluate our hearts and attitudes toward our parents. If you hate your parents, chances are you cannot love God. Parents are God’s instruments for a healthy society, and that society will only remain healthy as we honor those who God tells us to honor.
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler