God's Command Toward Fathers and Mothers - Matthew 15:4

Matthew the apostle wrote, “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”, and in chapter fifteen and verse four of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus asked the Scribes and Pharisees about the commandment to, “honor your father and mother” where we read:

For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother:

and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death.

The verse reads, “For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother:”. Matthew began with the word, “ for” which means “because, since and on account that” “God” which refers to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “commanded” which means “gave charge and ordered”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “honor” or “revere, fix a valuation upon and venerate” “your father” which refers to “a a person's generator or male ancestor” “and mother” or “and a person's female ancestor”. Matthew shared how Jesus referred to God's “command” for people to “revere and venerate” their “fathers and mothers”.

The verse continues, “and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death.” Matthew added the words, “and, He” which means “and the person whether male or female” “that curses” which means “who speaks evil of, reviles and abuses their” “father” or “generator or male ancestor” “or mother” which means “female ancestor”, “let him die” or “allow, permit and see that that person is finished, brought to an end, closed, expired and demised” “the death” which means “in the separation of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended”. Matthew shared how the “commandment” of God was for those who “revile and abuse” their parents to be put to “death”.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see the seriousness of God's command to “honor your father and mother”. Jesus employed this example before the “scribes and Pharisees” because He is going to make a point about their non-observance of this law, and yet, everyone who reads Jesus' words should take heed. God has an order of authority, and one of the first commands concerning this area is with parents. God desires every person to know that He is the absolute authority, and when He commands people to “honor your father and mother”, those who read or hear His command should do so.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus says, “Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.