Three Reasons to Honor Your Parents

You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.

–Leviticus 19:32

Why should we honor our father and mother? God’s answer could be, “Because I said so.” But that answer probably would sit about as comfortably with you as it does with your children. Fortunately, there are several biblical reasons we ought to honor our parents.

The theological reason is that our attitude toward our parents both reflects and shapes our attitude toward God. We see that in Luke 2. When Jesus was twelve years old, He was separated from His parents on a trip to Jerusalem. After three days, Mary and Joseph finally found Him in the temple. Mary said, “Son, why have You treated us this way?” (v. 48). Jesus answered, “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” (v. 49). Mary and Joseph didn’t understand what He meant. But instead of arguing with them, notice what Jesus did in verse 51: “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them.” Jesus is the Creator; He made Mary and Joseph. Yet He submitted to His earthly father and mother just as He submitted to His heavenly Father. And that was part of His growth: “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (v. 52).

The sociological reason we should honor our parents is that anarchy in the home leads to anarchy in the nation. Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” God was saying, “If you want your nation to thrive, then the key is order in the home.” When Paul repeated this commandment, he added, “So that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:3). Does that mean you’re going to live a long time if you honor your parents? Maybe. Following their rules may keep you away from dangerous behaviors. But the principle behind these promises is that God honors a society that honors the family.

Finally, the anthropological reason we should honor our parents is that appreciating our elders maintains their dignity in an undignified world. The idea of respecting our elders applies to our parents, but the Bible extrapolates that idea to elders in our society. Leviticus 19:32 says, “You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.” How we treat our elders is a reflection of how we treat God.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “The Fifth Commandment: Honor Your Parents” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2023.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.