Today’s scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Don Clark):
Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus as a spiritual father to spiritual children and giving them some very practical guidance in everyday living. He has already told them they should be careful in their daily journey and walk in wisdom (5:16-17.) Then he uses that word “submission”! Now, a lot of Christian folk have had a lot of trouble with that word! They have used these scripture verses to control and manipulate. These verses in the wrong hands have caused a lot of harm. Just recently, a young man was “disciplined” to death submitting to woefully misguided church leaders and parents in upstate New York. So sad!
In the end of the fifth chapter, Paul discusses submission of husbands and wives. Those verses, too, have been wrestled with since Paul penned the words, and I don’t have to write about them today! But, in today’s verses, we do read about parenting skills and the relationship between parents and children. I would like to claim that these verses are about spiritual parents and spiritual children (and there may be such applications), but the context doesn’t allow me to push the meaning that far. I believe the context requires us to consider real-life families with real-life children and real-life parents. Family life can be very messy in whatever configuration you live in. Paul writes to the children that they “belong to the Lord, and they do the right thing when they obey their parents” (v. 1 CEV.) He reminds them that the commandment to honor parents is the first commandment that comes with a built-in blessing. The covenant law given to the Israelites by Moses included the promise that their “days would be long in the land that the LORD their God was giving them” (Ex 20:12). I once had a clergy friend who used umbrella imagery with a group of teens to explain these verses. When a son or daughter lives under the umbrella of parents and honors them, that child is protected from the “rain” — but, when a child chooses to disrespect and walk out from under the protection of parents’ authority, that son or daughter removes himself or herself from the spiritual covering of parents and exposes himself or herself to consequences.
But Paul doesn’t dump all the responsibility on the child’s ability to respect and honor the parents. We know in real life that there are serious bumps in the road. Parenting is difficult, as is being a kid! Paul also instructs the parents to not “be hard on children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.”
So our takeaway in whatever configuration our family takes today is that keeping our family relationships in focus spiritually will enhance all of our relationships. As with Paul’s admonition to husbands and wives to mutually submit and honor each other, so too should parents and children mutually share in honoring each other so that God may be glorified and honored above all.
Thought for the day: In what way am I honoring God by honoring the members of my family? In what ways will honoring my family bring God’s blessing and favor to us?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.