Honour Thy Father and Thy Mother 2
(week 20/02)
Olubi Johnson
In our last article we saw the vital truth of honouring your father and mother with our attitude of reverence for them. This week we will examine honouring our parents with our material substance.
Honouring your parents with your material substance
Matthew 15:3-6 (KJV) But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
1 Timothy 5:4 (NIV) But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
Here the Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus and Paul, teaches us that we should honour our parents with our material substance and not use giving to God as an excuse not to honour our parent, particularly our physical parents.
Galatians 6:6-8 (KJV) Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Galatians 6:6-8 (NIV) Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
1 Corinthians 9:6-15 (KJV) Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
Here Paul teaches that we are to honour those who teach us the Word of God and those in spiritual authority over us with our material substance. When we use the money or substance we are to give to our spiritual parents on ourselves we are sowing to the flesh rather than the spirit and this causes us to reap corruption. This is one reason why so many Christians are weak, sickly and even die prematurely (1Cor. 11:30), they are reaping corruption. On the other hand when we sow to the spirit by honouring those that have taught us the Word of God with our substance, we reap life everlasting or Zoe. This Zoe causes to us to have the light of God’s wisdom, live in health and prosperity.
John 1:4 (KJV) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Daniel 5:14 (KJV) I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
Proverbs 4:22 (KJV) For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
So let us be faithful in honouring our physical and spiritual parents with our substance that it may be well with us and live long on the earth.
