2002-07-28 - Passages about Adults' Relationships with Parents

We often hear quoted the Scriptures about how young people should treat their parents (especially obedience).  But in general, I think we rarely hear about what the Bible has to say about how we should relate to our parents, once we are adults. The relationships naturally change. Today we will read some passages that speak to some situations that some of us will encounter, and others that apply to all of us.

Genesis 2:24 (Amplified Bible) Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall become united and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

John 19:26-27 (Amplified Bible) So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, [Dear] woman, See, [here is] your son! Then He said to the disciple, See, [here is] your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own [keeping, own home].

Mark 7: 10-12 (Amplified Bible) For Moses said, Honor (revere with tenderness of feeling and deference) your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely die.(But [as for you] you say, A man is exempt if he tells [his] father or [his] mother. What you would otherwise have gained from me [everything I have that would have been of use to you] is Corban, that is, is a gift [already given as an offering to God], Then you no longer are permitting him to do anything for [his] father or mother [but are letting him off from helping them.

1 Timothy 5:4,8, 16 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, see to it that these are first made to understand that it is their religious duty [to defray their natural obligation to those] at home, and make return to their parents or grandparents [for all their care by contributing to their maintenance], for this is acceptable in the sight of God.....⁸ If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters].....¹⁶ If any believing woman or believing man has [relatives or persons in the household who are] widows, let him relieve them; let the church not be burdened [with them], so that it may [be free to] assist those who are truly widows (those who are all alone and are dependent).

Matthew 10:37 (Amplified Bible) And a man's foes will be they of his own household. He who loves [and takes more pleasure in] father or mother more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves [and takes more pleasure in] son or daughter more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me.

Jan

jan@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org