Jesus and Home Relationships

Exodus 20:12; Mark 7:9-13; Luke 2:51,52; Ephesians 6:1-4

GOLDEN TEXT: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which thy God giveth thee.”—Exodus 20:12

RECOGNITION of authority higher than one’s own preferences is an essential factor in all well ordered lives. God, in his wisdom; directed the Israelites that this lesson of obedience should be taught their children by impressing upon their growing minds the obligation of honoring their parents. Those who, while young, learn to recognize the authority of their parents over them, will find it easier when reaching their majority to obey the will of God, whose authority is the highest in the universe.

The safety, prosperity, and happiness of all mankind depend upon obedience to rules and regulations. No one can do just as he pleases without working injury upon others. When all recognition of authority breaks down we have chaos and anarchy, and there is no security for anyone. So we can see that liberty, valuable as it is, must have certain limitations imposed upon it, else a most precious exercise of liberty—the liberty to enjoy peace and security—is denied to all.

The home circle is undoubtedly one of the most efficient training centers in which to learn the value of subordinating one’s own preferences in order that the highest interests of all may be the better served. Children who are trained to respect and obey their parents, and to consider the rights of others, will find it easier when taking their place in the world to recognize the need of obeying rules which are made for the well-being of all.

The principle of obedience is exemplified beautifully in the relationship existing between the Heavenly Father and his spiritual sons of this Gospel age. Jesus is the chief of these sons, the “Master” of his disciples, but “the head of Christ is God.” (I Cor. 11:3) Jesus said, “I and my Father are one”—that is, one in purpose. (John 10:30) But this oneness was not based upon a mutual yielding to each other’s wishes. Rather, it was because Jesus delighted to do his Father’s will.

Not everything in Jesus’ life was exactly as he would have preferred. Jesus knew, nevertheless, that the Father’s plan was best for him, so could pray, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Jesus believed in liberty. He said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) But the “truth” to Jesus was the expression of God’s will and plan, and the freedom which he promised through a knowledge of the truth was that of doing God’s will. This means freedom from bondage of ignorance and superstition concerning God; and, through obedience to God and the acceptance of his provision of life through Christ, freedom from the bondage of sin and death.

We have in Jesus a good example of obedience to parents and also obedience to God. Probably when he was very young his mother informed him concerning the miraculous circumstances of his birth, and from this Jesus would conclude that God had a special mission for him to perform. Born under the law given to Israel, and recognizing the position occupied by Israel’s religious leaders of that time, Jesus took the first opportunity he had to inquire in the temple for additional information. This was at the early age of twelve.

The Scriptures do not inform us concerning the information which Jesus obtained at this time, but it is significant that he was content to return home with his parents and be subject to them until he was thirty years old. Jesus’ ministry was to be of a priestly character, and the law given to Israel through Moses stipulated that no one under thirty could serve as a priest. Apparently Jesus recognized that this regulation applied to him, so we read that when he “began to be about thirty years of age” he came to John at Jordan to be baptized in preparation to enter upon his priestly work.—Luke 3:23

Thus we see in Jesus one who gladly obeyed his parents, because to do so was obedience to his Heavenly Father. There were doubtless many times between the ages of twelve and thirty when Jesus would have preferred to, break away from the daily routine of being merely a carpenter’s son. Being perfect in mind and body he must have been far above all his associates—even his parents—in perception and intelligence. Probably he could have made many decisions concerning home matters and his foster father’s business which would have been wiser than those that were made, but he continued to be subject to his parents.—Luke 2:51

But Christian parents have a responsibility in this matter also. They are not free under God’s law to impose their preferences upon their children. The apostle expresses the proper thought in this respect, saying, “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4) This simply means that the parents’ duty is to instruct and train their children in knowing and doing God’s will.

QUESTIONS:

Does the proper exercise of liberty imply the right to do as one pleases?

Why was Jesus, at the age of twelve, willing to be subject to his parents until he was thirty years old?

What limitations do the Scriptures put upon parents in the matter of training their children?

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