Jesus was asked which of the 613 rules, laws and regulations declared by the priests and Sanhedrin as means to please God were of the greatest importance. He gave them but two: love God fully and passionately and love your neighbor with a deep regard. What He was doing was summarizing the Ten Commandments.
Matthew 22:36-40, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
A common thought is that love of God is found explained in the first four commandments of the Ten and love of neighbor is detailed in the last six. But, I believe that the split of the Ten Commandments is better 5 and 5. I don’t believe honoring parents is more about loving one’s neighbor but more about honoring authority as a representative of God and the family as God’s key tool in presenting Himself to mankind – showing people the needs and provisions that God offers.
The 4 and 6 split seems to be the common thinking of most parents and most parenting gurus which allows the idea of parents being buddies – friends – “neighbors”. Rather the 5 and 5 split teaches that parents are authorities to be revered and obeyed.
I think the shift to 4/6 from 5/5 is part of the reason we as a society are crumbling. We have subtly undermined the family unit as being a cornerstone to society. Some of my rationale:
The family unit was established in the garden prior to sin and the fall and its curse (Commands 6-10 are heavy with curse issues). God established the Adam and Eve Family as joyful, compliant children who loved “Dad”. After the marriage and the establishment of the family at the close of Creation Day 6, (family does not require children to be family) God declared all “very good.”
So, how does one honor parents? By applying the principles of the first four commandments:
- Command #1 teaches that there is no other God. Children should respect and promote their parents – even those they deem are not the best parents. Children should honor God and parents.
- Command #2 teaches man to make no images of God. We love the God of grace/gifts, mercy/forgiveness and love/promotion but we struggle with the God of anger, punishment, and holiness. To love parents is to also love them for their discipline, lines, and “No’s” – not just for the perks and privileges.
- Command #3 teaches men to guard His name. The family name is to be guarded and promoted at all times. That would apply to mother-in-laws as well!!!
- Command #4 is to keep the Sabbath. God set a schedule for all men – work 6 days and pause 1 day. It is God’s calendar and it is God’s agenda. It is the parent’s agenda – not the child’s!
Good parents are diligent students of the God of Commandments 1-4. They seek to practice the attributes of God where they can – they can never be infinite, all-knowing, or all-powerful. They seek to not limit God or allow anything to cause competition with God. They are reverent with God’s name and fame and Sunday is very, very important for it says they believe in a God who created all and they seek to honor him by doing as He did – rest one day. The family is a laboratory to practice the first tablet in order to show and to promote God.
The second tablet, Commandments 6-10, talk the negative or dangerous side of living. Do not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie in court (justice for all), or covet. Commandment #5, children honor your parents, does not easily flow with the last five commandments. However, tablet two is to also be diligently taught and applied to family life.
May our homes be Ten Commandment models!
a PK Musing 
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