Role of Children (December 14)

(Disclaimer: The Bible never uses the word teenager to describe offspring ranging in ages of 13-18. So when we speak of children we will be speaking of offspring who are still living under the authority of their parents. This means “children” will denote relationship rather than age).

When we think of the roles of children within the family more often than not we think of honoring the father and mother. This is good but what does it mean? In the Old Testament we know that honoring one’s parents was commanded by God. Rebellion against the parents is equated with dishonoring God. Disobedience is serious, serious business. Look at Exodus 21:17, “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.” OR even more serious look at Deuteronomy 21:18-21,

“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”

Children, including teenagers are responsible to love, honor, and obey their parents to the point where if they disobey their mother or father they are disobeying and dishonoring the Lord himself. In the New Testament it is taken just as seriously. Disobeying parents is even seen as a sign of the end times that will bring the wrath of God (2 Tim. 3:2). One of the main discourses on the role of the child is found in Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

There are 3 things concerning the roles of children that we should see:
1. Children are to obey. Children are to obey both parents. If one wants to be obedient to Christ he must be obedient to his father and mother. Obedience means to honor, respect and fear (not the scary type but the respectful type) their parents. They are to obey their parents as to the Lord. No matter who one’s parents are God has placed them under the authority of those parents and expects them to be obeyed unless it leads to sin.
2. Children are to honor. To honor one’s parents includes obedience but also entails fear and respect. Honoring one’s parents is holding them in high regard. Children are to do this not because of who their parents are but because of who God is. For children living at home this means respectful obedience and for those living away from home it involves not only a continued respect but also a caring for their parents in old age.
3. The motivation of the son and daughter should be to be pleasing to the Lord. How we honor and obey our parents shows how much we love Jesus. If we are not seeking to love and honor our parents then we are not being pleasing to the Lord.

(Questions should naturally arise from this discussion. The goal of this study is help the students evaluate their attitudes toward their parents. Are they being respectful in the way they listen? Do they obey without argument? Help the students realize that their disrespect to their parents is disrespect to God.)