The 5th Commandment

It is Saturday morning, 27th November, the year 2021, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for the day.

If we go to the word of God in Exodus 20:12 we read, Commandment Number 5:

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land …”

It is the first commandment out of the Ten Commandments with a promise added to it. Honour your mom and dad, so that your days may be long in the land so that you might prosper. It is a very special commandment. You see, when you honour mom and dad, you bring dignity into the home.

I just love the name: Father, Dad, Papa - In Zulu, we say, Baba. In Xhosa, we say Tata - These names of love and respect often bring tears to my eyes. When I see the way in which a young man or a young woman, respect their mom or their dad. Mother or mama, such an incredible privilege to have a mom and dad still alive in the home, isn’t it? You know I have often said, I would give a million dollars to be able to sit down and have a cup of tea with my mom and my dad, but I will have to wait until I see them again in Heaven, one day.

When I was about, I think, ten years old, I remember in Central Africa, in that little airport in Ndola, in the north of Zambia, I went to the airport with my Mom and Dad. An aeroplane came in from overseas and a very dignified minister came off that plane with all the crowd. He had a black suit with a dog collar on. A distinguished old gentleman, white hair, with his little suitcase and he was looking around to see the person who had come to collect him. And as a little boy, I just sat and I watched this - I have never forgotten it, I am talking about 60 years ago. And then this young dynamic minister, also in a black suit, with a white dog-collar on, he had come to fetch his dad from the airport.

Well, I saw a flood of tears as Dad looked at his young son, a missionary to the Congo, with such pride. They hugged each other, they loved each other and this young boy, memories must have flooded back when he saw his Dad there, what it must have been like at home. He probably hadn’t seen his dad for maybe years, I have never forgotten that picture.

I want to say to you today that family is so important to our Heavenly Father. If we go to John 19:26:

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

Now, Jesus said that when He was hanging on the cross in excruciating pain, like none of us can even imagine and yet He had a heart for His earthly Mother and His brother. Today, love your parents and love your children. “Why, Uncle Angus?” - Because Jesus said so.

God bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.