Title: Family/Ephesians 6:1-4
Today is Father's Day. Most of the Mother's Day themes are fixed. It is “filial piety”. Today, I want to think about the whole family, not limited to the topic of filial piety. Family happiness is not possible because one or two people do well. A happy home can be achieved when all members of the family are faithful in their positions. Parents should be like their parents, and children should be like their children.
Today's verse tells children to love and honor their parents in the Lord. He said that he would give such children the gift of prosperous prosperity and long life. Then, parents do not provoke their children to anger, but nurture them in the word of the Lord. However, there is no promise to bless parents as He promised to bless their children. It would be natural to say that the love of parents is natural.
Today's Bible teaches parents and children of happy families what to do. Happy families have good parents and good children. They are called “family”. In the Bible, we want to share grace by looking at those who have fulfilled their family duties well.
Filial filial piety - Naomi's daughter-in-law Ruth
Filial filial piety is the most important virtue in a family. The word ‘filial piety’ is an oriental virtue. In the West, there is no other word for ‘filial piety’, just ‘love’, ‘respect’ and ‘obedience’ are used. As a result, they even came to say that Christianity, which came from the West, was an illegitimate religion. But that's just a misunderstanding. The Bible teaches us to be filial to our parents as much as any other oriental classic.
[Verses 1-3] “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth.” is filial piety. [Exodus 20:12] “Honor your father and mother, that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Most of the great men in the Bible are filial people. Today we will look at one of them, Ruth. When there was a famine in Bethlehem, the Elimelech family moved to Moab, and their two daughters-in-law were Ruth and Orpah. Elimelech and his two sons die, and Elimelech's wife Naomi leaves the two daughters-in-law and tells them to go back to their hometown of Bethlehem.
Orpah went as he had been told, and Ruth followed her mother-in-law to Bethlehem. [Ruth 1:16,17] “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. He will die and be buried there.” After that, he picks up grain and makes an offering to his mother. Later, he met Boaz, married, and had Obed. [Matthew 1:5] “Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed from Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse” He is the grandfather of King David. He became the father of Jesus.
Aid - Nabal's wife Abigail
In the Bible, Sarah, the wife of Abraham, Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, Rachel, the wife of Jacob, and Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, are all great helpers. However, Nabal's wife, Abigail's support, is the highlight of it. In [1 Samuel 25], as David gained power, he sent a man to Nabal to feed his starving soldiers in the wilderness. At that time Nabal was very rich in Carmel. But Nabal refuses in a word. The reason is that you cannot waste your wealth on those who do not know where they come from.
However, it is an idea that comes from the dullness of not reading the trend. David gets angry and goes to Nabal with 400 warriors. At this time, Abigail, Nabal's wife, met David's party with me, confessed that David's soldiers were the ones who guarded his flock, and prayed for his mistakes and prepared food for him and treated him well. [1 Samuel 25:31] “Only remember my lord's maidservant, when the LORD was hospitable to my lord.” Unlike Nabal, she was able to discern the times and the will of the Lord. Her wise approach saved her husband and her wealth.
Mother-in-law - Joseph, husband of Mary
Few people think that Mary was able to give birth to Jesus because of the help of her husband, Joseph. But what would have happened if Joseph had made the case known? Of course, God knew Joseph's personality, so he was betrothed to him, but he must have chosen Mary as Jesus' mother. How does Joseph react when he finds out that Mary is pregnant?
[Matthew 1:19] “Joseph her husband was a righteous man, and he wanted to divorce her without revealing her.” Yes, although I knew her as an unclean woman, she tried to break up the marriage without telling the truth. Considering the situation at that time, which is different from what it is now, it is a truly surprising idea. But when the angel tells him not to be afraid to bring Mary to him, and announces that the child is conceived by the Holy Spirit, he becomes his greatest helper.
[Matthew 1:24,25] “Joseph woke up from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded, and took his wife, but did not lay down with her until she bore him a son, and he named him Jesus.” He did as the messenger told him. He also cares for Mary to keep her chastity. I call my name as Jesus taught me.
Friendship - Joseph son of Jacob
Joseph may have bad feelings for his brothers. The brothers tried to kill Joseph, but sold it to Midianite merchants. How much did you suffer for it? Servants and innocent prisoners. However, when he meets his brothers after gaining power later, he does not take revenge on them. Rather, it shows brotherly love.
Brotherly kindness is our virtue, but it is a biblical principle. [Romans 12:10] “Love one another with kindness and respect one another first” and [2 Peter 1:7] “Supply godliness with brotherly kindness and brotherly kindness with love.” There should be friendship between brothers. But Joseph was an example of that.
When Jacob died, the brothers feared that Joseph would harm them and their family. But [Genesis 50:19,20] "Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, shall I be for God? You intended to harm me, but God turned it for good, so that as it is today, you might save the lives of all." Because he is a man of God, he forgives his brothers and strengthens friendship. It is not the Lord's will for Christians to have discord between brothers.
Obedience - Cornelius's Family
[Acts 10:2] There is a record, “He was devout and feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the people, and prayed constantly to God.” Although he was a centurion in the Gentile army, his whole family served God well. Note the phrase “with all the house”. Of course, Cornelius was a good man, and it can be said that the whole family followed him.
But how many children today do not listen to their fathers? All of Cornelius's family had the Christian faith, as Cornelius would do. Later, when Peter is invited, no family disagrees. A typical example of a happy family is found in this home.
Dear saints!
The virtues of a happy family are filial piety, respect, obedience, brotherly kindness, wife love, and husband love. Whatever your position, I hope you have these qualities. Families are not happy when they do well alone. Happy when family members have each of these virtues in their respective positions. Let's not forget the grace of the Lord for making you a member of the family under the noble name of 'family'.
A true Christian is someone who knows that there is a sublime providence of God who has united us into one family, good or bad. The creator of the family is God. The composition of the family members is also done by God. It was God who gave Eve to Adam as a family member. I hope that all the members of the family will become happy members of the family by fulfilling the holy mission of the family.