Let us examine the scriptures every day 2025
Sunday March 16, 2025
Be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is right (Eph. 6:1).
Young people have many peers who are “disobedient to parents” (2 Tim. 3:1, 2). Why are there so many who act like this? Some see their parents asking them to do things they don't do themselves, and that may seem hypocritical to them. Others think their parents' advice is old-fashioned, too strict, or impractical. Young man, have you ever felt like this? Many may find it difficult to respect Jehovah's command found in today's text. What can help you respect it? To learn to be obedient, there is no better example than that of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:21-24). He was perfect, but his parents were imperfect. Yet He honored them, even when they were wrong or did not understand (Ex. 20:12). w23.10 7 paras. 4, 5.
According to Luke 2:46-52, why is Jesus the best example of obedience to parents?
To learn to be obedient, there is no better example than that of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:21-24). He was perfect, but his parents were imperfect. Yet He honored them, even when they were wrong or did not understand (Ex. 20:12). Look at what happened to him when he was 12 years old (read Luke 2:46-52). Jesus traveled with his family to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the annual festivals. When Joseph and Mary began their journey home, they did not realize that Jesus was not with them. In reality, they should have made sure that all their children were in the group. When they finally found Jesus, Mary blamed him for the scare they had gotten! Although Jesus could have told them that this was very unfair, He did not do so. Rather, he gave them a simple and respectful answer. But Joseph and Mary “did not understand what he was telling them.” Despite everything, Jesus “continued subject to them.”
What can help young people obey their parents?
Young man, when your parents make a mistake or don't understand you, do you find it difficult to obey them? What could help you? First, consider how Jehovah feels. The Bible says that if children obey their parents, “it pleases the Lord” (Col. 3:20). When your parents don't understand you or set rules that aren't entirely fair, Jehovah knows it. But, if you decide to obey them despite everything, he will feel very happy.
Second, consider how your parents feel. When you obey them, you make them happy and earn their trust (Prov. 23:22-25). And you will surely feel closer to them. Alexandre, a brother from Belgium, says: “When I started paying more attention to my parents, our relationship improved. “We were more united and happier.” Third, keep in mind that being obedient now will help you later. Paulo, from Brazil, says: “Learning to obey my parents has helped me obey Jehovah and others in authority.” God's Word gives you this powerful reason to obey your parents: “That it may go well with you and that you may remain long on the earth” (Eph. 6:2, 3).
Why have many young people decided to obey their parents?
Many young people have seen that they do well when they obey their parents. Luiza, who is also from Brazil, at first had a hard time understanding why her parents didn't let her have her own phone for a while, since almost all young people her age had one. But then she realized that her parents were actually protecting her. She says: “Now I see that obeying my parents is not like wearing a straitjacket, but rather like putting on a seat belt that can save my life.” A young woman from the United States named Elizabeth sometimes has a hard time being obedient. She explains what she does: “When my parents set a rule for me and I don't quite understand why, I think of all the times their rules protected me.” Monica, who lives in Armenia, says she always does better when she obeys her parents than when she doesn't.
What do many think about obeying government laws?
In general, people recognize that governments are necessary and that at least some of the laws of these “higher authorities” must be obeyed (Rom. 13:1). But when they feel that a law is unfair or that it demands too much of them, they are no longer so willing to obey it. Let's talk for example about paying taxes. According to a survey carried out in a European country, one in four people believes that, “if someone considers a tax to be unfair, it is okay not to pay it.” Since they think this way, it is not surprising that the citizens of that country only pay approximately 65 % of the taxes that the Government asks of them.
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