LOVE - THE HARDEST FRUIT TO PICK

KEY VERSES: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee (Exod 20:12), A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? (Mal 1:6a), and A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke (Prov 13:1)

  Children are commanded to honor their parents. Satan knows that as well, and attempts to sow discord in families. The Ten Commandments are the Ten Prescriptions for eternal life. The promise given in the Fifth “Prescription” is a long life, not only in this world, but for eternity. Why is honoring parents so important to God that He would command it? The Lord drew an analogy: As a son honors his father… and he is the Father, where is His honor? The implication is that those who do not honor their father do not honor their Father in Heaven.
  Has anyone noticed the trend? Righteous people love their parents, and those who love their parents are usually the godliest, or it should be that way even if it’s not.
  I watch the reality show Survivor quite often. At some point in the season, they bring loved ones from home as a reward to the game players. It always touches my heart that after only a few short weeks, the players shed tears of love when their loved ones appear. When sons say, “Dad, I love you,” and fathers say, “Son, I love you too,” it makes me shed tears as well. I envy their mutual love. Most often, the father/son or mother/daughter, etc. are not even Christians, but they still have a loving relationship. They may not love their Heavenly Father, but they love their biological father.
  One Sunday in my church the preacher, his only son, and the preacher’s father sang as a trio. The three praised their Heavenly Father in song… together in one accord. I was envious! Their harmony in song demonstrated their harmonious relationship. That’s what God wants!
  In typology, the father/son and mother/daughter relationships (also father/daughter and mother/son) are representative of the mankind/Father relationship. Just as fathers and mothers create their children, God created His! Love of parents should demonstrate love for God. What’s more is that there is a reward for loving parents just as there is a reward for loving God!
  Note that the Fifth Prescription for good spiritual health is brief: honor your father and mother. Who are your father and mother? Are they only biological parents or is there some other relationship?
  If scripture is examined closely, Mark 3:34-35 says, “And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” Jesus himself made all relationships a triangulation. To truly love one another, as we are commanded, requires that we love the Lord. That’s why the Greatest Commandment – to love God – has a corollary – to love others as ourselves.
  Mothers are to be loved for bearing us. I cry when I think of the labor pains and stress which my own mother endured in delivering seven babies and nourishing six boys and one girl. Mom did without so that we could have! I honor my mother, and shed tears that I did not love her as much as she deserved!
  I think of my Dad who hoed corn for one-dollar a day to support his large family. I think of my Dad lovingly because he had to live in isolation in distant cities to have a job which paid enough. I think of my Dad who walked three miles, often in the snow, to catch a ride to work to support his children. I love my Dad for how he demonstrated his love. He was not a hugger or emotional, but he loved all his children, and showed it by self-sacrifice. I wish that I could bring Dad back for one more chance to hug and say to him, “I love you so much for your sacrifice on my behalf.”
  That’s my love for my parents. They sacrificed a major part of their lives so that I could have a better life. I am not the only one. Most of your parents did the same. You may not understand the sacrifices that young parents who were no more than children themselves made. Parenting is hard work! I remember saving my change while in college, and then giving it to my wife to use as emergency money for food when I was in another state for my education. I wasn’t motivated to be educated, but continued because I wanted to provide for my family. It was a privilege of which I am still proud that I went for eight days without even a slice of bread because there was no money. I remained in college for my family. I loved my Dad so much that I would not borrow from him or worry him about my hardships. That’s how much I loved my family and Dad.
  This commentary is not about me, though. It’s about how much Father God loves us. John 3:16 says it all: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God sacrificed for his unruly children just as we do ours. God loves us even when we sin, and godly parents love their children even when they are do wrong.
  One of my boys has caused me more grief than another. That does not alienate me from loving him just as much as the other two children. Love is not measured by performance to standards but caring about the son or daughter. Right now, if a life needs to be given, I would give my life for my father, mother, or any one of my children! God gave His own life and sacrificed His own flesh because He loved me so!
  That is personal; He did it for me, and had me in mind when He did it! God did not make the sacrifice because I am a good son; He made it just because He wants that I not perish. That’s how much I love my two sons, my daughters, my wife, and my grandchildren! Why is that? Because my heavenly Father loves me that way! You see, there is a link between loving others and loving God, and especially the parent/children-type of love which the Greeks called “storge.” 
  Storge is to the family, as agape is to God. Storge is a type of agape love, as is philio for brotherly love. God prescribed love for our enemies, but most people don’t even love God or those easy to love – those who love them so much.
  I think now of my deceased parents. I only began to show my love at about age forty. I missed out on loving my parents between the ages of about twelve and forty; I lost twenty-eight years of demonstrating my love for them because life was all about me! I wish I could rewind to show my love for them. That’s the same for God… I went about twenty-eight years knowing God, but demonstrating almost no love at all. I would gamble that my parents wept for me, and the Bible says that about my relationship with the Lord, simply, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35), but what’s more, Peter wept bitterly because he denied Jesus, his spiritual Father as he is God (Mat 26:45). That was his humility showing when he recognized his pride.
  Note that in honoring our father and mother there are no stipulations. They need not be perfect fathers and mothers as we are not perfect sons and daughters. They are allowed mistakes as all have sinned. “Let those without sin cast the first stone,” Jesus implored.
  Good fathers must give wise advice. As such, they cannot tell children merely what they want to hear, but the truth. The truth often hurts. Dad seldom used corporal punishment; his words were enough, and I heard them when I needed it: “I’m disappointed in you, son.” That killed me… to have my Dad disappointed at my behavior, but he was most often right. Only someone who loves that much will correct that way. I prefer to think of myself as wise. The last key verse is, “A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” Why would a good father give instruction that may be scoffed at? Because truth sets free from self-thoughts.
  We all like to think that we are always right. It kills me, metaphorically, when I am wrong, and I hate to admit that! We all hate to be wrong; that is human nature, and is prideful. Sometimes chastisement alienates people. Some quit coming to church when the preacher preaches on a sin that they own. That is childish. People just want to do what they want to do and think what they want to think, true or not!
  Children of God are to have His characteristics. Scripture calls them “the twelve fruits of the spirit,” and they are: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23). The Vulgate lists the other three. Of all those love, patience, kindness, and self-control are the most difficult. The eleven fruits which follow the fruit of “love” all are how to love others! Godly men exhibit those fruits.
  The works of the flesh are many more than twelve: “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” (Gal 5:19-21). Wrath and strife are manifested in stress. Those sins cause anxiety in oneself, and really do not punish the adversary, but are self-inflicted “wounds.” “First-blood” comes from the ones who are angered, and the “blood” flows in themselves. The heart manifests that. (I’m still stressed for allowing an atheist man two weeks ago to arouse my anger. Reconciliation is my only recourse!)
  We are all fellow beings who should just be grateful that we have one another. In my old age, family is all that I have, and family is of utmost importance second only to my relationship with God. I am stressful when there is discord among those who I love. That’s because I love them all so much that I want unity. “Family is forever,” the sign says, and that it is, and must be. Strangers and friends come and go, but family remains family.
  My prayer for everyone is that the family institution and mutual love be like I was blessed enough to experience. I cannot remember one time with any of my six brothers or sister, having a feud, or even becoming angry with them.  I just cannot understand why others prefer to feud when it is so much simpler just to love one another. Do you suppose that God wants that too?