Message to the Younger Generation: RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!!!!!

Children, obey [your] parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)

Recently, my neighbor was cussed out by one of the teenagers in our neighborhood. The teenager was carrying high powered pellet rifle around the playground where our children regularly play. According to my neighbor, who out of concern approached the youngster, the youngster told him to “f” off! Now my neighbor, James, is active army officer. He has been to Iraq several times, and seen many things on a regular that I have not seen in my 31 years of my life. Yet, a neighborhood teen has the guts enough to tell him off. James held off real well, being this has not been the first time a young punk has mouthed off to him. A time later, I was talking with some of the kids who witnessed this incident and inquired for their opinion. One young teenager, whose parents are Christians, told me if “James got on his lawn, he’d tell him to get off. If James approached him he’d knock him in his face...” I laughed, I really did at this kid, and I told him; “please, that man is a trained killer, the second you swing you’d be in a chokehold my friend!!...You need to respect James...” Truly, the respect for the older generation has gone right down the tubes.

This entry today is to the young generation, from another of the young generation, saying to you that the bible doesn’t uphold our disrespect to the older generation. Christ is not in support of our anger and outrage towards them. I know that the older generation has sometimes taught hypocrisy, but that doesn’t negate God’s COMMAND:

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5)

Oh how us young ones have lost our sight in which we are to respect those who are older than us. Whether they are righteous or unrighteous, we are to give them honor and respect. This generation has forgotten that, it is sad to say. The bible in no way is in support of the US trend called “not listening to the older and wiser men.” The Lord Jesus Christ is in support of respecting the men who are older and wiser, even if they are religious hypocrites. You don’t think so, look at our LORD doing this very thing:

And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:46-52)

Where do you see Jesus Christ disrespecting His earthly guardians? Where do you see him speaking out of order with the doctors in the Temple? Don’t see it, do you? Exactly, Jesus Christ humbled Himself and was obedient in the things of the Father (Philippians 2:6-8). He did not disrespect His mother, even when He called His mother ‘woman’ (John 2:4) or when his mother and brothers sought Him (Mark 3:31-35). Jesus Christ treated His guardians with honor.


So how are we as the younger generation to treat those that are older than us? – HONOR them

kabad(Hebrew) - to make honourable, honour, glorify

In the context of Exodus 20:12, this is what honor means. Notice there are no stipulations put on the elder’s behavior. There’s nothing saying if my parent is good, and loving, or kind, then honor them. No, we are to honor them no matter what they say or do. Only time you don’t listen is if they say something that violates the Word of God.

I am very aware of the scriptures speaking about the teenagers of the last days (2 Timothy 3:2). Yet, this doesn’t excuse the fact that the younger generation should be obedient to God’s Word. If you are a young person, or of my age, and you’re disrespecting the older generation: STOP IT. REPENT, and turn your eyes back to the Lord Jesus Christ. Follow Christ example. Though He left His father and mother, He did not disrespect them. Look at what Jesus Christ told His disciple to do:

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own [home]. (John 19:25-27)

Will God judge those who disrespect those who are elder? Yes, He will, He did in the OT. Think about this text in particular and really see the heart of God and how He feels about us turning our ear/disrespecting an older generation (notice the text makes it known that the lads were young. Why is that?):

And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. (2 Kings 2:23-24)