Are Sheep Better Than Goats?
Matthew 25: 31-46

A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced toward him out of a cloud of dust.

The driver, a young man in an Italian  suit, Gucci shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses and Trump tie, leaned out the window and asked the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?"

Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his ATT LG G3 Phablet, and calls up a NASA page on the Internet, where he logs in to a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Within seconds, he receives an email on his I-phone 6s that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his phablet and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer, turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud.

He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on with amusement as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car. Then Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"
"You're a consultant for the U.S. Congress", says Bud.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you. You want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You used millions of dollars’ worth of technology trying to show me how much smarter than me you are, and you don't know a thing about how working people make a living, or about cows for that matter. I am a sheep herder.

Now give me back my dog.

We’re starting to find out, not surprisingly, that Obamacare was created by the same type of person as this person in this joke. However our problems today are not a joke.

Did you hear about the demonstration in a grocery store out in Berkeley, California last week? Some very radical vegetarians held a funeral for a chicken they took out of the frozen food section complete with a eulogy and prayers and a coffin.

They said that all animal life on earth have the same value, and are equal in the eyes of “mother earth.” Now that’s not quite how my Bible reads, but with the wackos and government people running things there are times when it seems as if some animals are worth more than people.

Occasionally, a psychologist or a counselor, in the course of their interaction with a client, may ask them, “If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?”

Obviously, the answer sometimes may give away some elements or aspects of your personality, such as level of aggressive tendencies or what you actually think about others for example, that you may want to stay hidden.

For me, I enjoy using this question to free up creative thinking and to ease a little tension. Think of how wonderful it must be to be an Eagle and soar on wings or to be a dolphin and be carefree.

Jesus tells us that in the coming judgment it will be better to be a sheep then  a goat, as he compares the coming judgment of the nations of the earth. Jesus talks about sheep a lot in His teachings. Let’s hear His description and then discuss which animal we’d like to be. Matthew 25: 31-46:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory. “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "

Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"Then they also will answer, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?'

"Then he will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Goats are hardy animals suitable to the rocky hills and mountains of the arid regions in Israel. They are used for their meat, hair, milk, and skins. Goats, to this day, are favored by the Bedouins more than any other group of people.

But goats were falling out of favor by Jesus’ day and were becoming less used by Jewish herders and priests in the temple sacrificial system, which favored either lambs or doves primarily because their bodies had more fat content.

Sheep required much more care and tending than the independent-minded goats. Throughout the New Testament people are frequently compared favorably to sheep and Jesus often pictures Himself as a Shepherd.

Sheep are considered affectionate, meek, docile, submissive, considered helpless if left alone, and have a serious need for guidance.

Human sheep need a shepherd, Jesus, and sheep dogs, pastors/teachers/church leaders, and such. It’s no wonder Jesus compared His disciples to sheep.

The Greek word for sheep is “probaton” and the Greek word for goat is “eriphion.” I remember this word so well because it is almost as if God put us here on probation. The sheep fear God and the goats rip apart.

Goats are independent creatures that are stubborn, destructive, and refuse to be herded, mostly going where their hunger and curiosity takes them.

Jesus tells us the sheep will be on His right hand and the goats on the left: where do you want to be?

The goats in Jesus’ passage are described in Romans 1: 28-32:

 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

 Being a member of the sheep-fold is where we want to be. That’s where God’s grace will draw us home. And in the sheep-fold we take care of each other. Amen.

“INVESTMENT LIVING”
MATTHEW 25: 14-30 NRSV

I love the story about the Lutheran pastor who always started each service off with the phrase, "The Lord be with you." The people would then respond, "and also with you.”

However, one Sunday the sound system wasn’t working very well. The pastor stepped up to the pulpit and said, "There’s something wrong with this microphone."  The people responded, "AND ALSO WITH YOU!”

Pastors are known for certain styles of preaching and specific themes they preach over and over. I once heard someone say that most preachers really only preach one sermon but say it in different ways.

I can live with people saying that about me as long as the message I give is consistent and Biblical, and is practical to use in your everyday life.

Some pastors preach peace, some preach prayer, some preach unity in believers, others preach love, self-control, and how good deeds show others how good a Christian is. Some preachers even urge their congregations to donate money so that they too will be given more money by God. (That’s the Prosperity Gospel.)

(BTW – those preachers drive Cadillac’s, Humvee’s, and Lincoln Navigators. My little car may look nice – but I assure you it’s at the cheap end of the dealer’s pricelist!)

I think we pastors need to offer practical advice and practical theology in our weekly messages that help people know God, Jesus, and live better lives. I think Jesus would agree.

What is the most practical parable Jesus ever told? What parable applies more to how we live our lives today, and how God acts and reacts to us, and how we act and react to Him? I think it would have to be the parable that we find in Matthew 25:14-30.

"For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;  to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 

The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 

In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 

But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 

Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.'  His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 

And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'

But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 

So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The biggest change in the church over the last 400 years is the answer to a question that has troubled humans since the Garden of Eden: What authority does God have over my life, and do I really owe him for the skills, abilities, and talents he has given me?

The New Testament adds Jesus to the equation: What power does the church have over me?

The quick answer is obvious: If you don’t want God to be the ruler of your life  then you don’t have to bow to Him. But God has prefigured a price into all of our lives as the Creator of the Universe: The cost of rejection is ironically this: you set yourself up to be rejected.

Before someone says that’s not fair let me say this: God will allow you to live the life you choose, on the earth He has created for you, subject to the natural laws and limitations humans have. You can reject or accept His laws and rules or not. But when you pass from the physical world into the spiritual world there will be an accounting.

If you acknowledge Jesus while on earth, then you will be acknowledged in Heaven. If you choose to use your talents, abilities, and skills to attempt (hear that word --- attempt) to help and further His commandments and Kingdom then the attempt will be rewarded in Heaven.

God does not set quotas, shift goals, or pay by the hour or activity. God says it is good when/if you try, and even better when you succeed. But it’s not really necessary to meet the criteria for entrance into Heaven. That’s why it’s called Grace.

For clarity’s sake - You just can’t take all the blessings God has given you and then ignore Him and expect to get the same reward someone who has a relationship with God would receive.

I know it’s hard for us to understand – God’s economy is not our economy; His ways are not our ways. God is perfect, we as imperfect humans, could never do anything that could please Him, except to accept His Son into our lives.

The Bible tells us of the rejoicing that will go on in Heaven when one sinner repents and comes to Christ. Even if we work hard to help that person make a decision it is still the Holy Spirit that does the heavy lifting and the hard work.

Sadly, so many people look at God’s claim on His creation as a myth, a child’s fable, and a lie that creates hatred and fear. They see any act of judgment, not as righteous but as a punishment.

I remember hearing a story about a stolen car. Police were conducting an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief.

On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, was laced with poison.

The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait.

Now the police and the owner of the car were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.

So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape his punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding his rescue.

Combine that with how resistant most Christians are to evangelize and it doesn’t bode well for those who are lost.

We worry so much about offending others if we talk about faith that we risk losing them to the world and sin, and the temptations of evil around us.

I think Jesus is reminding us in these verses that we are being given the gift of grace and that out of gratitude it should be natural for us to try and return an investment on that grace. It should become a way of life rather than attempting to do good works because we want God to notice and reward us.

Sadly, it’s almost like what’s happening with patriotism and our American identity. We receive benefits as Americans not because we deserve them but because Americans have always done what was needed to secure freedom.

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.

We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."

Many of us don’t want to make the sacrifices necessary investing ourselves in our faith to make a difference anymore. Jesus calls us to a life of investment in Him. Amen.

DOOMSDAY PREP-PERS!
MATTHEW 25: 1-13 NRSV

A little girl asked her father if he was afraid of the dark. He told her he was not. She asked if he was afraid of snakes. He told her he was not. The little girl then asked him if he was afraid of long slimy worms. Her father again told her he was not afraid, even of long, slimy worms.

The girl thought for a moment and then concluded, “Then the only thing you’re afraid of is mom!” If we look around there are lots of things to be afraid of, aren’t there?

There’s a lot of buzz in the world today about the end of the world, what with the rise of ISIS, Ebola arriving in America, the new “entro-virus” striking children, the increase in racial hatred and violence, the increasing split of partisan politics, and the declining American identity and patriotism.

Some people are very afraid of the lack of privacy we have; that retail businesses snoop on us, media outlets monitor what news we see and hear, the TSA strip or electronically search us before we get on airplanes, and even our government won’t admit to the level of information gathering the various alphabet agencies collect on the average person each day.

A young woman was waiting for a bus in a slum area one evening when a rookie policeman approached her. “Want me to wait with you?” he asked.

She replied, “Thank you, but that’s not necessary. I am not afraid.” “Well, then,” he grinned, “would you mind waiting with me?” All of us need to use the buddy system just to go to the corner market.

If you’ve noticed, I haven’t even began to talk about Biblical prophecy and the signs that the end is near: The threat of ideological and religious warfare; the increasing physical calamities such as earthquakes, floods, storms, famines, large fish and bird deaths, the increasing godlessness, and the almost constant demand of freedom from religion, and the persecution of believers…I could go on for a while.

Jesus knew we would face tough times and would have to wait, even come to long for, the time of His return. The signs of the times, He said, would tell us when the time is near. It would be “as in the days of Noah.”

He also said we were not to worry, but that we were to be prepared for His return:

Lots of money and time are spent each year trying to figure it out. If just half that energy were spent on preparing as much an on when, we’ve be in good shape.

Let’s see what Jesus said in Matthew 25: 1-13: "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'

And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' 

Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

A Bible study group was discussing the unforeseen possibility of their sudden death. The leader of the discussion said, “We will all die some day, and none of us really know when, but if we did we would all do a better job of preparing ourselves for that inevitable event.” Everybody shook their heads in agreement with this comment.

Then the leader said to the group, “What would you do if you knew you only had 4 weeks of life remaining before your death, and then the Great Judgment Day?”

One man said, ” I would go out into my community and minister the Gospel to those that have not yet accepted the Lord into their lives.” “Very good!” said the group leader, and all the group members agreed, that would be a very good thing to do.

One lady then spoke up and said enthusiastically, “I would dedicate all of my remaining time to serving God, my family, my church, and my fellow man with a greater conviction.” “That’s wonderful!” the group leader commented, and all the group members agreed, that too would be a very good thing to do.

But one man in the back finally spoke up loudly and said, “I would go to my mother-in-laws house for the 4 weeks.” Everyone was puzzled by this answer, and the group leader ask, “Why your mother-in-law’s home?” “Because that will make it the longest 4 weeks of my life!”

So our question comes down to this: Is it better to not worry about when Jesus is coming, or is it better to be ready when He comes?

One argument seems to require the usual “out of touch” scenario of standing on the street corner crying out, “Repent, the end is near!” while the other suggests making do and surviving each day until we hear Jesus yell, “Come up here!”

Farmers Fred and Luke were fishing on the side of the road. They made a sign saying "The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!" and waved it at each passing car.

One driver that passed didn't appreciate the sign and shouted, "Leave us alone you religious nuts!" All of a sudden they heard a big splash. Fred grinned at Luke. "Do you think we should just put up a sign that says: 'Bridge Out' instead?"

But what do you think is a better option – going totally doomsday “prepper” and concentrating only on preparing for the coming judgment? Or following Jesus’ advice to be prepared while continuing to work toward showing yourselves as an approved disciple of Christ?

When I worked for the Army in the 1980’s I managed the computer programs that took care of the world wide stock of “War Reserve” materials that were “pre-positioned” in case of a sudden war somewhere. The government was prepared to respond quickly if/when needed. But it took a lot of time and effort to manage effectively.

Veterans of military service will tell you just how much material, manpower, and management is required to keep units supplied at a level that boosts efficiency and maintains morale enough to fight or perform a mission. It is time consuming and expensive.

But consider the alternative? It costs lives when military units are not ready.

Preparing for Jesus’ return and staying ready requires effort as well. Effort that needs to start in the family and become a daily habit of both walking and talking in faith. Knowing everything about Jesus must start early in life, if possible.

Talking about and preparing for Jesus’ return with children will help them learn and overcome the natural fears and questions humans have when facing any kind of life changes.

It’s our natural inclination to avoid discussing such topics, but avoiding it will alsol also cost human souls who aren’t prepared like the bridesmaids in our Gospel.

The cold and flu season had come to a little girl’s school. The first grader had missed a day of school and was asked by the teacher if she was felling better. She responded to the teacher in a proud voice, “Yes, I’m all better now, but Daddy and I had to go to the doctor.”

The sensed there might be more to the story she asked, “And what did you think about visiting the doctor?” The little girl answered with a small, sad voice, “I didn’t like it very much. I had to get a shot, and it hurt.”

Before the teacher could offer any words of comfort the little girl got a big smile on her face and continued, “Yep. I had to get a shot, but my daddy had to get two shots, and that made me feel much better!”

Preparing for Jesus’ return is necessary, and will require inoculation against the trials and tribulations of this world so that its temptations and viral infestations of sin will not catch.

After church, where she had been taught about the Second Coming, a little girl was quizzing her mother. "Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?" "Yes."  "Today?" "Yes." "In a few minutes?" "Yes, dear." "Mommy, would you comb my hair?" 

2 Timothy 2: 15 (HCSB) reads “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” The Greek word used for approved, “dokimos” means being accepted and pleasing. The text tells us to work at being accepted by, and being pleasing to God.    

I always remember with fondness the age –old adage that mothers would remind their children to wear clean underwear while on a trip just in case you ended up in the hospital. Isn’t it the same when we remind others to be ready when/if Jesus comes? It won’t be just our underwear that has to be clean!

 
As believers in Christ it is our duty to warn and equip others in the saving faith and hope of eternal life in our Lord and Savior. Let us commit ourselves and efforts in being prepared and assisting others in being ready as well. Amen.

“A Spade is Just a Fancy Name for a Shovel”
Matthew 23: 1-12

A religious leader and his associate were rehearsing a service. To make his point more dramatic the minister fell to his knees, beat his breast and said, “I am nothing. I am nothing.” Then his associate fell to his knees, beat upon his breast, and repeated, “I am nothing. I am nothing.”

The janitor witnessed this scene. Moved by what he had seen and had heard, the janitor fell to his knees and cried, “I am nothing. I am nothing.”

When the minister and associate heard the janitor, the minister turned to the associate and said, “So look who has the gall to think he is nothing!”

Humbleness, or humility is greatly prized as a character trait. It suggests that the person has an openness to criticism and advice, and is not conceited or stubborn enough not to learn new lessons in life. We want our heroes, public servants, and medical professionals to be humble.

I’m reminded of a peanuts comic strip I once read. Linus and Charlie Brown are talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Linus says, “When I get big I’m going to be a humble country doctor. I’ll live in the city, see, and every morning I’ll get up, climb into my sports car and zoom into the country! Then I’ll start healing people. I’ll heal everybody for miles around. “

Then Linus concludes his speech by saying, “”I’ll be a world famous humble little country doctor.”

Remember the song that went, “It’s hard to be humble when you are perfect in every way?” I thank God that every time I start getting a handle on thinking I might be doing something right, something will slap me in the face to remind me I’m not even close. It’s kind of like a humility shirt I wear. I know a pastor who talks about the food stains on his shirt as the “family birthmark.”

I know I’m never going to be perfect – but I also know I don’t have to be, and I think that’s a step toward being humble, at least.

A humble country pastor was asked to give the opening and closing prayers at a large church conference where the biggest names in the religious world were speaking. A member of his congregation asked him later how he felt being given such an honor.

The pastor replied in this way, “A farmer once put his mule in a horse race and his friends said to him, ‘Silly, that mule can’t run with those thoroughbreds.’ The farmer said, ‘I know it, but you have no idea how good it makes him feel to be with all those horses.’”

The first step toward humbleness is in plain speaking. Not ducking issues and living in the real world is necessary. But this won’t make you popular. Learning to admit that a “spade,” is just a fancy name for a shovel, is a tough road to walk, and must be taught from an early age. Having respect for ourselves and others helps.

Let’s see what Jesus taught about humbleness - Matthew 23: 1-12:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.

They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.

And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven.

Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

One of the greatest preachers in American History, Jonathan Edwards, said, “Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.”

William Stekel once said, “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”

And finally, Arthur Schopenhauer wrote, “We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be liked by other people.” True humbleness means living in the real world of self-awareness, purpose, and the meaning of God’s grace.

To do that we must not only know truth, but live it as well, “warts and all.” How can we get in touch with humbleness? It’s linked to the most important thing a parent can instill in a child, that of respect.

Let’s look at the fifth commandment. This God-given boundary comes with a promise. Here’s what God said: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”  (Exodus 20: 12, NRSV)

What does it mean to honor your father and mother? In the original language the word “honor” can literally mean “to make heavy.” In other words, we are not to take our parents lightly. God calls us to actively give them respect and reverence.

This 5^th commandment is tough to chew on because we live in an age of disrespect. Youth is glorified and old age is seen as something to avoid at all costs. On TV and in the movies children are most often portrayed as the witty heroes.

Parents tend to be seen as pathetic, overbearing buffoons, especially dads. Think Al Bundy, Homer Simpson, or Archie Bunker? The elderly are most often viewed as senile and to be avoided if you want to have a good time. In this case it seems that the media is reflecting the attitude of the culture, disrespect of parents and grandparents.

Just as with all of God’s commandments, this one has terrible consequences for nations and individuals if it’s not heeded. We live in a nation where people think they know everything. They don’t need to be humble, nor do they need to show respect for others.

It destroys humbleness before your parents, family, and God. Humbleness must start at home. Respect must start at home.

Why should we insist on respect? Obviously it teaches children to honor authority and submit yourself to it. The health of the family reflects the health of the nation. The 5^th Commandment extends to other areas of authority in society as well.

Zacharius Ursinus, who wrote the Heidelburg Catechism, said this:   

“The design or end of this commandment is the preservation of civil order, which God has appointed in the mutual duties between inferiors and their superiors. Superiors are all those whom God has placed over others, for the purpose of governing and defending them.  Inferiors are those whom God has placed under others, that they may be governed and defended by them.”

In other words, children who have learned to honor their parents in turn respect those in authority over them. This enables them to be upright, law-abiding citizens.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, in her book about the 10 commandments writes:

Parents are teachers of faith and morality. What God is to the world, parents are to their children. Unfortunately, some parents become so focused on the element of friendship or their own convenience, comfort, self-fulfillment, happiness, or love life that they forget their job is to help mold moral character so their children will have the strength to do what is right in a world that sometimes encourages them to do otherwise.

The 5^th commandment has a reciprocal effect. The honor you give is the honor you will receive. It is a two-way street requiring you as a parent to respect both your children and your own parents.

Teach your children to respect you. Ephesians 6: 1-4, NRSV):

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"--this is the first commandment with a promise: "so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

We teach respect when we love them unconditionally, encourage them by lifting them up, limiting them by providing boundaries and guidance, and leading them in what’s right and what’s not right.

Proverbs 22: 6 tells us: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Respect must be taught before it is sought. However, honor must also be caught.

Our children need to see respect in us. Respect for ourselves, respect for them, and respect for others. It is only through self-understanding can we become humble enough to concentrate on the truly important things in life.

Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character. If you always worry about who you are and where you should be then you’ll never become and do what God wants you to do.

Lastly, I think Jesus is telling us in this passage this message: “The person with true humility never has to be shown his place, he is always in it.” Amen.