The one with a promise

After Ephesians 6:1-9

A history of covenants,

promises, with Adam,

with Noah, with Abraham,

promises made and

promises kept. And

a commandment, one

of ten, the first with

a promise attached,

not only do this,

be this, but do this

and here’s what happens.

Honor your father,

honor your mother

—and here it is—

a twofold promise—

that it may go well

with you

and you may live

long in the land.

It starts with 

the most basic 

of human conditions

and relationships –

child and parent –

with this addition,

a word of advice

to parents: 

don’t provoke

your children to anger,

but raise them in – not

yours – but the discipline

and instruction of the lord,

and that assumes that

parents themselves have

been taught what that is,

by their parents. 

 

Photograph by Sorasak via Unsplash. Used with permission.