1. _"Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother."_ Go has given us a commandment in regard to our _father_ and _mother,_ our _parents._ This is a very important commandment for all children. It is God's will that we not only _love_ our parents, but also _honor_ them. We honor those who occupy a higher position than we, who have been placed above us, who have a right to command us and demand our obedience. By commanding us to honor our parents, God places them above us. He wants children to regard their parents as being in God's stead, above them, as His representatives, whom for His sake they should honor. Never forget that your dear parents have been placed over you by God. Never forget to honor and respect them for God's sake. 2. What does it mean to honor father and mother? _"We should, fear and love God that we may not despise our parents ... nor provoke them to anger."_ We should not _despise_ our parents. We despise them when we do not respect the high station in which God has placed them over us, when in our hearts we do not esteem them as God's representatives, when we act as though we were their equals or even stood above them.--We should not _provoke them to anger,_ that is, we should not by word or deed excite them to just anger or cause them pain and distress, by being unkind, stubborn, disobedient, even insolent towards them, or by wicked deeds and sins which dishonor them. Remember _Absalom,_ who despised his father David and caused him bitter grief by rebelling against him and making himself king in his stead. 2 Sam. 15. Remember the wicked sons of Eli. 1 Sam. 2,12.--God is displeased with this sin. _"The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it,"_ says the Word of God. Prov. 30,17. God will severely punish all bad and disobedient children, very often in this life, as He did with Absalom, and if they do not repent, in eternity. 3. We must not despise our parents, but should _give them honor,_ that is, we should regard them in our hearts as God's representatives; we should respect their station, even if they are lowly, or poor, or even queer. They are still our parents, and therefore should not be deprived of their honor because of their failings. It is _God's will_ that we honor them. 4. We should show in words and deeds that we honor our parents. We should _serve_ them, we should do for them whatever we can, even if they do not ask for it, and do it gladly. When they become old or sick, we should do all in our power to help them, and so try to repay the love and care which they have shown us when we were young and weak and so much in need of their kindness. Your dear parents did and still do so much for you that you will hardly ever be able to repay them. _"Let them_ [the children] _learn . . . to requite their parents_ [to repay their love]; _for that is good and acceptable before God."_ 1 Tim. 5,4.