It has been an accepted premise that there are no contradictions in the Bible; that is, one passage doesn’t contradict another. Yet, consider the following two passages, and in fact both containing what was uttered by Jesus:
Consider Matthew 15:1-9 which says, “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.’ [Jesus] answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER,” AND, “WHOEVER REVILES FATHER OR MOTHER MUST SURELY DIE.” But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Yet in MATTHEW 10: 34-35 Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. FOR I HAVE COME TO SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER…”
Well, if he had come to do that, isn’t he imploring people to disobey Exodus 20:12 which says, “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you”? And if he had come to set us against our parents, how can he expect us to honor them, which is the very thing he criticized the Pharisees for making void?
We know that Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in God with all our heart and do not lean on our own understanding, while 2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL scripture is breathed out by God and is for teaching, correction, reproof and training in righteousness. Given that, we know that Jesus said that nobody goes to God except through him, but what are we expected to do regarding our parents?
Can we decide that Jesus in MATTHEW 10: 34-35 is telling us not to honor parents who do not act in a righteous manner? But the Commandment stated in Exodus 20:12, which is part of the Law that Jesus came to uphold and fulfill, says “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.
So, is Jesus telling us that if we go to God through Him, we need not honor our mother and father, and we can, in effect, throw them under a bus? Is there anywhere in the Bible in which Jesus makes a distinction of which parents to honor, and which parents to not honor?
And consider Ephesians 6:1-3 which says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” There are no ifs, ands or buts there either, and no distinction between parents to obey and those to not obey is made there either.
So how do we show our love for God in terms of our parents when we have seemingly conflicting words by Jesus, and conflicting passages in the Bible as a whole? I don’t have an answer to this except to say that when our day of Judgment comes, God will consider the good things and the bad things we have done in our life, and hopefully God will judge that the good things we’ve done outweigh the bad things.
Consider Matthew 15:1-9 which says, “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.’ [Jesus] answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER,” AND, “WHOEVER REVILES FATHER OR MOTHER MUST SURELY DIE.” But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Yet in MATTHEW 10: 34-35 Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. FOR I HAVE COME TO SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER…”
Well, if he had come to do that, isn’t he imploring people to disobey Exodus 20:12 which says, “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you”? And if he had come to set us against our parents, how can he expect us to honor them, which is the very thing he criticized the Pharisees for making void?
We know that Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in God with all our heart and do not lean on our own understanding, while 2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL scripture is breathed out by God and is for teaching, correction, reproof and training in righteousness. Given that, we know that Jesus said that nobody goes to God except through him, but what are we expected to do regarding our parents?
Can we decide that Jesus in MATTHEW 10: 34-35 is telling us not to honor parents who do not act in a righteous manner? But the Commandment stated in Exodus 20:12, which is part of the Law that Jesus came to uphold and fulfill, says “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.
So, is Jesus telling us that if we go to God through Him, we need not honor our mother and father, and we can, in effect, throw them under a bus? Is there anywhere in the Bible in which Jesus makes a distinction of which parents to honor, and which parents to not honor?
And consider Ephesians 6:1-3 which says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” There are no ifs, ands or buts there either, and no distinction between parents to obey and those to not obey is made there either.
So how do we show our love for God in terms of our parents when we have seemingly conflicting words by Jesus, and conflicting passages in the Bible as a whole? I don’t have an answer to this except to say that when our day of Judgment comes, God will consider the good things and the bad things we have done in our life, and hopefully God will judge that the good things we’ve done outweigh the bad things.
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