Other texts on honoring parents?
What other scriptures emphasize honoring parents, and how do they relate to Mark 7:11?

Command Rooted in the Law

Exodus 20:12 — “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

Deuteronomy 5:16 — Echoes the same charge, adding, “that it may go well with you.”

Leviticus 19:3 — “Each of you must respect his mother and father…”

These passages establish honoring parents as a non-negotiable command from God Himself. Any later interpretation must line up with this foundational mandate.


Wisdom Literature’s Voice

Proverbs 1:8-9 — Honoring parents adorns a child “with a garland of grace.”

Proverbs 23:22 — “Do not despise your mother when she is old.”

Wisdom literature shows the command is more than rule-keeping; it is the path of blessing and beauty throughout life.


New Testament Reinforcement

Matthew 15:4 — Jesus quotes Exodus, linking parental honor to the death penalty for blatant dishonor under the Law.

Luke 18:20 — Jesus recites the commandment among the essentials of moral life.

Ephesians 6:2-3 — Paul calls it “the first commandment with a promise… that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Colossians 3:20 — “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.”

1 Timothy 5:4, 8 — Providing for parents is a matter of godliness; neglect is “denying the faith.”


Connecting to Mark 7:11

Mark 7:11 — “But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is Corban (that is, a gift committed to God),”’”

• Jesus confronts a loophole that let people sidestep tangible support for parents by labeling resources “Corban.”

• Every text above stresses active care, provision, and respect; the Corban tradition directly violated that unified witness.

• By exposing the contradiction, Jesus defends the literal command of God over human tradition, reaffirming that honoring parents includes financial and practical responsibility.


Practical Takeaways

• God’s Word consistently links honoring parents to covenant blessing—Old and New Testament alike.

• Honor is expressed through obedience in youth, respect in speech, and provision in parents’ later years.

• No spiritual practice or vow can invalidate the clear command; true devotion to God always includes tangible care for one’s parents, precisely what Mark 7:11 safeguards.

How can we avoid prioritizing traditions over God's commandments in our lives?
Top of Page
Top of Page