When we look back at the society Jesus lived in, there were no social safety nets. Family was expected to look after family.
But then and now, families don’t always get along. In our world, we blame the “me” generation who can’t be bothered with aging parents. Stick them in a nursing home! But the desire to shed responsibility for parents is not new.
The priests and Pharisees were the rich and famous of Jesus’ day. “Corban” became a loophole to divert resources from supporting parents toward the temple. My guess is some did that to gain favour with the priests, and of course, God.
Jesus, however, reminds us that Moses’ words are timeless; the commandment to honour parents never changes.
So what does that mean for us? We’re not used to living together. Career moves can take us far from our parents, and who can afford to quit their job to care for an aging parent? What if we don’t even like each other?
If this is your situation, and you don’t know what to do, prayer is the place to begin. Also, seek advice from wise Christians.
Merciful One, keeping your commandment to honour our parents can be difficult. We ask for the blessings of wisdom and love. Show us how to support one another. Amen. — AK