I overheard my daughter coughing, such a cute little sound. Earlier I spoke to my wife regarding Ephesians 6:1, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (ESV). And this is a great verse for the church. Esp. an Asian church...the whole honor, duty, obey culture...
But I wonder-what does the word child mean? When does one stop being a child? Mark 10:7 and Genesis 2:23-24 say that a man will leave his parents when he takes a wife. He becomes independant, and on his own. Sure he is still someone's son, but it would seem he starts his own family and raises a new set of kids...which I would think makes him not a child.
So how to practice this verse? I guess I would hope that the parents of grown children would understand and not use Eph 6:1 over their children.* And at the same time for those who are still children to not use this info as a licence to run amok! Yet Eph. 5:21 tells us to submit to one another.
Interestingly I heard some new grandparents had shared about their experience at the hospital's grandparents baby class-the teacher emphasized, "its time to let go." And this new grandparent repeated that, "its time to let go".
*The Bible does speak to not exasperate your children. Col 3:21.
