Summary:
There is a classical saying, “Filial piety is the foremost of all virtues.”
Meaning to say, when a man is able to carry out filial piety, others will respect this man. Many opine filial piety as a Chinese tradition but this is not just inherent in Chinese cultures because this is also a commandment and teaching of God. This commandment carries along a promise as well!

The Senior Members’ Day (SMD) is conducted at our respective churches annually. As mentioned earlier, this year’s SMD is a special one because we are unable to physically hold our respective SMD in our local churches. What normally happens is that we gift our senior members presents during the SMD. This year, it is different. Our senior members would have already received their gifts by now. Due to the pandemic, opportunities were given to our EXCO members and ministers to personally deliver the gifts to our senior members. The speaker thanks God for this great opportunity to visit over 80 senior members over this period. This is a grace. The senior members would welcome them with a great smile at the doorstep. Just as when brother Joshua led the hymn earlier, “We thank God for guiding the footsteps of faith of our senior members. It is because God has preserved and guided them that they are here in their faith.” As we talk about honouring our seniors, let us also learn from their footsteps of faith.

There is a classical saying, “Filial piety is the foremost of all virtues.”
Meaning to say, when a man is able to carry out filial piety, others will respect this man. Many opine filial piety as a Chinese tradition but this is not just inherent in Chinese cultures because this is also a commandment and teaching of God. This commandment carries along a promise as well! Turn to Deuteronomy 5:16;

‘‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.’

This is a portion where Moses reiterated the 10 Commandments, just before the people of God entered the land of Canaan. This is, yes, a commandment of God given to us but this commandment also follows blessings. This is something that we have to pass on to the next generation. All the more, we, being Chinese, have this good tradition. It is all the more we should pass down this tradition to the next generation. Honouring the seniors is first and foremost our responsibilities. If we also read Exodus 20, we would know about the 10 Commandments. There is a common division of the 10 Commandments; commandment 1 to 4 as one section and 5 to 10 as another. The first 4 commandments require us to honour God while the latter part talks about loving men. But if we were to read it again, we can also divide it to the first 5 and the latter 5 because this is what God has given us as a responsibility that we have to fulfil. This is because as we honour our father and our mother, we are also honouring God because this is an instruction which God has given to us. Read Leviticus 19:32;

‘‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord .’

Here tell us that it is men’s responsibility to honour someone who is senior. When you honour someone who is more senior, you manifest the fear for God. When we honour our parents, we lead our next generation of children to establish a wholesome family. It enables us to teach our children and establish this model of religious faith that they ought to have. This is God’s commandments and instructions. If we do that, we are able to pass down our faith from generations to generations. Since this is our responsibility and a part we have to fulfil, we have to learn it properly. If you are able to carry this out in your family, our children will be able to respect their grandparents. Our children look up to us and the way you treat your parents will also be the way they treat you in the future; their eyes can see clearly for themselves and whatever you do affects the way they learn! Hence, we have to do this properly so that we are able to pass down this work of honouring the seniors from generation to generations.

This afternoon we will look at how we should repay our parents for the things they have given us. Turn to John 19:26-28;

26 ‘When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” ‘

At this period of time, the Lord Jesus was already nailed on the cross. This woman, whom the Lord Jesus loves, gathered at the cross beneath Jesus. While Jesus was bleeding on the cross, His mother was also bleeding in her heart. If you were a parent in that scenario, you will feel so much pain. But what did Jesus say when He saw His mother? Jesus loved His mother but was not able to do anything else for her. What did He say to His beloved disciple, John, who was also there? He said in v26;

‘When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”

From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. How did Jesus accomplish his last action? What was it? That was filial piety with the help of His disciple, John. Let us put ourselves in His shoes and suffer on the cross. If you were going to breathe your last, you would hope to carry out the most important matter when you pass on. What would you do? What is the most important matter for you to accomplish? Here, the Lord Jesus had chosen to fulfil the 5th commandment; to show filial piety towards His mother. In v28;

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” ‘

Here, we can see that Jesus’ actions show the importance of filial piety towards His parents. The Bible did not talk about His father, Joseph. Some Bible scholars reckon that His father had already passed away and only Mary was left. Hence, He had to find His beloved disciple to take care of His mother. Jesus is God Himself and He still paid so much attention to pay filial piety towards His mother. How did Paul talk about this matter? Turn to Ephesians 6:2-3;

2 ‘“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”’

Paul clearly taught us in this way that we have to show filial piety towards our parents. Without our parents, how is it that we will ever exist on earth? We do not deny that all things are given by God but let us not forget this: who has taken care of you when you are young? It is your parents. Yes, it is because God has given them strength and ability to take care of you to where you are today. The teaching of filial piety is consistent from the Old Testament to New Testament. The Lord Jesus also left us His example for us to follow. It is definite that He was suffering in great pain on the cross and He has suffered all types of sufferings. Yet, He has not forgotten to show filial piety towards His mother. We have to learn from Jesus to show filial piety towards our parents properly. Don’t regret only when your parents are not around. Yes, we are very busy and have no time. We keep proclaiming that we do not have enough time. But when our parents are no longer with us, how are you going to show filial piety? You would no longer have this opportunity because they have already left you.

The speaker remembers his grandfather doting on him when he was young. When the speaker was 10, his grandfather returned to Sabah. When he looks at pictures of how his grandfather took care of him, he would shed tears. He left all his money for the speaker. It was a tin of money with many coins in it. When he was young, he didn’t feel anything. When he grew older and wanted to take care of his grandpa, he didn’t have the opportunity anymore. He had already passed away and had no more opportunity. It became a mere memory. When the speaker sees others having a grandfather, he would feel envious.

We have to cease hold of opportunities. Regardless of how busy we are, regardless of the friction between us and our parents, we should use the love of the Lord Jesus to reconcile with them and take care of them. Because this is the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have to take care of them when we are old and this is our responsibility.

Why is the Lord Jesus able to carry out the work of filial piety and take care of His parents when they were old? Read John 19:27;

Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

This disciple had never left Him. The rest of them had already fled away. Because this disciple was there, when Jesus looked down from the cross, He saw the disciple whom He loved. Because he was there, Jesus was able to entrust this important matter to his hands and he was able to carry this out for the Lord Jesus. We have to learn from John. When our parents need us, when they are old and require us to take care of them and help them, we must be present to help them. We cannot shirk away from responsibilities and push them to others. Let us learn from John to be present when the Lord Jesus needed him and respond to this request of help. When your parents leave you, there is nothing else you can do. You can only live with regret. Let us not live in regret. May God grant us wisdom so that we are able to carry out this commandment which God wants us to do; that filial piety is carried out in every family and we are able to pass down this virtue from family to family.

Lastly, the speaker would like to end with a hope for our senior members. We turn to Psalm 92:13-14;

13 ‘Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,’

This is the blessing the speaker would like to leave with all our senior members: that they shall still bear fruit in old age, able to pass down the good virtues of faith to their next generation.

May the Lord guide us and bless our senior members.