Jon Collins

Everything that we make is free, and that's because it's already been paid for by thousands of people just like you.

Thank you so much for being a part of this with us.

The Ten Commandments, or the Ten Words, as they're called in the Bible, are a pathway to life.

They're not just a list of rules to check off.

They're a collection of wisdom that invites us to reframe how we think and relate to everything.

The first four commands tell us about how to relate to God.

No other gods, no idols, carry the name of Yahweh and keep the Sabbath.

And then the last five commands become all about how we relate to other humans.

Don't kill, don't commit adultery or steal or lie or covet.

But right in the middle is command number five.

And it acts like a hinge between how we relate to God and how we relate to other humans.

In particular, two humans.

Honor your father and your mother.

So it seems that honoring your parents is connected to receiving life from God.

But there's a lot of people we could honor.

Why focus on these two humans?

For followers of Jesus, the wisdom of the fifth command became how they honored everyone who came before them.

especially the widows, creating a culture where the elderly are taken care of, even if they're not your biological parents.

Today, Tim Mackey and I talk about the Fifth Command and how it's a command with a promise.

Long life in the land with durable, caring communities.