Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. (Luke 1:6)
Parents often spot many similar traits between themselves and their children. Some are good things that make them proud. Some others are not quite an impressive legacy to highlight. However, they do their best to deal with those qualities and flaws.
Parenting calls us to be role models for our children to imitate. They are like camcorders. They faithfully reproduce our behaviors and remember our instructions and prohibitions. And when we make a misstep, they tell us in a childish way that we “act wrong.” Raising children is not an easy task all the time.
Zechariah and Elizabeth had the happy privilege of being the proud parents of John the Baptist. Their duties included and were not limited to practically teaching him the basics of Jewish faith and life at home. The Gospel of Luke gives an authentic, captivating, and powerful testimony of their relationship with God (Luke 1:6). Their irreproachable behavior set an excellent example for John the Baptist as the forerunner-to-be of Jesus, the Son of Man.
As Christian parents and obedient children of God, Jesus is the perfect model for us to follow in every aspect of life. By observing his commands, we will live a blameless life in the sight of God. And our life will be a living testimony to our offspring, other parents, and our neighbors.
As children of our heavenly Father, imitate our brother, Jesus, his Son.
Handy Calixte is an ordained pastor of L’Église Wesleyenne d’Haïti. He likes writing about various biblical topics. He and his wife, Johane, have three children.
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
