I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 18th of October, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the book of Proverbs 20:20:

“Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.”

A very serious scripture verse - then we go to Exodus 21:17:

“And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” 

And then the last one is found in Matthew 15:4. This is Jesus speaking:

“For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

Oh, my dear friend, you probably know that Commandment Number 5 is the first commandment in the Bible that has a promise added to it:

“Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12.

It’s not optional.

I can hear a young person saying, “But Uncle Angus, you’ve never met my father and my mother.” Yes, I know sometimes it is very tough but we need to be kind. We need to be gentle with our folks, You see, you don’t know what they’ve been through. Mom and dad might be in a lot of pain. Growing old, as they say, is not for sissies. Tell me about it! All those rugby injuries, that time you came off your horse, that sore knee, that sore back! It’s painful and makes you a little bit grumpy so be patient with them and love them, especially if one of them has maybe gone home and the other one is left behind. They’re lonely. Loneliness is a terrible thing. Love your mom and your dad. That’s what Jesus said, so that your days may be long in the land. It’s not optional. Respect them.

I want to say something to young girls who are going to get married one of these days, I want you to have a good look and see that young man that you have fallen in love with, how he treats his mom and dad. Oh yes, that will tell you a lot about him. If he is kind and gentle to mom and dad, I can tell you, you’ve got a good man there and he’ll be kind and gentle to you and your children.

I want to tell you a little story. My old dad was a tough old man, an ex-World War 2 prisoner of war. He was a blacksmith by trade, had a hard upbringing. He was a rough and tough old man but I loved him dearly. He stayed with me on the farm after my mom went home to be with Jesus and I only found out long after he’d died - my foreman, Simeon Bhengu, came to me one day, and he said, ‘I want to tell you something. Every time he used to leave the farm to go and stay with your brother up in Johannesburg for a short holiday, he would call me into his house and he would say to me, “Look after the boss till I get home.” I mean, I was a grown man.

Love dad, love mom, because they are not with you forever.
God bless you and goodbye.