A Generation That Does Not Honor Their Parents

Mother’s Day 2025 Proverbs 30:11-17

A small boy went into the lingerie section of a large department store and shyly presented his problem to a woman clerk. He said, "I want to buy a slip as a present for my mom, but I don't know what size she wears?" The clerk looked at the boy and replied by saying, "Is she tall, short, fat or skinny?" The boy said, with his face beaming, "She's just perfect." The clerk as a result wrapped up a size 34 for him. Two days later the Mom came to the store by herself and changed the slip to a size 52. Obviously she was very large, but she was perfect to her son.

And as a small child I remember thinking the same thing. My mama was perfect in every way. Now my daddy was a good man and I loved him but my mama was the one who made my life full of JOY and HAPPINESS. There was nothing better than to crawl in bed with her after daddy left for work. Now as I got older I realized that she really wasn’t perfect. She was close but she made mistakes like all of us do. But oh what a wonderful mama she was.

This is my 12th Mother’s day sermon to preach and I usually bring a message about a certain mother in the Bible or I preach out of Proverbs 31 and talk about the attributes of a good mother. Not this year.

My, almost 59 years of life, has been FILLED with great examples of mothers.

As I said my mother and then my grandmothers, my aunts were great examples of motherhood. So many of you ladies sitting here today are great examples of what a mother should be. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is NO ONE who has more influence on a child than a mother.

ILLUS: Dr. G. Campbell Morgan had 4 sons and they were all preachers. Someone once came into the drawing room when all the family was there. They thought they would see what Howard, one of the sons, was made of so they asked him this question: "Howard, who is the greatest preacher in your family?" Howard had a great admiration for his father and he looked straight across at him and then without a moments hesitation he answered, "Mother."

And so this morning I feel led to bring a message not on MOTHERHOOD but how society and this GENERATION SEES MOTHERHOOD. I think we need to take a HARD LOOK at where this GENERATION is heading.

Now let me warn you. I may say some things today that may not go along with a lot of thoughts that are out there today. And I am NOT trying to be OFFENSIVE or ABRASIVE. But I truly believe that MOTHERHOOD is the HIGHEST CALLING for any woman. Now that doesn’t mean that God calls every woman to be a mother. We all know that He doesn’t. Just like God doesn’t call every man to be a father. But God CHOSE to continue on the HUMAN RACE by creating the woman.

And it was the WOMAN that God chose to carry in her WOMB, Jesus Christ, God in the FLESH. So HOW does this GENERATION TREAT HER? Let’s take a look at Proverbs 30 and we’ll read Verses 11-17.

“There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”

It’s interesting because in Verse 11, the first Verse we read, it tells us that there is a GENERATION that CURSES their FATHER and does NOT BLESS their mother. That’s a terrible thing isn’t it? To NOT show love and respect to your parents.

And then this passage goes on to describe the other SINS of this GENERATION. But then in Verse 17 it comes full circle, back around to the way that this GENERATION treats their mother and father. And so because these Verses begin and end with the way that MOTHERS and FATHERS are treated, I believe that a lot of the PROBLEMS of our SOCIETY could be FIXED if THIS GENERATION would begin to ONCE AGAIN HONOR our PARENTS. And so before we get into our message, let’s go to the Lord in PRAYER.