My dad wasn’t a tall guy and his feet weren’t that large.
So, being able to fill his shoes would probably never have seemed to be a challenge—if indeed I’d ever thought about it at all. I actually don’t remember.
But wouldn’t that be a goal for every young man? Or should it depend upon whether a father’s character warrants the effort? Perhaps the Lord God Himself has given us a clue:
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” [Exod.20:12; Matt.19:18] [my emphasis]
[Hebrew Masoretic Text: כָּבַד (kabad) or כָּבֵד (kabed) to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome; Greek Septuagint: τιμάω (tî-mâ’-ōh] to honor, to value]
Note that the ancient Hebrew manuscripts suggest that, to honor something or someone, it’s necessary to carry a heavy burden. It was a coveted responsibility, and an effective way of using grammar to convey emphasis to the action of the verb.
But how interesting that the parallel Greek definition seems to add to that an element or reciprocity for the verb action. Value. To honor a mother or father doesn’t just bring value to the honoree.
It brings both honor and value to honorer as well, such as “…prolonged days in the land.”
As sons, we fill our fathers’ shoes by emulation if we’re so inclined. But the command is to honor. Period. That initially shifts honor from the Father to our father—who [hopefully], in turn, shifts it right back to Him from Whom it originally came. That’s a valuable model to remember.
We also fill our Heavenly Father’s “shoes” by actually making an honest effort to “walk” in the same type of sandals His Beloved Son did.
They’re pretty big.
But I think growing into them is the plan.
Leave a Comment
Posted: April 27, 2026 by cjournalme
Value All the Way Around
My dad wasn’t a tall guy and his feet weren’t that large.
So, being able to fill his shoes would probably never have seemed to be a challenge—if indeed I’d ever thought about it at all. I actually don’t remember.
But wouldn’t that be a goal for every young man? Or should it depend upon whether a father’s character warrants the effort? Perhaps the Lord God Himself has given us a clue:
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” [Exod.20:12; Matt.19:18] [my emphasis]
[Hebrew Masoretic Text: כָּבַד (kabad) or כָּבֵד (kabed) to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome; Greek Septuagint: τιμάω (tî-mâ’-ōh] to honor, to value]
Note that the ancient Hebrew manuscripts suggest that, to honor something or someone, it’s necessary to carry a heavy burden. It was a coveted responsibility, and an effective way of using grammar to convey emphasis to the action of the verb.
But how interesting that the parallel Greek definition seems to add to that an element or reciprocity for the verb action. Value. To honor a mother or father doesn’t just bring value to the honoree.
It brings both honor and value to honorer as well, such as “…prolonged days in the land.”
As sons, we fill our fathers’ shoes by emulation if we’re so inclined. But the command is to honor. Period. That initially shifts honor from the Father to our father—who [hopefully], in turn, shifts it right back to Him from Whom it originally came. That’s a valuable model to remember.
We also fill our Heavenly Father’s “shoes” by actually making an honest effort to “walk” in the same type of sandals His Beloved Son did.
They’re pretty big.
But I think growing into them is the plan.
Category: Uncategorized
Recent Posts
Past Articles