Titus 2

My father passed away this passed week. There was a viewing that many faithful friends came to pay their respects. Of all the sincere compliments that I received of my father, I was particularly touched by one father and mother of a ward the my father lived in for few years not long ago. The mother commented on how kind and how much attention my father had given to her children while he was in the ward.

She said my father was always at Church early, sitting in a pew close to the the chapel doors. She said he was so loving and kind to her children ranging in age from teenage years to around 8 years old. Overtime they became very close. She said her children came to love him very much because he seemed to love and care for them so. They even began calling hims "Grandpa". Can you think of a greater compliment. Even though they hadn't seen my father for several years because he moved to live with my sister, upon hearing of his death, they all wept with tears. The mother explained that the youngest, who in now in high school, would not even attend the viewing because he was so upset with the passing of "Grandpa".

With this experience, the words of Paul to Titus seemed to jump off the page this morning counseling -

"...the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience." (New Testament | Titus 2:2)

As well -

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (New Testament | Titus 2:3 - 5)

And again of the aged men, just as the aged women, of -

"Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned;" (New Testament | Titus 2:6 - 8)

Paul was wise as he recognized the influence of high priests and aged men and women on our youth.