“Peripatetic” is a Greek word that means “walking.” There were peripatetic philosophers in Greece who taught their disciples as they walked along through life. The Lord Jesus did the same thing. Parents are called to teach their children as they walk along through life together. Deuteronomy 6:6-9  says, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates.”  There is a prerequisite before we can be a peripatetic parent. This is what we are to pass along to our children. We must teach them how to love God at all times and to look to God’s Word to find the wisdom we need to live pleasing to God.

Look at the details of this passage. One translation has it, “Drill them (God’s words) into your children.” Do this when you sit in the house and when you walk by the way. In our homes we have opportunity to discuss almost every area of life. We are called in this passage to bring God and His purposes into the discussion. When we lie down we reflect on the events of the day. We need to learn how to accept our failures, seek forgiveness for our sins, look and to be very thankful for our blessings.  When we rise up we are to look forward expectantly for God’s help throughout the day.  We are to look for opportunities to serve others.  We are to look to God’s promises to remind us that God is with us. This is the assurance that everyone can claim who puts their trust in the Savior.  We are to “bind” God’s Word on our hands and on our foreheads. This is a figurative expression for saying that we must serve God with our hands and to think and purpose with our minds to honor God with our lives. This is a reflection of our love for Him with all of our hearts. We are also to write God’s word on the doorposts of our houses. This means that we purpose that the things we do in our homes are to bring glory to Him. This includes our gratitude for and enjoyment of all the good things in life that He sends our way daily. Also, the doorpost of the house is where the blood of the Passover lamb was placed. This means we have to look to God’s mercy for the forgiveness of our sins. Having done this, now we put God’s word on the doorposts showing we desire to live as He commanded us in His Word, the  Bible.

When you put all these phrases together they say that we are to be peripatetic parents. We are to be like the Lord Jesus, walking on the road to Emmaus, talking with His disciples, and opening the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:32) Our disciples are our children. What a wonderful privilege this is! What a sacred responsibility! It is the great honor of our life.

In May we have Mother’s Day. In June we have Father’s Day. Throughout the summer we often have more time with our families. This is a good time to be reminded from the Bible to be “peripatetic parents.” May God’s blessing and help (!) rest upon us as we seek to enjoy God and one another together in our families.