Most parents in the United States want obedient children, and this is a fact. It is assumed that the biblical context operated the same way. That wasn't the case in ancient Israel and adjoining churches. The attitude towards caregiving of children was pro-social rebellion and pro-social honesty, with honesty being the motives of the rebellion, meaning honesty of opinion and feelings.
It says in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:
Children, obey your parents with all things, as is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke your children to anger, lest they become discouraged.
The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to a specific type of respect, known as providing custody, meaning rest in the care and attention of parents, and be able to say what you want to parents, with children being themselves in relation to parents, owing absolutely nothing in relation to parents, yet nonetheless showing gratitude to parents by listening to the voice of parents, by way of voice imprint and not fear of punishment. This form of rest in parents allows for rebellion of the pro-social variety, linked with pro-social honesty. A good parent is someone you respect enough to sit down and have an honest talk with, telling them exactly how you feel about a miscommunication, not mincing words at all. If children have a problem with you as a parent, they should feel safe to just say it and not speak around you, especially as they get older and form language skills. Until then, they are going to communicate first through crying, then through whining, when they are upset, and parents are to listen to children. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and literally translates to "stir up" as in "stirring the pot" in terms of your child's anger, and ultimately to avoiding offense. This word references the offenses in the legal context of the Bible, meaning the torts and damages system under the Eighth Commandment, especially the assault and battery laws that were extended to children in terms of protection, summed up by the slightest of offense perceived by a child in reaction to the entitled behavior of adults.
Reverent rebellion is a civil libertarian concept in conservatism, meaning a questioning type of rebellion against worldly powers, trusting God instead. This includes the reverent rebellion against parents. This goes by the fact that parents are flawed, entitled entities, and need their children to keep them in line in terms of diagnosis of needs. Parents alone cannot dictate, like an emperor, what a child needs. Children demand needs from parents, and do so because they feel safe being bold and rambunctious in demanding their needs and rights from parents, with parents having the moral obligation to respond to a child's every need/want, meaning not react with entitled emotion, but respond with empathy and kindness, even while saying "no" perhaps, while looking for a compromise regardless.
Children have the right to question parents, and then speak out when something is wrong or "off" about a situation, thinking for themselves, guided by the example of Christ in parents. In ancient Israel ad adjoining cultures, the rebellious energy of children was channeled in a pro-social manner to parents in a way that was quasi-pedophilic (hence pro-social pedophilia), meaning children, by far, trusted parents over anyone else, with their every emotion, with mothers especially being punching bags for the emotions and aggression of children. Children usually were calm in demeanor next to parents, but could strike a parent at that age, and it would be interpreted by the mother and father both as a petition for needs. The commandment against striking a parent only applied to adult children, as all punishment had to be exacted towards the other person in court, or else not at all, and children could not stand trial under the Mosaic Law. Thus, any extrajudicial punishment was illegal, to the point where even expressed anger at children was banned.
The depraved and entitled parents will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them suffer in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
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