“His lord said unto him, well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23 KJV).
The contention of organizations like the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), policies like the Make Homeschooling Safe Act, politicians such as Michigan Representative Matt Koleszar, and the entire public school machine is that parents are ill-equipped to educate their children. Thus, if they opt to pursue it, it is the state’s job to monitor, oversee, and regulate that process. The intention of these groups is to ensure that every homeschooled child receives “a comprehensive and empowering education and a safe and supportive home environment is affirmed and protected by laws, stakeholders, and society as a whole.”
Conviction of Parents or Legislation
Because of this conviction, these leaders pass legislation, give speeches, and convince parents that their kids would be better off, even safer, in situations where the government “knows where the children are.” In compliance with this pervasive perspective, millions of parents have delegated the education of their children to the state.
With these ideas becoming increasingly pervasive in education policy, it is crucial for us to stop and consider their assumptions and consequences. This series asked the important question “What is the Make Homeschool Safe Act?” and showed how it undermines a parent’s autonomy to educate their children. It also considered the consequences of the assumption made by CRHE—that homeschooling parents are guilty of child abuse until proven innocent and therefore require state oversight.
But are homeschooling parents really dangerous? Are they ill-equipped to be educators? Do they require state oversight? The contention of Classical Conversations is that parents, far from being unable to educate, are the most suited to own and direct the education of their children.
Equipped by God
“He gave . . . to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15 KJV).
Parents are those divinely appointed by God to fulfill the command “be fruitful and multiply,” and have been endlessly blessed with the responsibility and stewardship of their children. In Pierce v. Society of Sisters, the Supreme Court acknowledged this sacred relationship and ruled that “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”
Even more than simply a legal relationship, God has gifted parents the bodies, minds, hearts, and souls of their children to shepherd and to raise up so that they may learn to glorify God. In Deuteronomy 6:5–7 we read, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
The Weight of Duty
This responsibility, this high calling, ought never to be taken lightly. Though it is a great blessing, this stewardship also comes with great trials, great troubles, and sometimes even great heartache. So, thank the Lord that though parents carry a yoke, Christ invites his disciples to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30 KJV).
Parents have the divine duty to multiply and subdue the earth, raise and educate their children, and, for Christian parents, make disciples of all nations. With the weight of these eternally significant tasks, praise the Lord that he has equipped us “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17 KJV).
So, because children are not mere creatures of the state and parents are equipped by God to raise and educate their children in the admonition of the Lord, how can parents fulfill this calling today?
Multiply Your Talents
In Matthew 25, Christ tells his disciples the parable of the talents. In this parable, a master is preparing to embark on a journey, so he calls his servants to him and gives his wealth into their care “to every man according to his several ability” (Matthew 25:15 KJV). To one servant he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one.
While the master was away, the servants with five and two talents multiplied their talents, and in doing so, they were praised and blessed when the master returned. The servant with one talent, however, buried it, so when the master returned, he had nothing to offer but the little he had been given. Why did he do this? Christ tells us in Matthew 25:25 that the servant did this because “I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth.”
The master chastised his servant for this action, or lack thereof, saying, “Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchanges.” Because of his laziness and fear, the servant disappointed his master and lost the single talent he had been given.
Responsibilities Given According to Ability
This sobering parable reminds us that the Lord has given responsibilities to each according to his ability and expects us to steward them well. Therefore, it is incumbent upon each of us to ask ourselves, “What has the Lord given me to steward and how can I multiply it for his glory?”
For parents, the answer is plain: God has given parents their children, each according to their ability, to raise, educate, and present before the master when he returns.
Thus, regardless of the school your child attends, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure they steward their parenthood well because one day, each of us will be accountable for our stewardship.
Cultivate an Abundance
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 25:29 KJV).
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education and those who agree with it are wrong. God has given parents their children as an inheritance and a ministry. It is their responsibility, not the state’s, to steward and raise their children well. Thankfully, God will equip faithful parents to have, raise, and educate their children.
Parents should rest in the knowledge that though their yoke is weighty, it is not too heavy to bear when taken up in the name of the Lord. So, do not be like the servant who buried the talents he was given. Choose today and tomorrow to multiply the blessings the Lord has given you. Invest, care, manage, own, and tend to the bodies, souls, hearts, and minds of the image bearers in your care.
In doing so, may we strive to serve the Lord and one day hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23 KJV).
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