Where in the Bible is it mentioned that grown children are responsible for taking care of their parents?

on Jan 6, 2026

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I heard a preacher on TV say that grown children are responsible for taking care of their parents. Is this true, and if so, where in the Bible is that mentioned? This would be very hard for me to do, but when I was young, my mother took care of her parents in their last years of life. I’ve suffered with my own problems; I don’t know if I have it in me to do what she did. – A.P.

A: The Bible is filled with passages about comforting others, and it is a ministry that God certainly blesses. Caring for the elderly is Biblical, particularly caring for one’s aged parents. The Bible also instructs us to honor our parents, and Jesus did this from the cross when He spoke to His disciple John about His mother, Mary (see John 19:26–27).

Those who suffer most are best able to comfort those who are passing through suffering. They are able to empathize as well as sympathize with the afflictions of others because of what they have experienced in their own lives. When we are a comfort and encouragement to others, we often experience comfort coming back to us many times over. God blesses those who comfort others, and Scripture commands us to carry one another’s burdens (see Galatians 6:2).

Our sufferings may be rough and hard to bear, but they teach us lessons that, in turn, equip and enable us to help others. Our attitude toward suffering should not be, “Grit your teeth and bear it,” hoping it will pass as quickly as possible. Rather, our goal should be to learn all we can from what we are called upon to endure, so that we in turn can “comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NKJV).

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)