SPIRIT OF CORBIN

Mark 7:10-13 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ ; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’  But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is CORBIN”—’ (that is, a gift to God ),  then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,  making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (NKJV)

There is a spirit that has been released in this country. A corbin spirit unleashed upon the older and the elderly. It is a dishonorable manifestation that estranges children from their parents. It causes generational gaps. It views the elderly as weak and vulnerable. It isolates the aged by categorizing them as non-sequential.

Systems reflection...
•Health care systems
•Social security systems
•Nursing home systems

What is Corbin?

The law of Moses required the Hebrew people to “honor” their parents. That term “honor” did not suggest mere “lip service”; it included the idea of caring for them in their various needs.

Some of the Jews, however, had concocted a scheme to avoid parental responsibility. They would designate certain of their financial resources as “corban.” The Greek word korban is related to the term korbanas, signifying the “temple treasury.” In Jewish practice, therefore, the word “corban” had been coined as a sort of “vow” term. According to the prevailing tradition, one could designate his financial resources as “corban,” which, practically speaking, was a way of “tagging” them, suggesting, “this belongs to God,” and thus was not to be used for personal interests.

Thus, in the manner just described, the covetous, tese ungrateful Jewish people callously neglected parental responsibility by an appeal to this perverted human tradition. In so doing, they flouted the law of God.

Current cultural trends concerning the aged...

Korea: Celebrating old age
Not only do Koreans respect the elderly, but they also celebrate them. For Koreans, the 60th and 70th birthdays are prominent life events, which are commemorated with large-scale family parties and feasts. As in Chinese culture, the universal expectation in Korea is that roles reverse once parents age, and that it is an adult child's duty — and an honorable one at that — to care for his or her parents.

Japan: An elderly predicament
Like the Chinese and the Koreans, the Japanese prize filial piety and expect children to dutifully tend to their parents. But Japan also faces the unique problem of tending to an increasingly elderly population. According to SocialGerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, 7.2 percent of the Japanese population will be 80 or older in 2020 (compared to 4.1 percent in the U.S.), which will likely lead to a host of new problems for the country. Adult diapers are already outselling baby diapers, and the pension system is on course to dry up.

The U.S. and U.K.: Protestantism at play
Western cultures tend to be youth-centric, emphasizing attributes like individualism and independence. This relates back to the Protestant work ethic, which ties an individual's value to his or her ability to work — something that diminishes in old age.
Anthropologist Jared Diamond, who has studied the treatment of the elderly across cultures, has said the geriatric in countries like the U.K. and U.S. live "lonely lives separated from their children and lifelong friends." As their health deteriorates, the elderly in these cultures often move to retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.

France: Parents also protected by law
It's difficult to imagine such an Elderly Rights Law being a legislative priority in many Western cultures. France did, however, pass a similar decree in 2004 (Article 207 of the Civil Code) requiring its citizens to keep in touch with their geriatric parents. It was only enacted following two disturbing events, though: One was the publication of statistics revealing France had the highest rate of pensioner suicides in Europe, and the other was the aftermath of a heat wave that killed 15,000 people — most of them elderly, and many of whom had been dead for weeks before they were found.

The Mediterranean and Latin culture: One big, happy family. Mediterranean and Latin cultures place similar priority on the family. In both cultures, it's commonplace for multiple generations to live under one roof, (à la My Big Fat Greek Wedding) sharing a home and all the duties that come with maintaining one. In the contemporary iteration of this living arrangement, the oldest generation often is relied on to assist with caring for the youngest, while the breadwinners labor outside the home. As such, the aged remain thoroughly integrated well into their last days.

Scriptures to ponder...

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Ephesians 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Psalms 92:14-15 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright; He  is my rock, and there  is no unrighteousness in Him.