“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and reject not your mother’s teaching; for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck. (Proverbs 1:8–9, RSVCE)
Parents are commonly despised by their children, because their children are aware of their secret faults, personal weaknesses, etc. These have nothing to do, however, with the value of the counsel of patents, whose advantage is not in their impeccability or success, but in their experience — good and bad.
As unjust and unmoving as the Pharisees may have been, Jesus told men to listen to what they say. They may be imperfect, but they are experienced. In fact, the hypocrite will advise another to do the good he does not do himself. He is bad, but his counsel is good.
I’m amazed, as I get older, to think back and recognize how often advice I received from men I did not respect turned out to be good advice.
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