Tradtion

Matthew 15:1-9

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹ Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ ⁶ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2015:%201-9&version=NIV1984)

Wow, I could have selected several more verses but decided this was enough for us to chew on today!  Look carefully at what Jesus is saying.  He is talking to the Pharisees, the leaders of the Jewish faith, the ones who had studied the word but somehow did not apply it to their own lives.  They made up rules that even went against what the Word of God told them.  They were supposed to be honoring their father and mother yet they made up rules that allowed them to neglect them.

The portion that stood out the most to me was “you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”  Tradition can be a good thing, if and only if, it holds true to the very Word of God.  When it gets to a point that tradition overshadows the purpose of the activity then it is wrong.  Take for instance the traditions we have in our families at Christmas time.  If those traditions make the event just a time to celebrate tradition then the tradition needs to stop.  If we are more focused on what we do as a family and less on our Lord then the whole purpose of Christmas is negated.

Now take for example the church and its traditions.  Some of the traditions may be very good and have a great purpose and we should adhere to them but if they get in the way of why we are there then they should be thrown out.  In this same paragraph I must say that some of the “new traditions” in the church may also get in the way of why we are there. We replace old traditions with new traditions that may or may not bring Glory to our Father in Heaven. 

I know of churches that are trying to attract the crowds.  They have churches that have changed their names and location to look more like a bar than a church in order to attract a different crowd of people.  They attract people with their performance on stage but forget that they need to be living a life worthy of the calling they have received.  Ephesians 4: 1 – 4  ¹ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  It seems odd that we are trying to change the way we do things on the inside of the church but are forgetting that we live outside of the church.  If we want to attract people we need to live by the words found in the Ephesians verse.  When we are humble, gentle, patient, and able to accept one another in love outside of the church people will be attracted to the inside.  Just as the tongue is a reflection of our inward being so are our actions a reflection of who we are as a fellowship of believer.  As churches move to new traditions and get rid of the old ones they need to make sure those traditions hold true to the Word.  They need to make sure as people in those churches that they are living a life worthy of the calling both inside the confines of the church walls and outside where others will see us.

Inside the church walls I see pastors stand up at the pulpit with no more than a music stand to hold the Word of God.  The pulpit, a place of honor, has been replaced with blue jeans and un-tucked shirts all in the name of trying to attract the younger crowd.  Turn up the music, who cares if it hurts the ears of the elderly, they can wear earplugs, oh, yeah, don’t forget that church is not about you.  Hummm, then who is the church about?  Does God need the music turned up?  It seems to me that He speaks in a still small voice so if the music is turned up will I hear Him?  If the church is about the Lord, how are we honoring Him?

The church, it is not about tradition, it is about serving our Lord and Savior.  It should be about equipping the saints to go out and spread the Word of God wherever they are.  It should be about equipping the saints to live a holy and acceptable life that is pleasing to the Lord.  When we begin to make new traditions we need to make sure that those traditions are true to His word.  That we are not attracting people to a new way of doing church but that we are attracting people to the God that created us.  We should make sure that His glory shines through not our performance.

As you seek Him and find Him may you remember that it is only by His grace and forgiveness that we can come to His thrown.  May you hear His still, small voice calling you to come to Him today.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila