Jesus had a lot to say about tradition.     

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees criticized Jesus --- because his disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating, violating the traditions of the elders. 

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, “Honor your father and mother and anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.”  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,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

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

Jesus had a lot in common with the non-believers I know:  they are not in favor of religious people who are bound up by man-made rules.

Jesus also tells them to consider what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”* Jesus reserved his harshest critiques for the Pharisees, who were responsible to teach and care for the spiritual needs of God’s people. Yet, they were concerned mainly about outward appearances, legalism, and protecting their incomes and traditions. They taught people to ignore the practical needs of their families --- and give the money to the religious hierarchy instead.

I’m challenged by all of this. As I sit in church, I often remember His words. When I am there, I don’t want to be guilty of honoring Him only

with my lips, while my heart is far from Him! And yet, if I’m honest, often my heart is not actively engaged. 

I understand that my faith can’t be dependent on my emotions. I’m not where I want to be, spiritually speaking. I really want my heart to be “with Him,” wherever I am. Yet my mind and my heart often wander.

As I get older, I must admit that traditions become increasingly comfortable. Traditions are familiar. But if we aren’t careful, traditions become rituals which make it easy to lose the power and majesty of the Gospel. Nothing about our Father is routine or commonplace. 

I think the Pharisees were so threatened by Jesus partially because they were unwilling to receive a new work of God.   Am I the same way? 

Today, it is easy to receive much Christian teaching, and yet spend very little time with Jesus. Even though His words are familiar, they still shock me out of my complacency. 

When we take God’s Word and add our own traditions, we change the Gospel. We dilute its simple power. Along the way, we also confuse people who are considering drawing closer to God.

I believe in traditional values. But it is essential to guard against placing our trust in our traditions at the expense of losing touch with the power of the Living God.

Mt. 9:13; 12:7; Hosea 6:6