When Tradition Matters More than Love
When we hear the word ‘tradition’, images of holiday activities and meals usually come to mind. It may be hard for us to see how a tradition could ever hinder the work of the Lord. Yet, in today’s reading, Jesus challenges a tradition of the Jewish people. Not only does he challenge the tradition’s worth, he attacks the whole system of religious traditions. A tradition, especially when we read the word in the context of scripture, means something that has been passed down orally from one generation to the next for many years. These traditions that Jesus addressed were given as much respect and credence as the words Moses wrote down in what we now call the Pentateuch. There is where the problem began.
Throughout history there have been those who influence and control others by twisting the words of God. In fact, it was the word manipulation of the serpent in the Garden of Eden which led to sin in the first place. Some of the traditions of men have a good heart at the center of them. For instance, the tradition of washing their hands and utensils before eating that our reading discusses was not a bad rule to live by. I can only imagine how much illness was avoided because the people were compelled to wash. So, the problem isn’t necessarily the traditions themselves. The problem is when those traditions contradict or are prioritized more than the words of God. As Jesus reprimands his accusers in verses 8 and 9, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”
With so much information at our fingertips, we need to be careful what we implement into our lives. More importantly, we need to be careful not to place anything above God’s word. We need to remember the heart of God’s commands. They were summed up so perfectly by Jesus in Mark 12:29-31. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In the office of the school where I work are written the words: “Love them well.” Each and every command of God has love at the heart. Love God; love His children; love His word. If we follow these traditions, we will keep ourselves from being led astray by the rules of men.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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