Years ago I heard this story (paraphrase). A mother was about to bake pork roast for the holiday season. After seasoning the roast, she cut off about an inch off the long end on each side. Her young daughter asked her, "Mom, why do you cut off the ends of the roast?" Her mom answered, "That's a good question. I learned that from my mom and she learned it from her mom but I'm not sure why it's done." So the mother of the little girl asked her mother and her mother didn't know either. It was just tradition. Thankfully, the great grandmother was still alive. When the great grandmother was asked why she'd always cut off the ends of the pork roast she said, "Because the pan I cooked it in was too small. I had to cut the ends off to make the roast fit." What was wrong with that tradition?
Some traditions are great and meaningful, while others are outdated or even deliberately invented with evil or devious intent. In this passage of scripture Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law because they created a tradition to circumvent God's commandment. Read it for yourself when you get a chance (Matthew 15:1-20). Jesus called them hypocrites! He repeated the words of Isaiah's prophesy, "'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'" (verses 8-9).
We have to be alert, prayerful and discerning of practices in which we participate; especially in the church and among believers. Satan is cunning. He often uses man's good traditions and practices to blind men and rob them of God's best. Scripture is replete with such examples and Jesus exposed the malady of them at every turn.
For example Jesus said to one man, "'Follow me.' But the man replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'" (Luke 9:59) Well that was a reasonable and good practice. What was wrong with that? Only that it trumped God's direction at that time. God in the flesh was telling the man to follow Him now, not in a few weeks or months, as the traditional process for a Jewish burial and time of mourning required. (The Jewish mourning for a parent lasted up to twelve months.)
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus lists a series of traditions and laws and gives a higher, unearthly (heavenly) outlook. Jesus said, "You have heard it said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." Again he said, "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress... Again, you have heard that it was said to people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all;...' You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."
What is wrong with traditions? Nothing as long as they do no supersede God's plan, God's word, or God's way.
As you continue on your journey through 2013, I encourage you not to get so busy and caught up in the traffic and traditions of life that you fail to take time to listen for God's instructions that may be contrary to life's normal routines. Remember Isaiah 55 which says, "God's ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts." Don't let your traditions, trump God's direction.
