Traditions and Commandments

 

Mark 7: 1-12

 

Traditions and Commandments

“Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.   (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)   And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” ⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This person honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!   For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’  But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Many a family in and outside of the Church, have traditions they do at Christmas and special days like Memorial Day and others, and that can be a good thing.  I did not grow up in such a family, so we have very few special things we do or look forward to on special days.  I do enjoy a family that has such, like on Memorial Day to go to the gravesite of men and women who have given their lives for this Nation, so you and I can enjoy the freedom of speech, to worship, and to go and do as we desire.

 

When it comes to faith, it is easier to be religious and follow a bunch of man-made rules than to study and show yourself a workman that does not need to be ashamed, that correctly handles the Word of God.  In fact,

 it is very easy to be a Pharisee or scribe that is religious, but their religion is of no value to God or man.  Jesus tells us they love to pray a long prayer to be heard by a man in public, but in their private life outside the eyes of man, God sees and knows every thought, much more so our actions in private.  In fact, He tells us that what is done in the dark, will be exposed in the light.

 

One must never forget only God is good, and all men are liars, so follow God, and examine your thoughts and life often, as instructed in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”  Have you taken the test, I have, and I’ve often found myself needing to seek fellowship with God, and ask forgiveness for seeking my desires over His?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice