Mark 7-8

October 23

Mark 7-8

"You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”" (Mark 7:8, NIV)

 

It is easy to point to the Pharisees and to see their faults. Over the years traditions had taken hold and shaped their thoughts and their culture. Certain traditions became more powerful than the law of God in their daily lives. They watched and waited and pounced on anyone who did not obey their tradition. There is nothing wrong with tradition. Tradition connects us with past generations. Traditions can point to something important beyond the tradition itself. The problem arises when tradition begins to become more important that the Word of God.

 

There are a lot of traditions in the church. Non-liturgical churches often claim not to be shaped by tradition like the liturgical churches, but tradition still shapes the structure of our services. There is nothing wrong with this. But does our tradition line up with scripture? There are many traditions that are not expressed in scripture, but there is nothing wrong with the tradition. There are others that may contradict scripture. Still others bring division within the body of Christ because of the differences in tradition. Traditions that contradict scripture or that bring division must be overcome with the Word of God. We must not let go of the commands of God in order to hang on to our traditions.

 

There is a lot of our theology that may be shaped by our tradition. A book we read or a book our great grandmother read influences our understanding of God more than our reading of the scripture. It is important for us to read and understand the bible so we are able to know what is true and what is passed to us from the traditions of man.