At an elaborate Sunday lunch in an affluent neighborhood, a large roast was set on the table. The platter was beautifully garnished with sprigs of parsley and slices of lemon. There was only one odd thing. There were two small slices of roast on a separate plate.
“Why the extra pieces?” a guest asked.
“It’s the way it’s done,” the hostess replied. “Momma always did it so.” However, that got her to thinking why the ends of the roast needed to be cut away and cooked separately. During a lull in the meal, she made her way to the phone and called her mother.
“Honey,” the reply came. “That’s the only way it would fit into my pan.”
Traditions. We all have them, even if we don’t understand them. The Jews in Jesus’ time had a tradition of washing their hands before meals. It wasn’t a sanitary thing, either. It was to remove the evil spirits from their hands, in order that no evil would enter their bodies during the meal.
Jesus required no such traditions of his disciples. In Matthew 15:2-4, the scribes and Pharisees pressed Jesus about his disciples’ failure to follow this tradition.
Jesus’ reply? “To honor your father and mother is better than to follow traditions that are not scriptural.”
Do we pray before meals because our momma did it so, or are we truly thankful for the blessings God has provided? Do we attend services on Sundays because it is tradition, or do we long for the presence of the Lord?
Nothing is wrong with tradition. However, it is honor towards our heavenly Father that he wants us to show. Otherwise, we are cutting the ends off the roast for no reason at all.
Traditions are only meaningful if we understand the purpose behind them.
Copyright © 2014 MyChurchNotes.net
Code: FGO.K.24.13a.vp