Devotionals

Traditions, Not Carved in Stone

by PamFord Davis 
11/12/19
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The Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays are approaching. Family traditions play a major role in holiday celebrations. We often follow festive traditions started by parents and grandparents. Immigrants carry on traditions from their homelands.

Traditions have their place; yet, they are not carved in stone.

Jesus rebuked religious leaders.

“Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.’ And He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,’ he is not to honor his father or his mother^.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
 ‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men (Matthew 15:1-9 NASB).”