News&Events

Have you seen the play or the movie: Fiddler on the Roof?

I think everyone can break-out in the song: Tradition….Tradition.

Tevye states, “how do we keep our balance?  Tradition.  Because of our traditions we We’ve kept our balance for many, many years.  We have traditions for everything: how to sleep, how to eat, how to work, and how to wear our clothes.”  The big question: How did the traditions get started?  Many do not know.

Tradition.

As Jesus’ ministry was beginning to explode in the area of the Galilee, the Pharisees sent a contingent to see what was going on with this new movement (Mark 7:2).  The movement must have been threatening the status quo for a contingent to be sent: a good thing!

As the Pharisees peered to Jesus’ disciples, they were horrified.  How could these people not wash their hands before they would eat (Mark 7:2).  So they asked Jesus, “How can your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands” (Mark 7:5).

Jesus did not pay these words any attention.

Instead, He used the revered prophet Isaiah to let is be known to the Pharisees that somehow in the midst of all their tradition they have lost God.  Yes, in the midst of doing those things that come from the Bible, it is possible to lose God.  It’s crazy.  

This Sunday all over the world, people will come into houses of worship, and they will go through a set “liturgy.”  There will be traditions.  A way of doing things.  For many, the traditions are “the way things have always been...and always should be.”

Yet, I wonder what Jesus would say about our worship?  Would He feel the depths of our hearts worshiping Him in the Father.  Would He smile and say, “You honor me with your worship.”  Or, would Jesus look at our worship and say:

Tradition.

Pastor Tim