The Threat of Temptations
Read the Text: Matthew 15
Memorize the Text: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46)
Consider the Text: Matthew 15:1-9
Church and believers face the threat of holding on to traditions. Churches often struggle to adapt or make changes as statements like “we’ve never done it that way before” or “we tried it before, but it didn’t work” become the rallying cry to hold onto the familiar. Traditions in and of themselves are not bad, but they can become an idol that hinders us from following the Lord. In Matthew 15, Jesus addressed how the Pharisees turned religion into a set of traditions that did not align with the desire of the Lord. This engagement between the Pharisees and Jesus teaches us about the threat of traditions.
Without caution, TRADITIONS CAN RULE THE DAY. The Pharisees were concerned over their tradition more than the truth Jesus taught or the lives of people they engaged. The ideology of the Pharisees became centered on self-preservation and using the oral history passed down by previous rabbis to maintain their position and authority. Ultimately, the Pharisees focused inwardly and desired to fulfill their passions and desires instead of addressing the needs of others. At the same time, the priority of the Pharisees existed not living out the Scriptures but maintaining the traditions passed down through generations.
When we do not live with caution, traditions that we love become a ruling force in our day. We allow history or ministries to blind us from authentically sensing the leading of the Lord. This is not to say that traditions are pointless, but to express that tradition can become based on personal preferences, expectations, and fulfillment instead of seeking to fulfill the calling of the Lord. Thus we must ask, “What tradition do we allow to blind us from the leading and desires of the Lord?”
We must understand that TRADITIONS ARE COSTLY. Traditions can lead to sinful activity. In the Gospel of Mark, we find that Jesus used the concept of the Corban gift as an illustration. This gift was a material or monetary offering given to the church at someone’s death. If an individual provided a Corban, the person gained exemption from honor their father and mother at death. Keeping the tradition of Corban meant that the person sinfully broke the fifth commandment of honoring one’s father and mother.
The cost of traditions occurs because the routines become based on our perspective and desires and separated from the Lord’s ways. The cost of disobedience happens when we allow our view to hinder us from following the Lord as obedient servants. Such tradition tempts us to surrender truth and costs us the ability to live in truth. As a result, traditions may seem right but be sinful and wrong. For instance, giving to the temple was a proper activity, except it went against the ways of the Lord when it was presented as part of the Corban. Today, we need to assess what traditions are keeping us from obedience?
We must identify the THREAT OF TRADITIONS. When traditions blind us from following the Lord, the focus becomes centered on the organization of the church over relationships. Church attendance and participation become based on the people one knows, brought up in a church, or routine. Such reasons do not mirror the expectations of the Lord for worship in which there ought to be a seeking to glorify the Lord through worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, and evangelism. The desire is to build an organization instead of strengthening the heart.
Tradition elevates the needs of the self over the needs of others. When tradition dominates, the priority becomes all about me and neglects to fulfill the Great Commission and Great Commandment. Thus, the activity ignores the lost, needy, and the Lord. What traditions have caused us to forget the purpose of serving the Lord, reaching the lost, and meeting the needs of others? How can we protect ourselves from becoming the religious, disobedient Pharisees?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
