Tradition vs. Love  

10/23/2021

 

Matthew 15:1-9

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ² “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³ He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— ⁶ then he need not honor his father ^[a]or mother.’ Thus you have made the ^[b]commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying?

⁸ ‘These people ^[c]draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁹ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Here Jesus is letting them know they can say what they want but it must come from the heart.  The Scribes and the Pharisees are praying all the time.  They pray the Torah.   They pray the word of God.  At least what they have.  But it is for show.  It is not to heal anyone or to set them free.  It is just for show to let the people know that they are religious.  But Jesus, being the word, that when He spoke something happened.  Because He was love. 

Colossians 2:4-10

⁴ Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵ For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[c]to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.⁶ As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding ^[d]in it with thanksgiving.  ⁸ Beware lest anyone ^[e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead ^[f]bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all ^[g]principality and power.

Here they are talking about love. He rejoices to see their good order and steadfastness of faith in Christ.  Then there is tradition.  The traditions of men are traditions of the world.  Religion.  But If you are complete in Him, you are born again and walk in Love.  I believe if you do things according to tradition you are in the Law.  But if you do them in love you will be in Grace. 

I Peter 1:17-21

¹⁷ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your ^[f]stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with ^[g]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was ^[h]manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.  

 

We also have to see that Traditions and Love are action.I believe that Love comes from the heart and traditions come from the mind.  On Traditions the heart is cold like a stone.  They think with their mind and leave their heart out of it all.  They only go by wht they see.  The 5 senses.  

Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

H-3820   the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything:

H4480: flesh -  from or out of in many senses: (Stoney heart)

H1320: flesh  -  flesh (from its freshness); by extension body, person; also (by euphemism) the pudenda of a man: - body, [fat, lean] flesh [-ed], kin, [man-] kind, + nakedness, self, skin.  (Heart of flesh)   

To me this is going from Tradition to love.  To have a heart of stone is to be moved by your senses to have a heart of flesh is to be naked before God.  Let Him change anything that needs to be changed in your heart.  Let Him be your God.  Walk in Love by His will.  Everything comes from Him anyway so let Him be God in your life.

Example:  Watching a History Documentary on the bible and what is true.  Spoke on Tower of Babble, Isaiah and the gods and God.  I was and do get upset when people try to prove God wrong or they leave Him out altogether.  I think what I really am is in fear.  I am afraid that they will prove Him wrong.  I don’t mean to do this but I have learned this about myself.  I do not like this about me.  But the Father told me not to get mad but to trust Him that He knows what is going on.  After all He gave them their wisdom to know how to test everything they are testing.  He knows all about chemical compounds and whatever is needed to do whatever it is that they are testing.  God know all of this and He has it all covered.  We have to trust the Father that He will prove Himself right.  Then once I saw what I had fear of, it all left.  Now I understand wht He is saying and trying to do.  They can’t prove Him wrong.  He is our Father. 

By His Grace