BETTER THAN TRADITION

 When people argue that explicitly stated Biblical doctrines are no longer valid because the world has changed, they often reference Jesus’ disdain for tradition.

But that’s not what Jesus meant when He used the word “tradition.”

To Jesus, modes of worship were “tradition.”

To Jesus, locations for worship were “tradition.”

The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  (John 4: 20, 21)

To Jesus, dress codes and titles, pomp and circumstance were “tradition.”

“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” (Luke 20: 46-47)

To Jesus, preferences for when and how thing got done were “tradition.”

“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? (Matthew 15: 2-3)

Jesus attacked the traditions of His day because the traditions deviated from the words of Scripture.

He didn't attack the words of scripture because scripture deviated from the traditions of His day.

Jesus kicked over tables in the Temple, but He based His Messiahship on the law and the prophets.

The Scriptures themselves, the law and the prophets, the Word of God, the Bible------Jesus didn’t call that “tradition.” 

Jesus called that TRUTH.

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your WORD is truth.  (John 17:17)

When you attack the reliability and relevance of the Bible, you are not siding with Jesus against modern Pharisees.  You are actually siding with the scribes and Pharisees against Jesus.

Jesus said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. (Mark 7: 9)

Rejecting God’s Word is not a sign of a sophisticated or enlightened mind.  It is (in most cases) just blindly and uncritically following whatever’s trending among the current crop of elites.

We're supposed to judge all things by the Word of God, not the other way around.

 If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.  (Deuteronomy 13: 1-4)

The opinions and preferences of our human teachers and leaders are NOT the standard by which we choose our truth.  We are to judge by a higher standard, an EXCEEDingly high standard.

He said, Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness EXCEEDS the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 19, 20)

Jesus wants us to be better than the fashion, the culture, and the intellectual trends of the day.

Jesus wants us to transcend OUR TRADITIONS and come back to His Word.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

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