“The Bible is the greatest of all books; to study it is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.”
- Charles C. Ryrie

Died Feb. 16 2016

following Jesus, not traditions

Matthew 15.1-9:

Then Pharisees and fscribes came to Jesus ffrom Jerusalem and said, 2 g“Why do your disciples break hthe tradition of the elders? jFor they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded,k‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, l‘Whoever revilesfather or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”1 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have mmade void the word2 of God. 7 nYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8  o“ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9  in vain do they worship me,
teaching as pdoctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

The truth hurts.  Our Lord spoke this way to a group of people, men who upheld one act, one aspect of traditional law, while forgetting or intentionally ignoring another aspect.

While the specific details may be different, the general principle Jesus used is applicable to us, to me, today.  What traditions do I uphold, while neglecting the greater aspects to which I am called as a disciple of Jesus?  How am I honoring God with my lips, my words, while my heart is far from Him?  How often do I, do we worship in vain, compelling the doctrines of men while ignoring the compelling, the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Lord, please help shape me to fall more in line with you, even only for this one day, as each day has enough trouble of its own.