Devotional thoughts for Monday

Monday 20. October 2014 

Trinity 18 

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said: "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? Jesus answered them: "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of tradition?" 

We all have traditions that we cherish. Many of our traditions involve the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. We don't like to alter our traditions for they give us a sense of history and remind us of the good times when we were a child or a young parents with newborn children. 

Churches have traditions too. Most of the time those traditions help create a sense of family among Christians. Sometimes, though, our traditions hinder the Word of God. That was the discussion Jesus and the Pharisees were arguing. The Pharisees prided themselves on honoring the commandments and the traditions of the elders. Jesus, however, showed them that some of their time-honored traditions violated God's Holy Word. 

So we must periodically ask ourselves: Do any of our church traditions go against God's Word? Do any of our family traditions hurt rather than help keep our family close and strong? If so, then we must change them for the sake of God's Word or the sake of our family. We do so for the good of honoring God and keeping our family healthy. 

Prayer: We pray You, O Lord, to keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit, so that as Your holy angels continuously sing praises to You in heaven, so may we at all times glorify You on earth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen. (210, Treasury of Daily Prayer)