TRADITIONS OF MEN

There are times when the conventional views of a culture and society must be carefully viewed in light of a higher view and a higher culture. The higher view is always God’s view. Most cultures, including our own, base their behaviors and beliefs more on tradition than on facts of any kind. Tradition comes from the Latin and means to ‘hand down’ or ‘to hand over.’ This can be long established actions and behaviors that because they are traditional they become ‘law’ or ‘the way it is done’ or because some council or high church official somewhere said so.

When Jesus came into a very traditional Jewish environment of religion as a very traditional Jew proclaiming ‘the grace and love of God’ for all people and promoting ‘the kingdom of God’ as the vehicle of living by this new and generous way; he was truly persecuted for having a ‘new way.’ But long after Jesus, the tradition is back to where it was when he came to speak about a ‘better way.’ Many are now as stuck in tradition as those to whom Jesus first spoke.

I am convinced that Jesus would never have become a cultural evangelical, Catholic or any other kind of Christian, then or now. He always had a higher view.

“For you ignore God’s specific laws and substitute your own traditions.” Jesus