Many of the Pharisees opposed Jesus while He was on the earth. On one occasion, they questioned Jesus about why His disciples broke “the tradition of the elders” by failing to “wash their hands when they eat bread” (Matthew 15:2). Though there was nothing wrong with the practice of washing one’s hands before a meal, they had elevated this human tradition to the same level as divine instruction. This was a problem and Jesus was willing to expose it.
In responding to their question, Jesus asked them about another tradition. However, this tradition was not harmless in itself. Instead, the tradition about which Jesus questioned them directly violated the commandment of God: “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). He went on to explain how their tradition led them to forsake the command to “honor [one’s] father and mother” (Matthew 15:4; cf. Exodus 20:12). They had “invalidated the word of God for the sake of [their] tradition” (Matthew 15:6), thus making their worship “in vain” (Matthew 15:9).
It is important to notice what happened next as it has a direct application to our efforts to teach the truth.
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Often when people make New Year’s resolutions, they begin with the words start, stop, or improve (or synonyms of these words) – start exercising, stop smoking, improve spending habits, etc. As we grow and mature, it is good to improve in all areas of our lives; but it is particularly important to improve our spiritual lives. So as we begin a new year, I want to suggest some resolutions for all of us to consider as we seek to please the Lord.
During the holiday season, it can be easy to become distracted by the “things” of this life. Instead of focusing on one’s blessings and being grateful to God for them, many people choose to focus on the things they do not have. There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings of this life. There is also nothing wrong with giving gifts to friends and family. However, we need to keep everything in the proper perspective. We must avoid jealousy, discontent, and materialism. Failing to avoid these attitudes can ultimately lead to eternal destruction.
