Sermon Central
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It's Tradition Series
Contributed by Roshelle Brenneise on Jul 5, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: Many of us participate in Traditions, but never ask the question, "Why do we do that?" Communion is so much more than a simple tradition. It's about remembering what Jesus did for us.
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July 03, 2021
It’s funny how traditions get started. They are important, to be sure, because they remind us of home and family and culture, but sometimes we participate in them not knowing why we do them because we have never stopped to ask, “Why do we do that?”.
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You’ve all heard the story of the young husband who asked his wife why she was cutting both ends off the roast before putting it in the oven. Somewhat offended by the question, she responded, “That’s how mom has always done it – it’s tradition”
The young man went to his mother-in-law and asked her why it was tradition to cut both ends off the roast before putting it in the oven. “That’s how my mom has always done it” she said.
Luckily grandma was still alive, so off he went to ask that all important question….. “Why do you cut both ends off the roast?”
“Well,” said granny, “It’s pretty simple. I only had one pan and it wasn’t big enough to fit the whole roast.”
No one had ever stopped to ask, “why?” it was just always done and became, over time, a tradition.
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God knows that humans don’t have the greatest of memories and we get easily distracted by the worries and cares of life. So, He went to extraordinary lengths to help us remember:
• Deuteronomy 6:1-12 - These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you-- a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant-- then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Such is the case with Communion. For some, Communion is a weekly event. Some just pass the bread and wine – foot washing not included. For others, like Seventh-day Adventists, Communion is a once a quarter deal. We do bread and grape juice and we wash each other’s feet while softly humming favorite hymns ---- It’s tradition.
Today, we are going to ask that all important question, “Why Communion?”
I have, over the years, heard many complaints regarding Communion:
• Some don’t like the idea of washing feet.
• Some are uncomfortable by all the pomp and circumstance that happens on the day.
• Some don’t understand the big deal – “What’s so special about a tiny cracker, a shot of grape juice and sticking your feet in a basin of warm water?”
In fact, I know quite a few people who conveniently skip church on Communion Sabbath in order to avoid it all together.
We know there is nothing magical about communion:
• We don’t believe that we are consuming the actual body and blood of Jesus.
• We don’t believe that a person is going to miss out on heaven if they don’t partake in Communion.
So then, why do we do it?
Throughout the Bible there are memorials to significant events in the history of God’s people. Altars were built or names given to places in order to help the people to remember:
• Genesis 28:10-19 - Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
