Tradition for Tradition’s Sake
Mark 7:1-23
(This message was preceded by singing "Joy to the World" as the opening hymn and the theme of "tradition" was introduced by a video clip of Fiddler on the Roof - from the prologue 1:55 (as the fiddler begins to play) through 3:57 (as Tevye says, "...and what God expects him to do.")
According to Tevye, tradition is what keeps the people of Anatevka balanced. Tradition tells them what to wear, what to eat, how to sleep and how to work. Tradition guides their daily interactions, giving guidance to who does what when, where, why and how. Tradition gives the people their identity in the community and also in the eyes of God. The multi-tiered traditions of Anatevka are followed in order to show the faithful’s devotion to God. And yet… where did these traditions come from? How did they begin? Well, Tevye would tell us, but he doesn’t know and I would venture the educated guess that no one in Anatevka really knows why or how these traditions began. Yet, each day traditions are carried out. Letter of the law. I’s dotted. T’s crossed.
Tradition for tradition’s sake! And that’s that!
We all have traditions that we do simply for the sake of tradition. Take, for instance, this morning’s opening song. How many of you wondered why we were singing “Joy to the World” in August? “Joy to the World” is a Christmas song, right?! Has your pastor has lost her mind? No, not completely. But I do challenge you to point out to me what makes “Joy to the World” a song to only be sung at Christmas.
Is there any mention of Bethlehem, shepherds, angels or mangers? No.
Is there any mention of the infant Christ child? No.
In fact, the second, third and fourth stanzas probably make this “Christmas” carol more appropriate for Easter, Ascension Day and Christ the King Sunday. But, tradition for tradition’s sake, relegates this song to be sung only on Christmas Eve! Now, trust me, I’m not asking to change that tradition - I can’t imagine a Christmas service without singing “Joy to the World,” - but deep down I wonder why we only sing it then.
I did some research trying to find out about the Chrsitams tradition of “Joy to the World” and much like Tevye not knowing the origins of his traditions, little is known about the beginnings of this song, although it is often attributed to Handel due to its similarities to Handel’s Messiah in musical composition and the words of the refrain. Since there are so few known facts about who wrote “Joy to the World” and why we sing it at Christmas, that many musicians ask the same question I have posed to you… How did this song about Christ’s second coming get stuck in the celebration of Christ’s birth?
The answer is simple… Tradition! (Of course).
And who are we to question tradition? Let’s just leave it as it is, so no one will get angry. We will go on singing “Joy to the World” at Christmas time. Tevye and the citizens of Anatevka will go on living their daily traditions. And everyone will know who’s who and what’s what.
But our gospel teaching today discourages us from living a tradition for tradition’s sake type of life. Jesus wants us to be aware not just of how we are living, but WHY we are living that way.
The Pharisees noticed that Jesus’ disciples did not participate in the washing of their hands before the meal. Now, this hand-washing was not concerned with health, sanitation and hygiene. This was the ritual washing of the hands. Like so many other aspects of the Pharisees’ life, the way to wash your hands was prescribed to them, handed down as tradition. One source described the ancient handwashing ritual went like this: First you would hold your hand with fingertips pointing up and pour the water down them until the water ran down the wrists. Then you would clean the palm of the hand with the fist of the other. Finally, with fingertips pointing downward you would pour the water until it ran off your finger tips. Then you’d switch hands. According to tradition, this was the ritual handwashing that was pleasing to God.
The Pharisees were very upset that Jesus’ disciples did not participate in this handwashing ritual before eating. They could not believe that these “good Jewish boys” didn’t live according to the traditions of the Temple and the elders. To which Jesus turns the tables and asks them why they live according to the traditions of men rather than by the commandments of God.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Pharisee’s hand-washing ritual at some point in history was indeed born out of the commandments of God. Yet through the years and over the centuries and millennia the tradition remained while God’s commandment was forgotten.
Now, before we point fingers and condemn the Pharisees for blindly following tradition for tradition sake, let us consider our own living and worshiping.
As I watched the funeral of Senator Kennedy yesterday, I was struck by the amount of tradition that was taking place. Replacing the flag with the pall, the liturgy of baptismal remembrance, the procession of the casket, the standing for the reading of the Gospel, the physical elevation of the Bible, the responses sung and spoken, and the list could go on… and I wondered how many of the millions of people watching the funeral understood why things were being done as they were being done. How many understand the meanings behind the traditions? And how many people just saw them as traditions for tradition’s sake.
Our weekly worship is no different. Each Sunday as we gather to worship, we do so in a way that is similar to Presbyterians throughout the world. Though there may be slight differences among congregations, but for the most part we are called to worship, we sing at least one song and have a prayer of confession all before we read the scripture and have a sermon. Then we respond to God’s Word proclaimed through affirmations of our faith, and rededication of our lives to Christ through offerings and prayers of intercession. For some this may seem like tradition. Yet for many of us liturgy geeks, it just makes sense! The reading of Scripture follows closely to the prayer of Confession so that we can with purity of heart, rightly hear the word of God. The offering is collected after the sermon because it is to be seen as an act of dedication to God as we give not just our gifts, but as we rededicate our lives and our living as living sacrifices to God. Everything we do in worship is done as an act of reverence and devotion that has been born from our understanding of scripture.
But more and more I have found that many of our worshipers don’t understand what we are doing and why. For them it’s “always been done like this” and so it should always be done in the same way. Forget the reasons WHY we structure our worship as we do and let’s just live tradition for tradition’s sake. Just like the Pharisees!
There was nothing wrong with the Pharisees’ handwashing. What was wrong and what Jesus pointed out to them is that they had forgotten why they were doing it! “Because we’ve always done it this way!” Is not an acceptable answer! Not then and not now!
There is nothing wrong with traditions. Like Tevye reminds us, tradtions can keep our lives balanced. Traditions connect us to the past. Traditions give meaning and sustenance to our lives. Traditions can even set us apart as unique people in the family of God.
But there is a risk in traditions – forgetting why they began in the first place and then elevating the traditions of man above the commandments of God.
Like all aspects of our lives, the traditions of our faith and of our living should lead us to a deeper relationship with the Holy.
Modern Jews still participate in ritual handwashing. As they take a cup of water and pour it three times over the other hand, they are to recite the blessing for that time of day.
Like Tevye and the citizens of Anitevka, there are children of God whose prescribed mode of dress is to remind them of their identity as children of God living in the world.
The risk we all take is falling into the vain emptiness of tradition for tradition’s sake. Or as Christ says, of “Leaving the commandment of God, and holding fast to the tradition of men.” So, what do we do about his?
How do we guard our living so that we remain faithful to God commandments without blindly holding fast to the traditions of humanity?
First, we need to be increasingly familiar with what God’s Word actually says! There are so many misreadings and assumptions about what the Bible says and what it doesn’t. There is a pervading culture in God’s Church of Biblical illiteracy. Much like the Middle Ages, when the priests told the illiterate and uneducated people what to believe, there is an attitude in our culture of the faithful wanting to take an easy way out – and so instead of reading the Bible for themselves, they just want to be told what to do, what to believe and how to live. But they are unwilling to spend the time in the scriptures seeking God’s answers for their lives.
When we stop reading and studying the Bible, we run the risk of falling into living according to tradition, and not according to God’s command. We run the risk of taking humanity’s word about God instead of going to the source where we meet God! Read God’s Word seeking to know God’s desire for your lfie.
Second, we must examine our living and the many things we do “out of habit.” We must begin asking ourselves, “Why am I doing this?” Why am I going to church? Why am I praying before dinner? Why do I take exactly 15 minutes each morning for my devotions? Why have I stopped taking daily devotional time? Why is it important for my children to be raised in the family of God? Why will I watch this movie, but not that movie?
Self-examination and questioning our actions and our own displays of devotion is an important part of remembering the foundations of what we do as signs of our faith. Perhaps Christ’s question encouraged the Pharisees to re-think what they were doing and why it was important to them. Examining our living and reminding ourselves of the reason for our actions, is not a sign that our actions are wrong – it’s just a means for us to remember that all we do should be done for the glory and honor of God.
Which brings us to our third and final step: we must remember that we are in control of our traditions, not the other way around! The Pharisees, Tevye, the citizens of Anitevka, even some of our faithful brothers and sisters have lost control of their traditions. They no longer use tradition as a means to an end (namely of encountering God) but rather the traditions are in control of their lives. For them, there is no living outside of tradition. For them there is no flexibility for new experiences or new encounters with Christ.
Tradition for tradition’s sake binds us to the past with no hope for the Spirit’s power to move within us and intercede in our living.
I am not encouraging us to throw out the baby with the bath water – but perhaps it’s time to change the water. Perhaps it’s time to rid ourselves of mindless and meaningless tradition and seek to fill our lives with words, thoughts and deeds that pull us ever closer to God. Perhaps it’s time to rethink what we do and why we do it. Perhaps it’s time to be aware of how Christianity is moving ever closer to becoming Pharisaic in the emphasis we put on ritual and tradition all the while ignoring the overarching commands from God, from which our traditions have sprung.
Perhaps it’s time to go out on a limb, perhaps it’s time for us to be branded as a heretic, perhaps it’s time to get back to what is really important for God…
To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly in the paths of God.
If your traditions in thought, word and deed are preventing you from acting justly, if they are preventing you from loving your neighbor, if they are stumbling blocks in the path of righteousness for you and or for others… it’s time to reconsider if you are living tradition for tradition’s sake or if you are living to glorify your God.
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two hang all the teachings of the law and the prophets.” On these two commandments should also hang all our traditions.
Amen
