A newly wed bride was preparing ham for their first Easter dinner. She retrieved the 9×13 pan from the cupboard, placed a baking rack in the bottom, removed the ham from the refrigerator and then took a sharp butcher knife from the drawer and cut the butt end from the ham.
Her husband, who was standing there, politely stopped her and asked why she was cutting the end from the ham. The answer was clear, “That’s the way my mother always did it.”. To which he inquired further, “But, why?”. Unsure of the answer the bride called her mother.
“Mom, why do you always cut the end from the Easter ham?” Her mother replied, “Grama always did it that way so I did too.” “But why?” “I’m really not sure.”
So the bride phoned her grandmother. “Grama, why do you always cut off the end of the ham?” Grama thought for a moment and then with a chuckle she told her granddaughter “Sweetheart, it’s because my pan is too short.”
Oh my!
How many times do we do things just because we’ve seen someone else always do it that way? How many things are done out of tradition without a good solid basis and purpose?
“Jesus answered, “You are all hypocrites. Isaiah was right when he wrote these words from God about you: ‘These people honor me with their words, but I am not really important to them. 7 Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules.’ 8 You have stopped following God’s commands, preferring instead the man-made rules you got from others.” 9 Then he said, “You show great skill in avoiding the commands of God so that you can follow your own teachings!…13 So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have, which you pass on to others. And you do many things like that.” Mark 7:6-13 ERV
So much in religion is done out of tradition instead of relationship. “That’s the way we’ve always done it”. While we have all this extra time in self-isolation may I suggest that we evaluate our relationship with the Lord. Get to know our Father. What are the things He likes, what brings Him pleasure? He tells us in His word.
The men Jesus was talking about in the verses above were so caught up in their traditions. The number of times they washed their hands and the cups they used were of utmost importance, more important than the way they treated their parents and other people. Their traditions were more important than what God said.
I remember one pastor that I worked with saying: “It is more important that we work with the Lord than for the Lord.” So many times we think we are working for God but the real motivation is for us to look good. When we work with God we’re not concerned about how we appear, we are concerned that what we do brings honor and glory to Him. He’s our sole focus.
Occasionally I have to evaluate the things I’m doing to make sure they honor the Lord.
“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10 CEV
Let’s not be like that young bride. Let’s establish traditions that glorify and honor the Father!