Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Sick On Tradition

"making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." - Mark 7:13

Browsing through online news articles, I came across a story about a wedding celebration in the Ukraine that put the phrase "in sickness and in health" to the test. As a Ukrainian tradition, massive amounts of dishes are prepared to celebrate as a community over a course of several days. It is believed that lack of refrigeration space for all of the food caused wedding guests including the bride to be sickened with food poisoning and hospitalized. The traditions of men can make a bride sick. Just ask the Bride of Christ.

Many struggle with whether or not the word of God is real, accurate, true or if it is effective. In Mark chapter 7, Jesus warned that the very traditions of men lessen the impact and effectiveness of the word of God. We make concessions because we love people and we shudder to think about the consequences that may be attached to the actions committed. We compromise to make others feel comfortable instead of allowing the conviction of the word to be the rule instead of the exception. All too often in our churches, we place the tradition of men over God-given common sense and reject what we know is truth to embrace manipulation powered by popular opinion and peer pressure. The Bride is sick. 

The Bride has become sickened as she gobbles high amounts of rotting compromise. She knowingly feasts on the delicacies of poisoned theories and hypothetical conclusions unsupported by scripture. The Bride is doubled over in pain as she regurgitates the waste-covered sweet nothings instead of the word of God she has ingested. She reeks of the stench of sin and her gown is stained with remnants of the rejection of swallowing what is not to be consumed. All in the name of tradition. 

The only remedy, the only solution that will help the Bride recover is the unadulterated, unequivocal word of God. Lifting the word of God over every opinion of man, every lust-driven, sin-filled desire to appease the flesh rather than a sacrificial holy life. The medicine is strong, but it will cure every ailment, sickness and disease. Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.". 

Well wishes to the Bride....her groom comes.




4 comments: