Sharezer and Regemmelech came to the temple in Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s guidance. For 70 years their fathers commanded a fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the temple. Now that the temple was being rebuilt they wanted to know if they should continue the fast. God knew the hearts of those people who had established the fast. They were the ones who had rejected God’s law that led to his punishment. God told these messengers that the fasts and the feast that the people had been observing were for their own benefit not in honor of God. The answer to the question that Sharezer and Regemmelech asked is found in what God did not say. But I think God has given modern believers a message as well; what is the purpose behind our traditions? After 2,000 years the church has a lot of traditions. Some of them are good, many no longer carry their intended meaning, and there are some that are purely a waste of time, money, and energy. Church history is shredded by the divisiveness that was initiated by some of our traditions. Some traditions are not harmful, but we need to ask if they honor God. Do they help us seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness? Do they challenge us to die to self daily? Do they help us focus on our need to live expecting Jesus’ return? Do they unite us at the foot of the cross?
Stuart
No comments:
Post a Comment