In the name of our rituals, traditions, etc.; who have we been willing to sacrifice?
Y’all know what I’m talking about? The rituals and traditions of some folk:
- we (ladies) don’t wear pants
- we don’t wear make-up
- we don’t eat shrimp
- we don’t clap our hands
- we don’t dance
Or what about these:
- we must keep silent
- we must speak in an unknown tongue.
Do we ever just think “Hurry! Get rid of the one person that might inconvenience us so that we can return to being pious!” Of course none of these rituals and traditions are in the “Jan Chinn Book of Piety” … but …. Are you hearing my question? In the name of rituals and traditions that you value … Who Have You Been Willing To Sacrifice?
Traditions, in themselves, are not always bad. But when these traditions/rituals supercede the lives of people.. when they cause us to be blind to the truth that The Lord has charged us with… which requires loving people – we not only put their souls in danger, but we kill the message of the cross! Even something that seems so simple – like disallowing people to be touched or loved by you on what you consider your holy day …. would that be like Christ at all!?!? Luke 6: 9 is pretty clear that it would not! Nothing in our holy lives should rise above our dedication to living our life for Him! Living lives that reflect Him. Living lives that reflect The Lord.
Be careful … for The Father up above, looked down on you in love .. so you surely better do the same!
I was looking back at Christ’s crucifixion story and those Jewish leaders were not kidding at all. Speaking of the other two men on the crosses on each side of Jesus, the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on the Sabbath day. So they asked Pilate to order that the men’s legs be broken. And they asked that the bodies be taken down from the crosses. John 19:31 In other words – they wanted those men to hurry up and die so that they could carry on with their rituals … rituals that brought the Messiah no honor at all.
The Sabbath ritual was so important to the Jews that hastening someone’s death seemed necessary to them. Their ritual was more valuable to them than any life.
Father – please help us not be at that place!
I pray that God will help us to remember that His heart is for people to be reconciled to Him! Thieves and murderers; haters and liars … ALL of them have been found worthy of His love! Yes, all of us have been found worthy of His love! I am asking God to help us place people above what seems convenient for our traditions and regular practices. May legalism never become our god!
Lord – Please put Your love for this world in our hearts! Use us to open the doors for all. Remind us that You, God, were in Christ reconciling the world to Yourself, and you have given us the ministry of reconciliation!
“Without Christ it ain’t spiritual – All it is is a bunch of spare rituals.” – The Cross Movement
Loving Christ - Living Christ 