Read Matthew 15:1-9
Are You Quick To Judge Or Quick To Love?
Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus saying, “Why do your disciples disobey the traditions of the elders and not wash their hands before they eat?” Jesus answered them saying, “Why do you break God’s commands for the sake of your traditions? For it is written by God to honor your father and mother. But you say, if something you have was going to be used for your parents, but instead you devoted it to God for other purposes, then you aren’t to honor your mother and father.” As a result, Jesus says, you nullify the word of God for the sake of your traditions. Then Jesus called them hypocrites while quoting what Isaiah prophesied about the Pharisees and scribes: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
Here’s what I have concluded: people who are stuck on traditions are quick to judge versus quick to love one another. God’s command is to love God and to love others. But if a person breaks a tradition of the church, or breaks a tradition that we personally hold on to, then we are quick to judge versus quick to love and get to know somebody. The last thing I want to hear Jesus say to me is, “You Hypocrite.”
As I look back many years, I’ve seen many traditions of the church and I’d say most of them were done with the intent to promote respect and integrity. But not everybody comes into the church with a moral background upbringing.
For example:
Your church tradition may be not to swear in church. But if a person comes in and uses a swear word while in conversation, then a person bound by tradition is quick to judge the person and look down upon them. A person bound By God’s command, is quick to love the person despite the fact that they swore.
What are traditions your church has, or you personally have, that if somebody violated this tradition that you might be quick to judge versus quick to love?
