The story is told of a young lady who was fixing a ham dinner for her husband. As she was about to place the ham in the oven, she took a knife and cut off the end of it. Her husband asked, “Why did you cut the end off of the ham?” She replied, “I don’t know? That’s the way mamma always did it.” So they asked her mother why she always cut off the end of the ham. She answered, “That’s the way my mamma always did it.” They went to grandmother and asked her why she did it. She likewise replied, “That’s the way my mother always did it.” They then asked great-grandmother why she did it and she said, “I cut the end of the ham off because my pan was too small.”
Likewise, in religion many follow the traditions and doctrines of men without question or investigation – and they may not realize that not all “traditions” are acceptable to God. For example, in Matthew 15 the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?…you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'” (vv. 2-3, 6-9).
Paul said, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). And know this, “Every plant which My heavenly
Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matt. 15:13). What traditions do you follow, friends?