When Eashoa (Jesus) came to the world, he found out that the Pharisees had turned the tradition of the Scriptures into a set of rituals. As a child he discussed it with the learned men of the temple, but he found himself arguing with them. It was on a Passover feast, when he was twelve; his parents were looking for him, while he sat with the elders discussing the Scriptures. They were awed by his knowledge. His mother Mary was upset, "Why have you left us; we were worried." Later, Eashoa decided to choose His disciples from the rank of fishermen and ordinary people. He knew that there was no way of bridging the gap between tradition and ritual.
The tradition of faith that is practiced by every generation of believers eventually becomes old and the practices end up as rituals. The new members of a church question the traditions and argue the fact that the old practices no longer represent the original intent of the faith. So there is a divide that emerges between the authorities of the faith and the followers of the faith. Who is right? When the disciples asked Eashoa regarding what the Pharisees taught, He said, "Do as they tell you; do not do as they do." Because the practices of the Pharisees had become rituals; they were quoting the Scriptures alright; but all they wanted to do was stay in control.
This is the problem every church faces today. It is, therefore, necessary to maintain the traditions of faith but not allow them to become rituals. In changing times and different circumstances, the church authorities should be sensitive to their new members and listen to their pleas for help.
Paul argued that it is by faith that we are saved, not by works. Faith is the tradition and works are the rituals. In the Gospel of Mark, Eashoa says repeatedly that "they shall be repaid according to their works." However, Paul, and other writers of the Scriptures, argue that "by faith we are saved." And, again, many preachers have sermonized about how the works follow the faith, not the other way around. But many times things get confused and no one seems to know which came first.
Therefore, the Scriptures will forever remain as a source of traditions that need to be interpreted according to the teachings of the Lord Messiah Eashoa. Through fervent prayer and the reading of the Authentic Scriptures it is possible to find the correct interpretation of the traditions, so as they do not end up as mere rituals. Faith and works become inseparable. They should not contradict each other.
Thus we should all be sensitive to the words of the Lord in following the traditions of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit then speaks through our hearts and our minds and His voice shall be clear and unmistakable. When He answers our prayers we shall know that it is Him who speaks. So we must always ask the Lord to give us eyes that see and ears that hear. Then we shall be able to discern the difference between traditions and rituals, and we will be able to bridge the gap between works and faith.
Oct. 5, 2011