Lying In the Reject Pile At Menards

# 435 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 7:8,9 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

Have you gone to a lumber yard to pick out wood for a project? Typically you haul out several pieces, eying them up for defects. You may even lay them side by side for comparison. Eventually you keep the ones you want and put the rest back in the pile. That's what's going on here.

The Pharisees have taken the two by fours of God's Word and the two by fours of their traditions, eyed them up and opted for the warped quality of their traditions, casting aside the Word of God. Jesus said they do this “all too well,” and because they instill their traditions in the people so well, they “reject” or the Greek word here means they “frustrate” the Word of God.

The byproduct of frustration is discouragement, and these nit picking rules of the Pharisees discourage people from following God Word and benefiting from its intended impact. It's not that God's Word is impotent, it's the sad truth that in treasuring traditions over God's Word, God's Word is never opened, it's cast aside, lying in the reject pile of Menards.

But I wonder how often we do the same thing. Not so much with traditions, but certainly we often lay the world's way next to God's way and settle for that which is inferior.

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word