Matthew 15:5-8 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” ⁶ he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. ⁷ You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

⁸ “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

It is tradition time once again. Each year it stirs up good memories lifting up the heart to repeat those things from our past that are fondly remembered. With this is a mixture of family traditions where a man and wife come from different traditions. They agree to form new traditions for themselves and their children. Over time traditions look and feel different than when they first began.

Jesus spoke rather harshly of traditions that drew our hearts away from God. Given that traditions are meant to make us feel good there are opportunities to “give over” to fleshly appetites. The Greek word for tradition means to “give over or give in”. In one situation it included the surrender of a city. All we have to do is drive around at night close to Christmas time to see the light shows to understand how that might be true.

Hidden within these verses in Matthew 15 is an uncharitable tradition that occurred in those days. It was saying “Corban” to a suffering parent, i.e. “My property is devoted to God, and therefore I cannot use it to help you,” My source on this comes from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. It is apparent from this example exactly why Jesus spoke harshly against it.

What would Jesus say about our current tradition time?

1 Corinthians 9:24 English Standard Version (ESV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Given the competitive nature of man, the desire to prove himself in nearly every aspect of life, it is apparent that completion preceded these references by Paul to the people of Corinth. He uses the image that is well known to demonstrate biblical principles. There are however other aspects of games in which biblical principles can apply.

Common interests offer opportunities to establish friendships. They are trust builders in that when we agree with another, a barrier of trust is established to defend each other from outsiders. Rivalries are formed and being in that circle of friends gives opportunity to expose them to other traits and interests besides “the game”. It allows them to get to know who you are in Christ on a non-adversarial basis.

If “the game” is their only interest it lends to the opportunity to explore why. I have known a group of individuals in past times that had no interest in changing the subject. People who are so absorbed in “the game” that they have no room for anything else, are in need of God. We are not meant to be controlled by interests. That is a void that can never be filled, it can only be fed.

The game cannot love you. It can only entertain you. Entertainment is only an escape from life, it is not life itself. We can and do desire escape from reality when pain and suffering is all we see of life. It is unhealthy to constantly feed one vision after another. That is how world views distract us from God’s purpose for our lives.

God’s purpose can only be discovered after we have found God.

How will our friends know of Him if we do not tell them?