When Traditions Get in the Way

Re:Verse passage – Mark 7:1-23 (day six)

Traditions can be beautiful. They help us express love, reverence, and belonging. Whether it’s dressing up on Easter morning or receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday, traditions shape the rhythms of our faith and bind us to one another.

But as helpful as they are, traditions should never take the place of loving people.

In Mark 7, Jesus challenges a group of religious leaders who had grown more concerned with keeping traditions than with caring for people. Their spiritual routines had become a substitute for true transformation.

It’s easy to fall into that same trap—mistaking outward piety for inward renewal. We can get so good at “doing church” that we forget the reason behind it all: love. Real, sacrificial, others-first love.

So here’s a question worth asking:

Would we be willing to change our traditions if it meant someone in the heart of the city could experience the love of Jesus?

Let’s hold our traditions with open hands, always ready to lay them down if it helps someone else take hold of grace.

Author: Danny Panter

Danny is the Associate Pastor for NextGen Marrieds & Community Missions at FBCSA. View all posts by Danny Panter