Shaking off any rituals?

 

2 Chronicles 30; Zechariah 12:1–13:1; John 15; Revelation 16

On this day when many celebrate Christmas with their traditions, we are doing things differently. Our turkey will not be cooked the way I’ve normally done it. The stockings are not stuffed. The Covid rules prevent hospitality. We have had a rough month. One of our adult children and his wife had and survived Covid. A grandson and his wife and son also had and survived Covid. However we lost a beloved great nephew in an accident. Many days, I’ve felt like a truck hit me, yet the presence of the Lord is strong. It is not about gifts under the tree and the childlike excitement that goes with opening them and eating sweets. He is Emmanuel, God with us, and we sense it more than ever.

Tradition is usually okay. In some situations it is prescribed. For instance, the OT rituals for celebrating the Passover were precise. Yet there was one time in their history when the celebration became more important than following all the rules. The people had fallen away from God and not taken care of the temple, never mind their own lives. Their latest king had turned the nation from worship — never mind even going through the motions of worship.

Then Hezekiah came to the throne. He began restoration big time. The people were willing but not ready. Their king knew that their willingness was more important than the exactness of the ritual . . .

For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 30:18–21)

These verses bring tears to my eyes. I think of the times that legalistic ritual and doing things ‘the way we have always done it’ has deadened my own response to God, never mind those who promoted their traditions. Some seem so silly, like the pastor must wear a suit and tie. Others are important yet what difference does it make to God if we take communion on the first Sunday of each month or the third one? Does it matter that we have turkey on Christmas day, particularly in a world where millions are not getting a meal at all and have never heard of Jesus born in a stable?

Jesus made it clear that if I abide in Him, trusting Him and yielding to the Holy Spirit who will show me how to keep His commands, then my life will be fruitful. I want that. At the same time, I’m aware that such a life may not be acceptable to some. Jesus knew this from His own experience:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:18–20)

We creatures like predictability and routine, not being upset by constant surprises and twists and turns in the road of life. However, walking with Jesus is never predictable. We were thinking today would be just us but God had other ideas. We thought our month would be like the past many months but He walks in and instead of any routine, we are on edge just a little by not knowing what will happen next.

Ritual is comfortable but it has been shaken to the core in 2020. Daily changes. Unexpected Covid cases. Reams of bad news, so much so that last night I felt driven to find good news — amazingly there are at least a dozen websites devoted to good news only. The world is both messed up and hungry, full of selfishness and evil yet with many wanting to escape the stench and rejoice. We are tired of the restrictions and want to have a party that is not dangerous, that brings joy to our hearts . . .

And this is why Jesus came!