When Tradition Takes the Place of Obedience Part 1

By Shannon Lee Perry

I have been thinking about something lately, and the more I think about it, the less sense it makes to me. Every year, people spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars celebrating holidays without ever stopping to examine why they are celebrating them in the first place. They buy costumes, decorations, gifts, candy, and things their children will play with a handful of times before they are forgotten or thrown away. And the moment someone questions any of it, the excuses begin. It's for the children. It's tradition. We're celebrating Jesus. God knows our hearts.

But what does any of that have to do with what Elohim actually instructed us to do?

What troubles me is not simply that so many Christians have never examined the origins of these celebrations. It's what happens when someone begins showing them things they have never considered. Instead of opening their Bibles and examining the Scriptures, many immediately begin defending what they have always done. And I find myself wondering when our traditions became so important that we would rather defend them than examine whether they agree with the Word of Elohim.

I understand that many people grew up celebrating these holidays. Their parents celebrated them, their grandparents celebrated them, and some of their fondest childhood memories are connected to those experiences. But we have to understand that something being familiar does not automatically make it right. Neither does the fact that our parents taught us something mean they were intentionally leading us in the wrong direction. They may have been doing exactly what they were taught to do.

That is part of what concerns me. We can continue passing something from one generation to the next without anyone ever stopping to ask whether it belongs in the lives of those who claim to follow Yeshua.

And when someone finally does ask, why does the question itself offend so many people?

I want to look at something Yeshua said in Mark 7, because I believe it speaks directly to the danger of allowing traditions to become more important than obedience.

Mark 7:6–9 (KJV)

"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition."

Now, I want us to understand what was happening here. The Pharisees and scribes were questioning Yeshua because His disciples were not following the ceremonial washing traditions of the elders. These religious leaders were so concerned with preserving what had been handed down to them that Yeshua had to confront them about what they were neglecting.

And He did not stop at the washing of hands. If we continue reading through verse 13, He gives them an example of how their traditions had actually made the Word of Elohim of no effect. They had developed a religious practice that allowed people to avoid their responsibility to honor and care for their parents while appearing to dedicate something to Elohim.

Think about that for a moment. They had a religious explanation for something that contradicted the commandment.

I wonder how often we do the same thing today.

We can become so accustomed to a practice that instead of examining it through Scripture, we begin searching for Scriptures or explanations that will allow us to keep doing it. We approach the Word already determined to defend our position rather than allowing the Word to correct our understanding.

And that is a dangerous place to be, because how can we be transformed by the renewing of our minds, as Romans 12:2 instructs us, if we are unwilling to have our thinking challenged?

I am not suggesting that every tradition is automatically sinful simply because it has been passed down through generations. Scripture itself speaks of teachings and practices that believers were instructed to preserve. But there is a difference between holding to what Elohim has established and allowing the traditions of men to take precedence over His Word.

That distinction matters, and it requires us to examine what we are actually doing rather than assuming something is acceptable because it has become common within Christianity.

This brings me to something else I hear frequently: "God knows my heart."

Yes, He does. And I think we need to consider that statement a little more carefully before we continue using it as an explanation for everything we do.

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things, and verse 10 tells us that Yahweh searches the heart and examines what is within us. So when we say that Elohim knows our hearts, we are absolutely correct. But that does not mean He approves of everything our hearts desire.

Sometimes we use that statement as though our intentions can somehow change the nature of our actions.

If I am participating in something that Elohim has forbidden, does saying that my intentions are good suddenly make it obedience? If I have become attached to a tradition and refuse to examine it, does telling myself that I am doing it for my children settle the matter?

I think about Saul in 1 Samuel 15. Elohim had given him specific instructions, but Saul did not carry them out completely. When Samuel confronted him, Saul explained that the animals had been preserved for sacrifice to Yahweh. He had a religious reason for what he had done, but Samuel's response was clear.

1 Samuel 15:22 (KJV)

"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

Saul's explanation did not change the fact that he had disobeyed.

Now, before we apply that passage to anything in our own lives, we need to know what Elohim has actually commanded. We cannot simply declare something sinful because we personally dislike it. But once the Word has established what is right and wrong, we cannot use good intentions as permission to disregard it.

That is why examining these traditions matters so much to me.

When I look at Halloween, Christmas, and the way Easter is celebrated in America, I see practices that I believe Christians should have questioned a long time ago. Halloween is filled with imagery associated with darkness, death, witchcraft, and the occult. Christmas has become surrounded by customs and commercial traditions that were never instructed in Scripture, and the American version of Easter has become so focused on rabbits, eggs, candy, and baskets that I wonder how many children could even explain the significance of Passover or the resurrection of Yeshua.

I firmly believe these holidays contain pagan traditions that have been accepted and normalized within Christianity. That conviction is why I believe their histories and practices need to be examined carefully, rather than simply repeating claims that have circulated for years. We should be able to distinguish what history establishes from what Scripture teaches and then consider what our participation means before Elohim.

We will examine each of these holidays individually throughout this series, because there is much more to consider than I can address in one article. But before we get into their origins, I believe we need to deal with our willingness to examine them at all.

Why are we so quick to defend something we may know very little about?

I have heard people explain that they are not celebrating anything evil, that they have changed the meaning of a holiday, or that it is simply an opportunity to spend time with family. But when we are examining worship and obedience, shouldn't we be concerned with more than what something means to us personally?

In Deuteronomy 12:29–32, Elohim warned Israel not to become ensnared by the religious practices of the nations surrounding them. He specifically instructed them not to inquire how those nations served their gods so that they could worship Yahweh in the same way.

That passage concerns Israel and the idolatrous worship practices of the nations they were entering among, and I believe we need to understand that context. But I also believe it reveals how seriously Elohim regarded the distinction between worshiping Him according to His instructions and adopting the religious practices of other nations.

We cannot simply ignore that warning because we live in a different generation.

And here is something else I find interesting. Many Christians can tell you when Christmas is celebrated, when Easter is approaching, and what they plan to do for Halloween. They can tell you about the decorations, the food, the gifts, and the activities they have planned for their families.

But how many can tell you about the appointed times Elohim established in Leviticus 23?

How many understand the significance of Passover and its connection to Yeshua as our Passover Lamb? How many have studied Firstfruits and its connection to His resurrection? How many understand the Feast of Weeks, the Day of Atonement, or the Feast of Tabernacles?

In Leviticus 23:2 (KJV), Elohim says:

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts."

He calls them His feasts.

I am not going to attempt to settle every question concerning how believers under the new covenant should observe these appointed times in this article. That deserves its own careful study. But I do want us to consider why so many of us have spent our lives learning the traditions of our culture while knowing so little about the appointed times established in Scripture.

We know the customs because we have practiced them. We know the songs because we have sung them. We know what to buy because the stores begin reminding us months before each celebration arrives.

But have we given that same attention to understanding the Word?

And if we haven't, shouldn't that concern us?

There is something wrong when we are more familiar with the traditions we inherited from the world than with the instructions and teachings recorded in Scripture.

That brings me to our children, because I believe this is where the consequences of our decisions extend far beyond ourselves.

I hear parents say all the time that they would do anything for their children. And I believe many of them genuinely mean that. They work hard, sacrifice, and spend money they sometimes cannot afford because they want their children to be happy.

But I wonder why we have come to believe that making our children happy requires us to give them everything the world tells them they should experience.

If a child wants candy, why do we need an entire holiday built around costumes, decorations, and going door to door to get it? If we want to give our children gifts, why must we wait until a particular day of the year and participate in customs we have never examined? And if we want to create memories with our children, why have we allowed commercial celebrations to determine what those memories should look like?

I am not against children experiencing joy. I am questioning what we are teaching them to associate with joy and whether we are being intentional about the values we are establishing in their lives.

And the financial side of this deserves some serious thought as well.

Imagine if parents took the money they spend every year on holidays and began putting it into an account for their children instead. Think about what that money could become over the course of eighteen years. It could help pay for college, a first vehicle, or even provide a beginning toward purchasing a home.

Instead, we spend money on toys that are sometimes forgotten within days, new wardrobes when closets are already full, decorations that are stored away for most of the year, and things that often have very little lasting value.

I am not saying parents should never buy their children gifts or nice things. I am asking whether we have stopped long enough to examine what we are doing with the resources Elohim has entrusted to us.

Proverbs 13:22 (KJV) says:

"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."

What if we began thinking about what we are leaving our children rather than constantly focusing on what we can buy them right now?

And I am not talking only about money.

Because we can leave our children a financial inheritance and still fail to give them something far more valuable: a foundation established in the truth of Elohim's Word.

That is where Proverbs 22:6 comes in.

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

We quote that Scripture often, but are we considering what it means to train a child?

Training requires intentional instruction. It requires consistency, correction, and the willingness to make decisions our children may not understand or appreciate at the time. It means we cannot allow their desire to fit in with everyone around them to become the standard by which we determine what is acceptable.

And sometimes it means telling them no.

Not because we want to deprive them of happiness, but because we understand that our responsibility as parents reaches beyond their immediate desires.

Ephesians 6:4 instructs fathers to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6–7 describes parents teaching the commandments of Elohim diligently to their children throughout the ordinary activities of daily life.

That kind of instruction cannot be limited to attending church once or twice a week. It has to become part of how we live.

Our children should see us examining Scripture before making decisions. They should hear us explaining why we believe something is right or wrong. And they should understand that following Yeshua sometimes means being different from the people around us.

But how can we teach them to stand on truth if we are unwilling to do it ourselves?

I have heard parents say they do not want their children to feel left out. I understand that no parent enjoys seeing their child disappointed. But I have to ask, left out of what?

Are we so concerned about our children missing a celebration that we have forgotten to consider what we are preparing them for spiritually?

We cannot raise children to follow Yeshua while teaching them that participation in the things of this world is necessary for their happiness and acceptance.

And I believe we need to stop treating every difficult decision as though it is somehow unfair to our children. Sometimes the very thing they do not understand today may be something they thank us for when they are older.

But first, we have to be willing to examine our own lives.

I keep coming back to something Yeshua said in Luke 6:46.

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (KJV)

That is a question every one of us should be willing to answer.

It is easy to say we love Yeshua. It is easy to identify ourselves as Christians, attend church, participate in ministry, and speak about the goodness of Elohim. But following Him requires more than what we say with our mouths.

In John 8:31–32, Yeshua spoke to those who believed on Him and explained that continuing in His Word was what identified them as His disciples indeed. He then told them that they would know the truth and that the truth would make them free.

Notice that He connected discipleship with continuing in His Word.

And I think that is something we have to understand. We do not get to determine what truth is based on what makes us comfortable. We have to be willing to receive it, even when it challenges something we have believed or practiced for years.

I know what it is like to discover that something I once believed was not what Scripture actually taught. I know what it means to have to examine my understanding and allow the Word to correct me. And I am still learning. I do not believe any of us reach a place where we no longer need correction or greater understanding.

But there has to be a willingness to receive that correction.

Otherwise, what are we really doing when we say we are studying the Word?

Are we allowing it to transform us, or are we simply looking for confirmation of what we already believe?

I believe this is one of the reasons deception can continue from generation to generation. Not necessarily because everyone passing something down intends to deceive someone else, but because people can sincerely believe what they have been taught and never examine whether it is true.

And when those beliefs become deeply connected to family traditions, religious identity, and childhood memories, questioning them can feel like questioning everything we have known.

But our loyalty cannot be to what is familiar. It must be to Elohim.

As a watchman, I understand that sounding an alarm will not always be welcomed. Some people will listen, some will become offended, and others will refuse to examine what is being said. But my responsibility is not to make truth comfortable enough that everyone will accept it. My responsibility is to speak truth and make certain that what I am speaking is established in the Word.

I am not asking anyone to accept something simply because I believe it. I am asking you to open your Bible and examine these things for yourself. Study the Scriptures in context. Investigate the history of the practices you participate in. Ask questions, and be willing to follow the truth wherever it leads, even when the answer requires you to change something in your life.

Because I believe we have reached a place where many Christians are more prepared to defend their traditions than they are to explain why those traditions belong in the lives of believers.

And that should trouble us.

This is why I want to take the time to examine these holidays individually. There is more to their history, their practices, and their influence on our families than many people realize. We need to consider what we are celebrating, why we are celebrating it, and whether our participation agrees with the life Yeshua has called us to live.

I also want us to examine what we are passing down to our children, because the decisions we make today will influence the understanding they carry into adulthood and eventually pass down to their own families.

We cannot change what previous generations taught us, but we can take responsibility for what we choose to continue.

And if we discover that something we have always done does not agree with the Word of Elohim, we have a decision to make.

Will we hold on to the tradition because it is familiar, or will we surrender it because obedience matters more?

For me, that is what this entire series comes down to.

Choosing Elohim is a choice. Serving Him is a lifestyle.

And that lifestyle cannot be built upon the traditions of men while the Word of Elohim is set aside.

Next in the series: Halloween — Why Are Christians Entertaining Darkness?