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Our word for today is TRADITIONS. For most of us, Christmas is filled with more traditions than any other time of the year. I know of some Christian families who have a  tradition that  is a birthday party for Jesus a few days before Christmas, depending on when their Christmas Eve services start. They read the Christmas story together, sing carols about the “birthday boy,” tell what we’d like to give Jesus the next year, and then sing happy birthday to Jesus with the youngest child blowing out the big birthday candle in the center of an angel food cake. Some families rotate each year which child will blow out the candle. If you’re wondering about the wisdom of eating angel food cake after a dozen or so salivating children have blown out a candle, you’re missing the point!)

For families and churches all over the world, Christmas is a time of deep and meaningful traditions. But sometimes those same traditions can become a barrier to seeing the true meaning of Christmas. Traditions can be good or they can be bad, depending on how we use them. The Bible makes this abundantly clear. On the bad side of traditions are Jesus’ words to the Pharisees. And He continued in Mark 7:9, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition” (NLT). On the good side are Paul’s words to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:2, “I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you (NIV). 

He is talking specifically here about the Lord’s Supper, a tradition that Jesus commanded us to keep as an ordinance of the church. As you think about the traditions of Christmas, here are three ways to embrace the good and leave behind the bad. These lessons about tradition are based on reading through Jesus’ discussions of tradition with the religious leaders of his day.

  1. Traditions are bad when they keep God distant and are good when they bring God near. Sometimes a Christmas tradition can be a way of building a barrier between you and a real relationship with God. The Pharisees did this by adding to the Law in Jesus’ day, and we can do it with our holiday celebrations today. You can know you are misusing traditions in this way when they cause you to feel sentimental, but don’t draw you towards the almighty power of God. A good tradition will help you to sense, often at a level beyond words, that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.
  2. Traditions are bad when they are used to control and are good when they bring us closer. Beautiful traditions can sometimes become great burdens. This especially happens when one person in the family uses the tradition to try to get everyone to do as they want. Most of us have had the experience of someone telling us, “We’ve ALWAYS done it this way.” Good traditions connect you to God and to others in ways that are familiar because you’ve done them before, but also new in the relationships you experience.
  3. Traditions are bad when they become the meaning of Christmas and are good when they point to the meaning of Christmas. Traditions are meant to point us to something that is true and meaningful. When we keep doing the tradition while no longer recognizing the truth, we feel empty. It is that feeling of going through the motions, without knowing why. On the other hand, there will be many times when you sense a depth of significance and meaning in a simple tradition that you can’t find anywhere else. Tears start to come or a smile bursts out without you really being able to explain why.

So, let’s do two things this Christmas. 

  1. First, bring the meaning back into some of your Christmas traditions. With a brief prayer or word from Scripture, remember the depth of meaning behind what you are doing. 
  2. Second – and this one is riskier – feel the freedom to start some new traditions to replace ones that have lost their meaning.

Scripture To Meditate On: 2 Timothy 2:2, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (NLT).

Prayer to Pray: “Father, thank you for this reminder from Scripture of the good and the bad in traditions. I pray that the events and traditions of Christmas would have new meaning for me this Christmas. Help me to intentionally focus on You and Your love for me in all that we do during this season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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