Tradition: Is it a burden or an incentive?
Scripture reading: Matthew 4:1-11. Text: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:1-4. Tradition is burden when it blocks improvement; however, it is a gift when it serves as a reminder of what to keep and continue. The younger generation may not understand tradition well, since the circumstances have changed. What had been considered essential centuries or decades ago can be viewed today as unnecessary.
In the 19th and the early part of the 20th centuries fewer people had been working in industry and more on the farm. The farmers have known – and know even today – that nobody can guarantee a good harvest or crop; weather can be an important factor. (In industry there can be boom or recession.) Long ago whenever the farmers had a bountiful harvest, they felt they owed this success God’s blessing as well. They showed their gratitude by preparing the Lord’s Table for Holy Communion and being thankful for the new bread, which was for them the symbol of the divine providence and the assurance that there will be enough bread, pasta, and pastry for the coming year. We wish to keep this tradition and praise God for this year’s harvest of grain.
LET US PAY ATTENTION TO THESE WORDS OF OUR LORD: “MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.” Last week the message dealt with the fourth request of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11. This week we can extend that line and see how much more is involved in bread when it symbolizes our entire life. When we quote Jesus, “Man does not live on bread alone,” we can use our often-mentioned expression: THERE IS MORE TO IT! What “MORE” can we uncover as we meditate on our Lord’s words?
Every constructive work or service (helping, improving, guiding, defending, healing, comforting) is a contribution to that bread that sustains the society. Not only educated people deserve respect. What can the physicians do without patients, the teachers without students, and the politicians without constituents? Gifted, celebrated, and well-educated people should not be proud, because none of them designed his or her own mental ability, muscular body, or attractive appearance. The way we were born is not our own doing. Our Lord was, and is still, right: “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much.” Luke 12:48.
There are three basic commodities that will be in great demand as the population steadily increases: fuel (energy), bread (food), and water (drink). The number of people on earth is growing and the amount of land is not. We know in many countries forests are transformed into farms and this adversely affects ecology. Who are able to bring the population explosion under control? Should war, famine, epidemic decimate the people or will we bale to find reasonable solutions? If we do nothing, what will our children and grandchildren face?
Tradition? YES. However, copying everything from the past without improvement? NO! Religion can be used or abused or religion can be constructive or destructive. In the name of God (here I include other religions’ deities) so many mistakes have been made. In certain cases religion is also a nationality, culture, tradition, or even fanaticism, and the blind followers of these beliefs have done so much damage and harm. As the bread should be wholesome, nutritious and tasty, likewise religion (faith, belief in the respective deity) should be helping, felicitating and saving.
There is one symbol hidden or baked into every loaf of bread, namely SHARING. Children like to say about every toy, “This is mine, too,” and when they grow up it is expressed in this way: “I deserve more.” The shortest line in the world is where people stand behind one another saying, “I am overpaid.” Keeping this in mind, please read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31. One outstanding theologian said God deposited the poor people’s portions with the rich.
Three statements from the Lord about himself will underline this meditation:
n “I am the bread of life.” John 6:48.
n “I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6.
n “I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.” John 10:10.
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.