“Good morning,” the flight attendant said cheerily. “Welcome to Flight 0000 to Greenville- Spartanburg.”
“That’s very funny,” several of us said, or words to that effect. To which the flight attendant replied, “You’re joking, right?”
Greenville and Spartanburg may be fine cities. But none of us on that particular plane wanted to go there that day. Across the tarmac sat another jet in a similar situation, with one notable exception. The passengers on that plane did want to go to Greenville-Spartanburg.
Four times airline representatives had checked each passenger’s boarding pass! But, somehow, we had all been directed to the wrong flight. The employees had authority, but they were sincerely wrong.
Some religious teachers once came to Jesus to challenge Him about the behavior of His disciples. It seems the disciples weren’t keeping the time-honored tradition of ceremonial handwashing. Jesus countered the religious leaders’ concerns with a stark passage from Isaiah: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mark 7:6; Isaiah 29:13). Then He said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Those leaders had reached the wrong conclusion because their premise was faulty. They thought scrupulous rule-keeping would impress God.
Adhering to tradition and rules is like getting on the wrong plane. We can earnestly believe we’re on the right course, but it can never take us where we want to go. God calls us to follow the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Jesus and God’s Word lead to the right destination every time.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Ruth 4:1-22
More:
Read Matthew 15:12-20 to see Jesus’ thoughts on following blind guides.
Next:
What was wrong with the tradition of the Pharisees? What dangers can come from completely disregarding one’s traditions?
Gary Shultz on March 18, 2015 at 6:05 am
I’m so glad God holds the flight plan to life’s course if we will chose to follow. I like God’s tradition of loving people to the max and working life out for His glory and our good. Thanks
Gene on March 18, 2015 at 7:34 am
The ODJ struck a chord with me this morning. We all have to be careful not to depend on keeping the rules as the expense of quenching the Spirit in our walk. Even the habit of reading the Bible through in a year can become a ritual if you don’t listen to and apply the passages.
tgustafs on March 18, 2015 at 8:11 am
The role of the Spirit is vital in this! I too struggle with my spiritual life becoming a ritual. Even the best practices can become formulaic. Thanks for your comments, friends!
rollingwoodfarm on March 18, 2015 at 9:52 am
I heard a similar story about a plan from Miami to New York City. When the attendants made their announcements after the plane was airborne, it was discovered that the entire flight crew was on the wrong plane and heading for the wrong destination. What a warning to leadership to be faithful to be sure of leading to the One true God by His Son, Jesus Christ!
tgustafs on March 18, 2015 at 10:47 am
Haha, I’m sure we all find that funny now, but imagine being on that plane! What was ironic about my situation is that the airline was obviously going out of its way to route us to the right plane on the tarmac (we didn’t use the jetway for this flight). So I surmise that they had a history of problems with this. FOUR checkpoints for boarding passes is a lot. And it’s really a lot when you still get it wrong.
nosejose on March 18, 2015 at 10:32 am
I was raised in a traditional church and still value some of the traditional customs. Sometimes I value these things more than I should and think others should practice them as well not realizing that the Holy Spirit may lead them differently in their worship. This was very well written and is a passage I have never heard taught before. Thank you.
tgustafs on March 18, 2015 at 10:49 am
Right, it’s a balance. We should never throw out tradition just because it’s tradition, but rather try to keep in mind just why it is we hold this a particular tradition. But … that’s probably another blog post. 🙂
Winn Collier on April 4, 2015 at 8:58 pm
That story is hilarious – and frightening.