Spartans: senseless tradition? – 30 March 2009

I hope you have seen the film “300”.  A few people have told me that it was too scary for them – it kept them up and disturbed them – but I think it is brilliant.

To give you a brief outline, the film is based on a Greek Story of 300 people from Sparta trying to save their land from the great (ever expanding) army of the Persian King Xerxes.  The Spartans are bred to be good fighters, trained from a young age and honed to be the best.

I could make a point here about working hard to become the best – but I am not going to.  I want to draw on a line from the film.

The Spartans (being ancient Greeks) have a tradition to consult their gods on whether to go to war or not – and the gods say “No”, even though no good could result from that.  They will be taken over, and their families made into slaves.

The King moans that in Sparta they should not follow this senseless tradition.  As Christians I think we can learn from this, I am growing to love Anglicanism – but not the “senseless” bits.

Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees about why his disciples didn’t ceremonially wash their food before they ate:

"Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?" Mark 7:5b [NIV]

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because, even though they followed the tradition, they had not given their hearts to God - which is what he really wants.

"You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Mark 7:8 [NIV]

The tradition is not the important bit – we are meant to use the traditions to help us grow into better Christians.

What the “senseless” bits are is really for you to decide.  If it is going to help you to become more like Jesus, or draw near to our heavenly father, then do it – otherwise what’s the point?