Whose traditions are these?

Job 22
Psalm 121
Mark 7-10

SOAP - Whose traditions are these?

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

Observation
Jesus is talking to the Pharisees about washing hands, clean and unclean, etc. He tells them that the traditions they are so obsessed with are traditions of man, that they've lost sight of the traditions of God.

Application
As someone who was only in church til about the age of seven and has never studied the Bible in depth, there are a lot of times when I don't know if a tradition came from man or from God. There are holidays and holiday traditions. I guess every year I learn a little more about the history of some holidays, and how all the traditions developed. Actually it's often sort of surprising. Some traditions that I would think had no biblical basis do, and others that I've always assumed originated with the Bible didn't. Of course this applies to more than just holiday traditions. There are lots of traditions or attitudes/beliefs that are associated with being a Christian. Some in our everyday lives, some in the way we worship, etc. And it's sometimes hard to know which ones are man made and which ones are from God. But I think that studying the Bible and prayer will help us know. And I pray that the traditions of man don't cause us to lose sight of the commands of God.

Prayer
Dear Lord, sometimes traditions in life can cause me to lose sight of you and your commands, even if they are good and fun traditions. Lord I pray that in all our holiday celebrations and in our day to day lives you'd help us remember you and your message to us. Thank you Lord for your grace and your love. Help us be good to each other and give us a heart for you. Amen.