“And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.” Lk. 1:59-60
I think it is acceptable to say that tradition was very powerful in the days of John the Baptist. When Zacharias refused to name his son after him, but called him John instead, the family and neighbors marveled. Who has ever marveled over what someone named their child. Again, this shows how important tradition was in the lives of the people in those days. There is nothing wrong with tradition. Even Paul says that it is good for the saints to hold to the traditions he taught. Where tradition becomes a problem is when the word of the Lord is rejected so that tradition can remain intact. Sometimes we can miss out on the things of God because we insist on holding to the way we always do it.Besides that, it is a lot easier to write and say, John the Baptist than Zacharias the Baptist.
