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We are not to be jealous of any blessing, or to limit the spirit of God to our neatly limited sense of theology. Moses has the right attitude here.

Numbers 11.

26Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!”

via PC(USA) – Devotions – Daily readings for Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Jesus did not refer to rabbi after rabbi. He spoke as one with his own authority. This is unlike the human manner — you need to have a rabbi, a guru, to guide you forward. What is unsaid is that all humans are flawed. We all reflect the glory of God badly — as a pottery glaze, or at most polished bronze, reflects the light. We delude ourselves. We see our way as good, when our hearts are full of jealousy, malice and lust. We need traditions, for we are blind.

Jesus was not.

Matthew 7:28-8:4

28Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

1When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” 3He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus’ final command was that this man complete the rite of purification, so he can be aligned with the congregation of Isreal. For Jesus was incarnate, not yet risen. Schaeffer reminds us that behind the law and tradition is the true law, true justice, and true mercy, and that they are terrible to behold. Our traditions defend us from that fear.

But we should not confuse our traditions with the God behind them. He is bigger than human understanding. In our theology we grasp at things we do not comprehend.

If our theology is too neat and formulaic, we are committing the error of the Pharasees. We are limiting God instead of glorifying him.