December 21, 2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1.27)

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7.19-20)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

I hear the words of the Resurrected, Justified and Glorified Lord speaking to John of trees in Heaven. (Revelation 22.2+) What a sight it must be to see all the fruitbearing trees along the river whose headwaters flow from the very throne of God. In a kingdom where there is no shadow because the glory of God shines continually, these trees bear fruit in their own season without end. Their fruit never rots, their branches never wither, their leaves remain their created color for all eternity. Further, in the midst of these trees there is no command nor enticement to not eat of a certain tree. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, because in Heaven all knowledge of good and evil is fully revealed and there is nothing left for us to discover about God or ourselves or of one another. As in the words of Paul to the community of faith in Christ found in Corinth, “The day will come when what we saw in shadows and dim reflections will be fully revealed to leave us standing face to face.” The journey of self-discovery will have been ended by the fullness of the blessing of self-recovery. And how did we recover ourselves? Not with fig leaves as did Adam and Eve once they saw each other in shame face to face! Not with the sacrificial lamb skins provided by God who offered the first sacrifices for the recovery of humanity from their sin! No, we recover ourselves with the glory of the Lord as we cast our faith on Him believing that He is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is Lord of all and Savior of all those who profess Him as King of kings, Lord of lords, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God and Prince of Peace upon whose shoulders rests the governance of all worlds. In that promise we are restored to our created fruitbearing not in the parenting of future generations as there will be no giving or taking in marriage in Heaven. No our fruitbearing will be the outpouring of the indwelling and ondwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, I am speaking of that “fruit of the Spirit”: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul will conclude that list of the attributes of the fruit of good “trees” with “…and against such things there is no law.” No matter how much the Devil and his minions work to dissuade good people from producing good fruit and encourage bad people to produce bad fruit (consider the antitheses of the list above), nothing can be done to stop these fruits from existing, generating and prospering. If I think about it, there is no law which will even govern how they grow, when they grow and why they grow. Well, that is, apart from the law of God established in righteousness toward all generation. His will is the law of life which the darkness cannot overcome. What becomes immeasurable is the fruitfulness of the fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps this is why Jesus said to the Pharisees, the Teachers of the Law and the Temple leadership “Even bad fathers can give good gifts.” It isn’t the gift that is measured but the intent and purpose of the gift giving. Once again, the tangible gift is measured by the heart, mind, soul and spirit of the gift giver. If the gift is left to itself without measure or understanding, it stands alone as a dormant seed. If the gift, albeit good, is offered with ill-will and perverse intent (no matter how “innocent”) then it is a seed planted and nurtured with the brokenness caused by sin and the fruit itself will become rotten to the core. If the gift is given with the purity of heart and the sacrifice of seeking return for one’s self in order that the receiver is strengthened, benefitted and told of God’s love in mercy for their salvation, then the fruit prospers ten, thirty, even a hundred fold. As Jesus taught, “What good does it do a person to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their soul?”

Think of the fig tree which stood just off the road to Jerusalem from Bethany. It loomed against the horizon of eternity alone in a seemingly barren world. Its leaves boasted of heartiness and longevity. It had braved the elements to stand strong with promise. Perhaps there were other fig trees just over the edge of the horizon as this one tree stood as a sentinel for them. By all appearances, scripture tells us, it was nearly the season for figs. From the distance of the road to the tree it gave every hint of a fruitful presence and abundant harvest. Of course, the omniscient Jesus would have known the condition of the tree. The lesson was not for Him but for the disciples. It would serve as a warning against false prophets and teachers and messiahs who gave the appearance of fruitbearing and thus the blessing and favor of God but did not bear “good fruit” if they bore fruit at all. It would also serve as a warning to the disciples to not become like those. Later, Jesus would warn the disciples to not “rule as the Gentiles do.” This, I believe, falls into the same category of teaching. Gentiles and the Temple leaders did not rule with the “fruit of the Spirit.” The disciples, apostles and all generations of believers yet to come must! It would be non-negotiable. All the works and benefits of worldly toil (even those called religious and sanctified but in the end measured by worldly success) would rot and pollute the ground. In this I would call your attention to the lead scripture for all these reflections on “The Sermon on the Mount[ainside]” found in James 1.27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Mighty ones of God in Christ Jesus, pray for that keen eye to walk through the marketplace of life and evaluate the fruit that you desire for your own consumption and for those over whom you have responsibility for their well-being. Pray for the discernment to know good fruit (as what aligns with the fruit of the Spirit) and bad fruit (which is everything else.)

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain this eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.