What is the health of your interior life? Every good tree produces good fruit and bad trees bring out bad fruits.
2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3
Mt 7:15-20
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. What you sow you reap. The words of today’s Gospel are a sound warning as true today as they did two thousand years ago: “Beware of false prophets in sheep’s clothing with ravenous wolves hiding below”. Everyone must judge for themselves truth from deception, veracity from falsity. The only evidence given to us as a guide is that “By their fruits, you shall know them.” Also, we are given the warning: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire”.
One can quickly imagine, the apostles, apprentices sent to the mission; going into towns trying to seek an audience open to their message, avoiding the sneering crowds who would stomp their testimonies into the ground like pigs would do pearls because they cannot grasp the value of what is being given to them. Before arriving in any town, there were enemies already waiting for them: the Sadducees and Pharisees watching for the any given opportunity or a chance to trip them up and devour them like mad dogs. Sounds like the worst cold calling assignment one has ever heard of.
We are faced with such challenges today. Our churches is besieged and signs of the evil one are everywhere. We cannot do it without Your help, Jesus. By your authority O Lord Jesus, we pray thrust the evil one back into Hell so Your Church can flourish once more. May we delight in the laws and decrees of God. May our words and actions be in line with the gospel truth and may God guide our minds and hearts as we follow him closely. Amen.
God bless
Osho
