Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 7: 21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Have you ever tasted a Sour Patch Kid? 

It’s a gummy candy covered in sugar. When you first chew it, a Sour Patch Kid tastes incredibly sour like a lemon. 

But the more you chew it, the sweeter it becomes.

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That, to me, is an image of the Christian life.

It isn’t always easy to do the Lord’s will. In fact, sometimes Christ’s words can leave a very sour taste in our mouth. “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Turn the other cheek.”

But the more we follow him, the easier – the sweeter – his will becomes.

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What might following the Lord look like concretely?

Telling the truth when it’s difficult… reaching into our pockets when there’s not much left… letting go of a grudge when we’d rather nurse it… forgiving someone who’s hurt us… Handing control of our life over to Him.

This is the path of love.

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“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus says. “Only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

You might say, those who’ve developed a taste for Sour Patch Kids, trusting that the sour always becomes sweet.

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Image credits: (1) Sour Patch Kids, Target (2) iStock (3) Scripture Fix

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Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Good trees bear good fruit,” the Lord says in today’s Gospel.

But can we bear more fruit?

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One of the best ways to bear more fruit is to remove those withering branches.

They’re the dark, limp twigs that sap energy and nutrients without giving anything back. It’s an important truth: withering branches take energy to die, which is why a farmer prunes them.

The faster those lifeless branches are removed, the more fruitful the tree or vine becomes.

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What might a withering branch look like in our own lives?

Imagine holding onto a grudge. That anger would sap your energy without giving anything back. The quicker you let go of that grudge, the happier you become. 

Or consider having a bad habit. It demands your time and energy while denigrating your health. The quicker you can let it go, the happier – and more fruitful – you become.

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“Good trees bear good fruit,” the Lord says. 

But can you bear more fruit?

Identify those withering branches and surrender them to the Lord, the Divine Gardener, who will enable us to bear thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.

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Image credits: (1) What Kind of Heart Bears Good Fruit? LinkedIn (2) Musings and Wonderment (3) MCF Life Church

Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are plenty of acronyms and sayings in modern American English that would make no sense to people living back in Jesus’ day. Some examples include:

BYOB.

RSVP.

I have the blues.

Or, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.

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We find the reverse happening in today’s Gospel. Jesus uses a saying that might’ve made sense 2,000 years ago, but is lost in translation today:

“Do not throw what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine… lest they turn and tear you to pieces.”

What on earth does he mean?

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Christ is cautioning his disciples, urging them to protect their budding faith, the new relationships they are forming, and the culture of faith-sharing he’s building.

Do not throw these precious things – these “pearls” – before those who will not appreciate them. Otherwise, they might be ruined.

While the early Christians were commissioned to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth – as we still are today – they also needed to form boundaries against those who were sinful, unrepentant, or non-believers.

This might’ve even included friends or people in their own family.

You and I can benefit from such a reminder today. While we live in the world, we are not of it. Be careful not to let the doubt, the skepticism, or growing anti-Christian values in our culture into your heart, lest your faith be weakened.

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When you come across such people or moments who tempt your faith, you might say, “Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.”

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Image credits: (1) Popular Sayings, Writer of Pop Culture (2) illustAC, pig and pearls (3) Austin Davis, 3:24 YouTube