A Tree and Its Fruit – Foundations

Psalm 1; speaks and compares a good person to a tree planted near flowing waters like a stream or river, always receiving fresh water, and yielding fruit in proper season, and has freshness at all times and in everything that he does, he prospers. The wicked are compared to chaff, meaning they last only till  one harvest, they those who are weed are burnt at harvest time. It speaks of the good, as surrounding themselves with wisdom and keeping away from the company of sinners, and keeping away from those of evil intent and not messing with the ways the of evil.

Taking Psalm 1 with what Jesus speaks in todays Gospel, i.e. the tree and the foundation, we can see the stress is on surround and building oneself. For me, this Gospel is challenging me with how I spend my time. Am I sufficiently studying God’s World and receiving the sacraments. There can possibly be three ways I can be going about; doing what God has guided me towards, or doing things which are not God’s, or doing good things and putting the label of God’s approval on it.

I believe God cannot use people, because the understanding of the word ‘use’, is negative. God rather prefers to disciple people, build his relationship with them, much like in a marriage which requires each to totally surrender to the other.  The focus is always on the other, to please the other and to do the best for the other. But I believe we do not know Jesus this way, today. If we do not know Jesus, that what is it that we are doing in the world? It could either mean, good work, not God’s work, but not definitely what God desires. Because the one who knows God will know God’s heart, because it has been revealed to him, and out of this knowledge and understanding, he will be in the world and not of the world.

I Pray for you, that you reflect seriously on the type of tree you are, one who has planted itself besides the river that is Jesus, or alone and closeted itself somewhere, or is around a whole lot of other trees. I pray that you choose to be fruitful, get into a relationship with Jesus, and grow/be grafted into him, and are fruitful.