Reflection on the Gospel of the Saturday In The Twenty-Third Week In Ordinary Time |
Luke 6:43-49 |
Today’s Gospel is part of Jesus’ sermon in the plain, and going with the Luke’s Idea of highlighting Jesus the Good News to the week and the marginalised. Matthew presents Jesus the New Moses and therefore places Jesus on the mountain. In this Treasure Bag of Jesus’ Teachings, today we have two parables; The Tree and its Fruits, and The Wise and Foolish Builder. While the first parable helps disciples to see the difference between true and false faith. The second one illuminates the difference between true and false disciples.
Tree and its fruits:
While planting a tree, first we dig the ground and put the sapling in the ground and pour water on it. Gradually the plant grows and bears fruits. Similarly, for us humans, our hearts are the ground, and whatever we store up and nurture in ourselves, that is what will grow up in us. If our hearts store up sorrow, anxiety, distress, prejudice, blame and irresponsibility, then we express/relate to others, the same in the form of words and deeds and bring harm to our own selves first, and then to others. Perhaps in our hearts we have stored Faith in God, forgiveness, humility, sympathy, compassion, then we express the same in the form of words and deeds and bring blessing to our selves, which overflow and bless others. So let’s store in our hearts , positivity, attitude, forbearance, this is good fruits in society as per verse Luke 6:45 – “The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks”
The Wise and foolish Builders:
Jesus explains to his disciples through this parable, true and false discipleship. Jesus encourage his disciples to follow the teaching not only by spreading the word of God, but also to practise the same in their life. In this parable the house represents human life, the rock represents Jesus, digging the ground represents cultivating and nurturing the heart. If we examine our conscience (Digging our heart) and consciously desire/seek to be in a right relationship with Jesus, then it is laying our foundation on Jesus (rock). If we do this, then we never face any number of problems and disaster, just like like St. Paul, we like him will humbly and joyfully say in abundance and in scarcity (Philippians 4:12), we have learnt to be glad, because our sufficiency is our life giving water rock (Jesus) never become dry up in our life. Whenever we avoid practicing the teaching of Jesus then our life is like the house built on sand, which is getting destroyed in slow motion, natural calamities and wind will only add to the destruction of our lives as there won’t be any life giving water. Our lives will dry up, we will wither and vanish…
Lets us reflects on our own selves, based on these parables
- What is my heart filled with; positive treasure or negative treasure?
- Where am I constructing my house; on the rock or in the sand?
