“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)
Some thoughts for today: 30 April 2020
Within this text we read about a good and a bad tree. There is a vast difference between the nature of these two kinds of trees. The nature of a tree is known through the fruit it produces. We speak out things that are within our hearts. Our words reveal our nature. The interesting thing is that the nature of the tree does not depend on the words of others. Some might carve out their own opinion on the bark of a tree for others to read. Some may break off branches and hurt the tree. However, all these actions do not change the nature of the tree, but actually reveal the nature of the one that does these things. If the tree is a good one, it will still provide good fruit, even for the one that mistreats it. But this is not where the matter ends.
For every idle word we have spoken, we will have to give account. Friend, is there maybe something that you have said about someone, that caused a slur on that person? All of a sudden people started to behave strangely towards that person because of your words. Maybe you did not say it directly, but your words have hinted at something bad.
Through our words we make our own nature known and by our words we will either be justified or condemned. Are there some things that you have spoken, that you regret? However the matter does not stop with our words only… the root of the matter is that one needs to bring one’s evil heart to Christ… He is able to change the nature of the tree, and to make that which was bad, good.
Is it not maybe a good time to speak to Him about it?
